Review of Dr. Ruppaner's case of laryngo-tracheotomy / by Lewis A. Sayre.

  • Sayre, Lewis A. (Lewis Albert), 1820-1900.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Review of Dr. Ruppaner's case of laryngo-tracheotomy / by Lewis A. Sayre. 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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    very freely, lie could iind no evidence of the tumor being ma- lignant. In his published statement he says: “ Pieces the size of a pin’s-head were removed with the forceps,” etc. . . . “Ex- amined under the microscope, these lobules were found to con- sist of cancer-cells, varying in type,” etc. I leave it to the doctor to explain this discrepancy between his statement to me, in the presence of Captain Bigelow, and in his published report. Presuming on the doctor’s knowledge of the microscope, and on the accuracy of his statements, I again urged the im- mediate removal of the tumor by external incision, as the cap- tain was in danger of impending suffocation. This advice I certainly would not have given if I had not been assured that the growth was not cancerous, but would have advised trache- otomy, simply as a means of prolonging life, and making the patient as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. The operation of removal was not performed at the time, on account of the captain’s business arrangements, which he stated would require a few weeks to #put in such order as to allow him to lay up the required time for the operation. The doctor was to continue his local applications to keep the tumor in check, and the captain was informed that he might require the operation of tracheotomy at any moment, to prevent suffocation. I heard nothing more of this case until the loth of August, about eleven o’clock at night, when I received, at Long Branch, the following telegram : “ The captain is dying. Come im- mediately ; he must be operated on at once. A. Ruppaxer. I came up in the six o’clock train the following morning, and arrived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, about 10£ a. m. ; found the doctor and several other physicians anxiously waiting for me. As I went into the hotel, I met Dr. Vance going to the telegraph-office, and told him that Dr. Ruppaner was going to perform tracheotomy, and, if lie would like to see the opera- tion, I would try and get him an invitation. Dr. Ruppaner very courteously acceded to my request, and I went back for Dr. Vance, but on our return we found the doctor and the other gentlemen hurrying down the Fifth