The Bradshaw lecture on prognosis in relation to treatment of tuberculosis of the genito-urinary organs : Delivered before the Royal College of Surgeons of England, December 1907.

  • Godlee, Rickman John, Sir, 1849-1925.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Bradshaw lecture on prognosis in relation to treatment of tuberculosis of the genito-urinary organs : Delivered before the Royal College of Surgeons of England, December 1907. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    army dealing with all cases of bacterial disease, and that in the treatment of these conditions the physician and the surgeon should stand aside after making a diagnosis, while the miracle of cure is affected by means of bacterial vaccines. Although this is the general im- pression which this lecture produces, I will allow that it is not quite a fair way of stating the case, because it is evident that he could not expect that bacterial vaccines can deal with, say, such an organ as a kidney or a knee-joint which has been disorganized by a tuberculous or a mixed bacterial affection, though he does expect them to cure masses of cheesy, if not calcareous, glands. I must not allow myself to comment on the statement that antiseptics are now by general consent abandoned in connexion with the treat- ment of ordinary surgical wounds, but must make some observations on the last of the five methods which, in the lecture, he says, we have to-day at our disposal for the treatment of bacterial disease —namely, the expectant treatment. Let me draw your attention to these sentences : The really serious ills of life are the various localized bacterial infections which sooner or later fasten upon every man, never afterwards releasing their hold. It follows from this that