A letter addressed to James Syme, esq., Professor of Clinical Surgery, Edinburgh, in refutation of certain statements made both by him and others, his advocates, in relation to a case of stricture of the urethra, in which the operation of perineal section was performed / by Francis Burdett Courtenay.

  • Courtenay, Francis Burdett, 1811-1886.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter addressed to James Syme, esq., Professor of Clinical Surgery, Edinburgh, in refutation of certain statements made both by him and others, his advocates, in relation to a case of stricture of the urethra, in which the operation of perineal section was performed / by Francis Burdett Courtenay. 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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    Mr. Syme (he had informed me that he had written to you some- time before, and had not received any reply), who said he did not write before because lie was quite at a loss to account for the state I represented, and the best plan to be adopted for reliefOn the 19 th of February, he writes me, “ I am obliged to give a very bad account of myself, and I am almost afraid I have not derived any benefit from the operation. On Thursday night last, I was seized with rigors and retention, and obliged to keep my bed on Friday, retaining only a small No. 2 catheter. I now make water very badly, although rather better this morning. I cannot pass more than No. 4, and indeed all instruments are held. From this time until April, his letters were much of the same character, contain- ing accounts that he was sometimes better, sometimes worse. Towards the latter end of the month, he came up to London for a day on business, and I saw him for a few moments, when he gave me a most melancholy account of his sufferings. Shortly afterwards I received the following letter from a friend of his :— “ My bear Mr. Courtenay, “ I grieve to tell you that poor is very ill; ever since he returned from London he has been suffering more or less, but was much worse yesterday afternoon and during all night, not being able to pass the smallest catheter, or obtain the least relief, that I fully made up my mind to beseech you to come down to-day by , who left here at seven o’clock this morning for London. But felt loath to send for you, knowing how much engaged you are, and besides, towards daylight, he was somewhat relieved. However, ever since that time he has been suffering dreadfully; he has not succeeded in passing any instru- ment, and the obstruction, he says, is not so much from spasms, as some obstacle stopping up the passage. Dr. is here accidentally, and has told him to put on some leeches. He has had two hot baths at twelve last night, and again to-day, and about 130 drops of the ‘black drop’ since eight o’clock last night. It is now half-past three o clock, and he has obtained a little relief by making about a wine-glass-full of water. Should the leeches not give him relief, and should he be as ill to-morrow, I must send to you by the express train, as I feel assured, if you