Observations on lithotomy : being a republication of Dr. James Douglas' Appendix to his history of the lateral operation for the stone, and of other original papers relative to Mr. Cheselden's invention and improvement of that operation : to which is added, a Proposal for a new manner of cutting for the stone / by John Thomson.

  • Thomson, John, 1765-1846.
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on lithotomy : being a republication of Dr. James Douglas' Appendix to his history of the lateral operation for the stone, and of other original papers relative to Mr. Cheselden's invention and improvement of that operation : to which is added, a Proposal for a new manner of cutting for the stone / by John Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    introduced into the groove of the curved staff, and pushed along it into the bladder. The curved staff is then to be withdrawn, and the surgeon lay- ing hold of the handle of the straight staff with his left hand, and turning tile groove upwards and a little outwards, presses the back of it downwards towards the right tuber ischii, and holds it steadily in that position. The point of a straight-backed scalpel being now introduced into the groove of the staff, with its cutting edge inclined upwards and a little outwards, is to be pushed gently forwards into the bladder. The size of the scalpel need only be such as will make a wound in the prostate gland and neck of the bladder sufficiently large to admit the forefinger of the left hand. The scalpel being removed, this finger is to be introduced into the bladder through the wound which has been made, and the staff may then be withdrawn. With the finger the surgeon endeavours to acertain the size and situation of the stone. If after this examination he judges the incision in the neck of the bladder to be too small for the easy extraction of the stone, he next introduces into the bladder a straight probe- pointed bistoury, with its side close to the fore part of his finger, and its cutting edge upwards. JBy turning this edge towards the left side, and by keeping the point of his finger always beyond the point of the bistoury, he may safely divide, in the direction of the first incision, as much of the pros- tate gland and neck of the bladder as he siiall depm necessary.