The fourth quarterly report of the Ophthalmic hospital at Canton, for the term ending on the 4th of November, 1836 / By the Rev. Peter Parker, M. D.
- Parker, Peter, 1804-1888.
- Date:
- 1836
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The fourth quarterly report of the Ophthalmic hospital at Canton, for the term ending on the 4th of November, 1836 / By the Rev. Peter Parker, M. D. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.
11/18 (page 9)
![[»] brachial artery from the axilla to the forearm, and also the veins. The artery was very small, about one tenth of an inch in diameter, and its coats thin; veins also small. The radial nerve was considerably enlarged. The bone was entirely absorbed, except an inch of each extremity. From these small portions, a few spicula of bones project- ed. At the head of the humerus it appeared, till we discovered the absorption of the whole bone, as if nature had formed a new joint with the glenoid cavity within the head of the humerus. There were points of osseous matter, but the cists collectively were surrounded on the inside and back of the arm by a firm cartilaginous wall like the brisket of an ox, with tendinous fibres passing in every direction like the curly maple. The muscles were much diseased, and their tendons lost in the mass of cartilage, which near the elbow, was three or four inches in thickness. From the elbow downward, the muscles were perfect. The forearm was oedematous, and considerable adipose sub- tance was found under the integument. All who were present pro- nounced the case the most remarkable they had ever seen. The patient is the first Chinese, so far as I know, who has ever voluntarily submitted to the amputation of a limb. At 5 o'clock p.m., the patient having awoke firohl sleep, asked what he might eat. Congee was given. The expression of his countenance was good; he spoke with a natural voice, complained of cold, though his body was of a good temperature, the skin feeling natural, with a gentle perspiration upon the forehead. Not much oozing from the wound, but little pain, and he was quiet: his pulse was 126. With a friend, Mr. H., I watched all night with the patient. At I o'clock next morning he wished to know if he might eat chicken. He occa- sionally started in his sleep, and when awake, spoke of his arm as if it were still on. From four till five o'clock, he slept quietly, and made no complaint of pain, though there were some febrile symptoms, and his tongue was white and the skin dry. At (i o'clock sponged his body, and gave an ounce of Castor oil. Pulse from 4 o'clock 110: bowels were moved during the day, and all the symptoms became more favo- rable. On the 18th, the wound was dressed and found to be united, by the first intention, nearly the whole length of the incisions. Most of the sutures were removed. On the '21st, the dressings were chang- ed again, and the remaining sutures slipped, and the wound had the most healthy appearance. Patient walks his room, his general health is good, and his strength fast restoring. His gratitude, and that of his father seem deep and sincere.—In this place I desire to express my own obligations to Drs. Tt. IT. Cox, J. Cullen, and W. Jardine, esq., who have often afforded me their able counsel and assistance. I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge the untiring inte- rest which Dr. Cox has taken in the operations of thte hospital during the past year, lending his assistance upon each day for operations, and with no other reward than that of doing ffnnrl. A situation in which it is possible to become the occasion of rnrrry- incr a fellow beinc to the invisible world, and that in a moment, is](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21008772_0011.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
