A letter respectfully addressed to the Commissioners for Transports, Sick and Wounded Seamen, etc., on the subject of the operation for popliteal aneurism. Illustrated by cases, and the description of a new instrument / [A. Copland Hutchison].

  • Hutchison, A. Copland (Alexander Copland), -1840
Date:
1811
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter respectfully addressed to the Commissioners for Transports, Sick and Wounded Seamen, etc., on the subject of the operation for popliteal aneurism. Illustrated by cases, and the description of a new instrument / [A. Copland Hutchison]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    It frequently happens, likewife, that the external wound is kept open, for a conftderable length of time after the ligatures have come away, by a proa fufe difcharge of lymph from the wounded ends of thefe veffels. In confirmation of which ftatement, I appeal to all thofe who are in the habit of per¬ forming this operation*. By fecuring the artery from the upper or outer margin of the fartorius mufcle, no fuch objections can be urged—there are no large veins or lympha¬ tics in the way of the knife, and the operation will be finifhed in as fhort a time, with as little pain to the patient, and certainly with much greater fatif- faCtion to the operator, from his not being embar- raffed by haemorrhage ; a circumftance fo frequent¬ ly occurring, when operating on the part as direct¬ ed by Mr. Hunter. In the fir ft of the two cafes I am about to relate, not more than half an ounce of blood was loft, and the greater part of that quan¬ tity came from a minute cuticular artery. In the laft, I pofitively aftert, there was not more in all than tzvo drachms. In facft, the operation performed in this way may be very aptly compared to that upon the dead fubjeCl, with the advantage of a beating artery to guide and direct you. Having fiid thus much in favour of operating by the outer margin of the fartorius, I come now to * See alfo a cafe in the Tranfa&ions of a Society for the Im* provement of Medical and Surgical Knowledge. Yol. I.