Address in surgery : delivered at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association, held at Leamington, August 3, 1865 / by James Syme.

  • Syme, James, 1799-1870.
Date:
[1865]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Address in surgery : delivered at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association, held at Leamington, August 3, 1865 / by James Syme. 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.

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    part of an improver may ever resuscitate the old system of operating, with its chisels and gouges, and abortive efforts to accomplish what can be done effectually only in another way. Descending from the head we come to the neck, where the first difference between old and present practice that presents itself is in regard to the operation for admitting air into the lungs. Within my recollection it was rarely performed, and still more rarely, if ever, with success, the reason of which was twofold. For, in the first place, the tube employed was so.narrow that, in-: dependently of obstruction from mucus in its cavity, there was not space sufficient for the passage of air; and secondly, instead of being introduced into the trachea, it was thrust between the cartilages of the larynx, too near the seat of disease for rendering any service. It is needless to say how different the case is now, and how frequently life is saved by the timely performance of tracheotomy. But as it may not be generally known that we are indebted to Mr. Liston for the wide, conical, and slightly curved tube so