Some observations on the treatment of narrow and irritable stricture of the urethra : read before the Suffolk District Medical Society, May 1858 / by D.D. Slade.

  • Slade, D. D. (Daniel Denison), 1823-1896.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some observations on the treatment of narrow and irritable stricture of the urethra : read before the Suffolk District Medical Society, May 1858 / by D.D. Slade. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    the urethra in front of it slowly fills and becomes slightly distend- ed; but as the piston continues to descend, the oil will gradually pass through the stricture and onward into the bladder, thoroughly lubricating every part of the canal. At the moment the oil passes through the stricture, the operator may sometimes distinctly per- ceive a slight, but very complete, sensation communicated to the hand, of resistance overcome, and partial collapse of the previ- ously-distended urethra in front. The syringe is then to be remov- ed, the finger and thumb still commanding the meatus of the ure- thra so that no oil escapes. The smallest catheter may now be introduced, and made to traverse the urethra—at all events as far as the stricture—with very little or none of that difficulty ar from the catching of its point against the walls of the pa often experienced with very small instruments, and which renders so much care necessary in their employment. But what is more, when arrived at the stricture, the instrument, if adapted in size, will gradually pass through it; or, at least, the probability of its doing so is greatly increased. The narrowed channel has not only been thoroughly lubricated, but somewhat distended by the me- chanical pressure of the column of oil which has passed through it; and this sometimes occurs to an extent which affords no inconside- rable amount of aid to the operator. Patients suffering from very irritable stricture have experienced so much less pain from the passage of a catheter after the injection of oil, that I have been repeatedly requested by them to employ it on subsequent occasions. I alluded to the probe-pointed bougie as being extremely useful in many cases of stricture. The delicate extremity of the bougie being armed with this olive-shaped button, prevents it from being caught in the lacunae as it is passed down. So, also, under certain circumstances, it will be found that this form of bougie can he more readily insinuated into and even passed through one of these narrow strictures than any other. By means of this, also, we can easily pass down ointments of various kinds. Mr. Thompson has recently advocated, also, the use of a probe- pointed catheter. This instrument resembles in form, length and curve the ordinary catheter, and is made of silver. For the last two inches, however, it is perfectly solid, the extremity being, in fact, a delicate metal probe. However small it may be necessary to have the instrument, so small can this probe-pointed extremity