A probationary essay on amputation in cases of external injury : submitted ... to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh ... / by Alexander Watson.

  • Watson, Alexander, 1799-1879.
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A probationary essay on amputation in cases of external injury : submitted ... to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh ... / by Alexander Watson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cases, immediate Amputation should be performed, as being the most certain and safe way of saving the life of the patient. “ The principal trunk of the artery,” says Mr Bromfield, <c either of the superior or inferior extremity being wounded., for the generality, requires the limb to be taken off.*” Upon the subject of wounded arteries, Mr John Bell comes to the conclusion, <c that wounds of the axillary artery, like wounds of the femoral artery, are often dangerous from bleeding, but never fatal from the want of inosculations ; that we should tie the greatest arteries of the body, confidently, whenever they are wounded, without the trunk of the body ; and that we should tie the arteries as boldly at the groin, or in the axilla, as in the lesser branches, going down to the thigh or arm. Accidents, undoubtedly, (as we are in all our operations at the mercy of accident,) may prevent our at- chieving a cure.” This author thought, therefore, that a simple wound of any of the larger arteries of the limbs, should never be a reason for Amputation, as the artery might be tied with perfect safety to the limb, from the inosculating branches. Mr Hodgson, when speaking of healing a wounded artery by adhesion, says, “ nor indeed would any desireable object be gained, by preserving the canal ©f the vessel, for it is fully proved, that every part of the body is provided with a means of carrying on a collateral circulation, and that in gen¬ eral, there is no danger of a deficient supply of blood, when the main artery is tied in a healthy limb. It must be acknow¬ ledged, however,” he continues, <e that the Mortification ©f a limb is a more frequent occurrence, after the ligature of a wounded artery, than when an artery is tied for the cure of * Chirurgical Observations, vql. i p. 39