A mild laxative may be given, when an empty state of the bowels is desirable, or when they, by acting too soon afterwards, might put the patient to inconvenience or pain, or interrupt the curative process. Attention to after-treatment is of much greater importance. The practitioner is not to rely on success, however well the manual part has proceeded. He must consider his labour only begun, when the operation has finished; the patient is yet to be conducted, by kindness and judgment, through the process of cure. It is thus only that difficult and unpromising cases can be brought to a happy conclusion, and favour and lasting reputation gained. In the present work an endeavour has been made, in the first place, to lay down, correctly and concisely, the general principles which ought to guide the practitioner in the management of constitutional disturbance, however occasioned. The observations introduced to illustrate the doctrines inculcated are given as briefly as is consistent with an accurate detail of symptoms and results. The descriptions of particular diseases have been sketched and finished from nature; and, it is hoped, with such fidelity, that their resemblance will be readily recognised. To describe all the methods recommended and followed, in the different surgical operations, would occupy more space than can be allotted in an elementary work—would, without answering any good purpose, lead into the wide range of the history and progress of surgery. Such modes of operating are described as have been repeatedly and successfully performed by the Author. If by clear and simple description of the phenomena attendant on morbid action, and of the changes which it produces,—if by plain rules for the treatment of the diseases, and performing the operations for their alleviation or cure,—he contribute to the progress of surgery, and the consequent diminution of human misery, he will consider himself fully rewarded for the time and the labour spent on this production. CONTENTS. PART FIRST. Page