Case of successful double ovariotomy done antiseptically / by James Murphy.

  • Murphy, James.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of successful double ovariotomy done antiseptically / by James Murphy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    4/4 (page 4)
    adhesions not being numerous and entirely parietal and omental; the wound was then closed by eight wire sutures, and on the wound lay the clamp. Antiseptic precautions were used in every detail, and over the gauze a flannel bandage was secured round the patient, who was then placed in bed ; and, as she soon complained of pain, a suppository, con- taining a grain of morphia, was introduced into the rectum. She soon rallied well and rapidly from the operation, and, at ii p.m., her temperature was 100.4 deg., and she had neither pain nor sickness. Everything progressed favourably and she was up on the sixteenth day, her temperature being highest on the third morning, when it reached loi. 5 deg. in the vagina. All went on well until September 21st, thirty-seven days after the operation, when I was hastily summoned to her, and found her suffering from double pneumonia. Large poultices were immediately applied to her chest in front and at the back, and brandy and ammonia were freely given ; but on my return in two hours’ time, she was almost comatose, quite insensible, and unable to swallow. Brandy was now freely given per rccttim, and the poultices continued. Next morning, she was something better, and slowly recovered, though she had two relapses, in one of which she was very near dying. In ten days, she was much better and stronger, when vomiting set in, which soon became fcecal in character ; and, on examination of the rectum, it was found completely blocked up by large masses of scybala; these were removed, after which she made a rapid and perfect recovery. Remarks.—The points of interest in this case are chiefly the diagnosis of both tumours before operation ; the perfect success of the antiseptic treatment, the wound healing without pus or smell; the entire absence of peritonitis after the operation, though the peritoneum was found in a red condition from the irritation of the cystic fluid (vide Mr. Wells’s two hundredth case, edition 1872, page 80) ; her recovery from double pneumonia after such a serious operation ; and finally, the com- plication of faecal vomiting.