OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Lindsay Journal #3, PART 2 *************************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. *************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Helen Silvey Helen_Silvey@macnexus.org http://jpaul.gwdi.com/silvey/ January 8, 1999 *************************************************************************** CONTINUED Operation July 18th. 1833 Of taking up the right Radial Artery 18 days after one of the branches were wounded on the back of the hand. Case of John Mackey of Preble County Ohio. History of the case as I learned it from the paytient (sic) himself and Dr. Ferguson who was first called to him, was, that by some accident which is not now recorded the branch of the radial artery on the back of the hand between the second joint of the Thumb & the Third Joint of the first finger. Mackey, on wounding it, managed by such applications as his family & assisted by some of the neighbors, were capable of making, after the loss of considerable bood, to stop the hemorrhage, Burnt Allum & Coperas or Sulp. Ferri in solution was all tried probably, and what more am not informed, but finally was stoped by cording the wrist. in this way the family and patient got along with it during a week or about that time. The artery always breaking out again in some hours after the hemorrh(a)ge being thus treated & commanded. Dr. F. after attending on this man had him brot to his own house. but notwithstanding every astringent & every application that could by made, the bleeding was sure to return again if not sooner at the farthest the next day, or so soon as sufficient reaction took place. On the 18th day after the accident Dr. F. sent his then student, now Dr. Know, to get me to go with him to Paris to see what I could do for his unfortunate patient. On arriving at Dr. Fergusons I was much astonised at the paleness and the weakening effects consequent on this severe depletion. The Bleeding had been stopped some hours which had occurred on that day and which was so alarming when Dr. KNox set out for me. the blood that the patient suppossed he had lost, do not now pretend to recollect precisely, but think it was several gallons, the blood was now said to have became very pale. And he undoubt had lost more blood than he had in his system when in health, but new blood being all the time furnished to some extent, must have been the means of keeping him alive. the hemorrhage frequently kept up until arrested by ad deliquium animi. The various applications which had been made to the wound & the effect of resorting so frequently to the ligature or cord around the wrist, had been the means of swelling the hand & wrist very much indeed. The wounded place over the wounded artery had the appearence of approaching gangrene. and the ligature had had such effect in denuding & chafing the skin and flesh on the wrist where it had been applyed that it could not be longer bourne. I said the patient had become very pale, such was his palor & blanched appearence that the term exsanguinated would well have applyed to his appearence and situation. And during the operation which I perormed on him, he was unable to sit up. but remained reclined as I found him on arriving there on a palate on the floor. I operated by making an incisi(o)n about two inches long the cour(s)e & immediately over, the Raidial Artery in the wrist. having laid it bare I passed two ligatures around it at about an inch apart & then dissected the artery. and finished the operation by applying adhesive strips across the incision so as to approximate the edges of it, leaving the Ligatures hanging out. The operation was completely successful. In due time - I think about 3 weeks from the period of the operation his arm was well and he fast recovering from the debility induced by the loss of Blood. Mr. 10th. 1839 Richmond Ia. Operation on Mr. Beard Esqr. of Dark Co. O. Case of Sarcomatous Tumor of the nose, or som(e)what such affection, which seemed to have produced a spongoid cancellated state of a large portion of the bones of the face as well as nearly the whole of the nose. Operated Nov. 23d. 1831 History of the Case -- This diseased Tumour of the nose had been slowly developing for several years. and when I saw him first a short time previous to operating on him, had grown out on the centre of the nose, or rather to the left side, of the volume of about an English walnut. of a red cherry colour, which was solid and unyielding to the sense of touch & pressure. For the last few months it increased much faster than it had done previously. And had so grown downward or inward. as to almost entirely to obstruct breathing thro' the nose, I think several years previous to this he had been operated on by a Dr. Thomas, since decd. who was an English surgeon of some notoriety & considerable merit, & who resided on Paddey's run either in Butler or Hamilton Co. O. In the operation as performed by me on the date above, I was met in consultation by Drs. Ferguson, Whiterage, and Knox. I made an attempt to lay back the skin by dissection, and then remove the tumefyed portion. which I did so far as seemed prudent. but on cutting round the tumour, what, from the superficial vi(e)w, seemed to be its boundery and cutting down and dissect it out, it was then evident the malar bones of the face, extending up into the cribiform plate of the nose were all in a morbid spongois condiditon. The Mellar portions were yielding on presure giving way under presure with a kind of elasticity. the portion of sarcoma or spongy exostosis when removed, presented, on a close examination, to be composed of divergin ossifie or cartilagionous radii, diversifyed, with fleshy substance somewhat after the growth of the pith, or cortical portion of the stock of Indian Corn. In the operation I did not cut thro the nasal process, but to have removed the whole of spongy growth, and bone now diseased by this affection would probably have required the removal of the whole of the nose, and the ossa male of the face. This I did not think prudent to do. The operation was attended by considerable hemorhage, & the diseased portion in its fleshy integuments, were considerably vascular but there was no artery that required to be taken up, the hemorrhage being commanded by the application of Alum water & the sponge. This operation for a month or two seemed to have given some relief and partially to have removed the affection. but in a the (sic) cource of a few months this again began to develope itself in a new growth on the nose, Other physicians were called, one of whom promounced it cancer & as is usual with this class of Empirics, gave the patient high prospects of cure, at the same time denouncing all others who had treated his case as ignorant & unprincipaled. but this "cure all" of a "cancer cognomen christener" acquired for himself but a cobweb standing for emin(en)ce & skill in this case, for as might have been expected his escharotics only added torment (torture) to suffering -- And under this treatment in a few weeks Mr. B. was releived of all suffering by the kind hand of death. No doubt much assisted in his official acquisition by the servises of his friend Mr. Cancer Doctor. Amputation of Finger, Threateining Lock Jaw, followed by Gangrene & Mortification. Amputation Dec. 18th. 1831 This young man whose name I have forgotten was a laboring man on the farm of a Mr. W. Woods, an Englishman residing about 11 miles S. West of this place. When intoxicated he got into an affray with another man who in the rencounter bit one of his fingers. Some days after the injury the finger having swelled and inflamed being attended by rigours and a high toned nervous & spasmodic Exacerbations My friend Dr. Matchet was called, of the vilage of Abington, what was the treatment of Dr. A. (sic) have now forgotton. The symptoms however continuing so violent it was thought the finger would have to be amputated, and it now about this time had put on a gangrenous appearance in & around the part. Having been called in this state of the case it was concluded that an application of Lytta Emplas should be made to the finger, which was now enormously enlarged, and general symptoms should be met by Dr. M. as seemed to be indicated. I had hoped that on the principle of counter irritation and its reputed properties of arresting grangrene (sic) and mortification under some circumstances that it was worthy a triel (sic) in this case. But in this case I was disappointed. for in two days I was again called. & the gangrene & Mortification appeared to have been increased by the vesication of the Lytta. The visicle drawn by it were now highly gangrenous, and really in the 2d. stage of mortification. I now had to take off the finger of the 3d. joint at its union with the hand. In this case the action must have been too nervous or was too high toned or too late applyed. If the Lytta application is ever serviceable (& I think it had a good effect in the Case of Lucinda Dunkin, besides we have the sanction of Chapman at least.) I think it must be in a low grade of excitement and where nature required a stimulent to assist in seperating, between a dead & a living substance. On the removal of the Finger this young man was releived of his neuralgic & spasmodic exacerbations. And in two weeks the hand was nearly healed. And the general health nearly restored. Richmond Ia. Mar. 11th. 1839 Amputation of a Finger. Son of Mr. Murray, Keeper of the Poor house of Wayne Co. Ia. Operated Oct. 15. 1835 Ths youth about the age of 14 or 15 years old had when I first saw him been laboring under a morbid enlargement of the finger. There had been no abrasion of surface, swelling, or inflamation, but simply a puffy enlargement, yet not edematous. The general health with the exception of the influence of the finger was good, however this finger had occasioned a great deal of distress frequently so violent as to interrupt sleep. The enlargement was probably more of the Elephantiasis appearence than any other affection to which I could compare it with to give any thing like a just idea of it, which extended from the nail or near it to near the 3d. joint. I learned that it had been blistered, without any apparent benefit., also various embrocations and Linaments had been used all of which had been abandoned in time. As it had been of several years standing and was considered to be rather, tho' slowly, & almost inperceptably, on the increase, I could perceive no probably cure of it by the efforts of nature, and the treatment which next to amputation seemed to promise the most had already been tried. I was clearly of the opinion that the amputation was the only means of cure. On removing it and dissecting it, was found that the enlargement was owing to a tissue of very healthy looking fat regularly and naturally contained within the celular membrane, having removed this tissue of adipose growth & celular membrane, so far as I could discover the finger underneath was entirely healthy and natural. This tissue just described of adipose substence was found as abundent around the first & second joints as on any other part of the finger, and I am still of the opinion that amputation was the only means of cure. I said that this tissue of adipoase substance was healthy & natural, In this expression I wish to be understood as being true in regard to its growth and healthful appearence but that it should be the cause of pain, & really a disease & yet altogether natural & healthy, adeps can only be satisfactorily explained by considering it as a foreign & extraneous substance. thus we would admidt & contend, that a good proportion of the adepose substance when properly arranged and distributed is a symptom of good health, but when it takes place around a joint as in this case in the form of a thick cushion thus obstructing the free motion of the joints as it did in this, the joints being almost stiff and Anachalosed, however healthy it may be in its growth & composition, still inasmuch as it is out of place, it must be considered as a morbid & diseased state of things, and tha the finger as in this case was laboring under a morbid growth of adipose substance. Richmond Ia. Mr. 11th. 1839 TO BE CONTINUED Helen, Sacramento ***********************************************************************