Volume 1

The history of the lateral operation, or an account of the method of extracting a stone, by making a wound near the great protuberance of the os ischium ... first attempted by Frère Jacques ... and afterwards by Professor Rau ... With a postscript concerning the introduction and improvement of this method here in London / By James Douglas.

  • Douglas, James, 1675-1742.
Date:
1726
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of the lateral operation, or an account of the method of extracting a stone, by making a wound near the great protuberance of the os ischium ... first attempted by Frère Jacques ... and afterwards by Professor Rau ... With a postscript concerning the introduction and improvement of this method here in London / By James Douglas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    out the Parts that are either to be Cut or avoided in it, as fully as fit 1 had had Albinus’s Book before me when I Went about them. And I will venture to fay, that the Examination of fuch Preparations as thefe, when frefh Subjects cannot be had, which every Surgeon and Anatomift muft know is too often the Cafe with us, is the fureft and eafieft Way to enable us to underhand, and make the right Ufe of what has been written upon the Subject of Lithotomy, which of late Years has made fo much Noife in our Phvfical World. tf But to return from this fhort Digreflion : If I may judge by the E- vent, what I then offered to the Royal Society was by many Members of that Honourable Body thought no unfuitable Entertainment for them ; for from that Time feveral worthy Phyficians and Surgeons, ha¬ ving carefully read Albinus’s Book, and examined my Preparations, be¬ gan to think feriouily of introducing the Practice of it amongft us. And I moft willingly embrace this Opportunity of doing juftice to the ingenious Dr. Eamber and Mr. Chefeldeny by declaring in a publick manner, (what I had many Opportunities of knowing, having aflifted at moil oi the Experiments they made on dead Bodies) that as it was their Turn to Cut in the two great Hofpitals of this City the following Seafon; I beheld w7ith the utmofl Pleafure, the Alacrity, Induftry and Application with which they foon made themfelves Mafters, each in the Way that fuited his Genius beft, of the true Method of performing an Operation, which they thought they had all the Reafons that Theory could furnifh, to prefer even to the high Way of: Cutting, which both of them had for a confiderable Time practis’d with great Succefs. On the 7th Dsiy of laft Augufl, Dr. Eamber made the firft Tryal of it on living Bodies in St. Bartholomews Hofpital, and fince that Time he has made feveral more. In all thefe Operations he has thought it proper to follow7 every Step of Mr. Raus Method, except that he filled the Bladder moderately with Water ; and therefore, as his Dexterity and Skill in every Operation he goes about are fufficiently known, there remains no more to be faid about them ; fave only, that as far as can be judged from the Number he has Cut, his Succefs is hitherto at leafl equal to that of Mr. Ran, Mr.