Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900: Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small CalibreMakins, George Henry
History
Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900: Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small Calibre
Makins, George Henry
Gunshot wounds; South African War, 1899-1902; Surgery, Military
The patient was kept quiet in the supine position for a month,
and during this time the condition in many ways improved. The
voice improved in strength, the pulse steadied, falling to 80,
the prominence of the left eye disappeared, and all the blood
effusion in the posterior triangle became absorbed. Meanwhile
the aneurism contracted at first, until it became oval in
outline, with a long axis of 2 inches by 1-1/2 broad extending
in the line of the wound track, but mainly situated in the exit
half. During the last fortnight, however, it remained quite
stationary in size, and as it showed no further signs of
diminution in spite of the favourable conditions under which
the patient had been placed, it was considered best to try to
ensure its consolidation by a proximal ligature. Thrill had
become slightly less pronounced, and was less evident to the
patient himself, but was otherwise unchanged. The probabilities
in this case seemed rather in favour of wound of the internal
carotid artery, and it was decided to bare the upper part of
the common carotid, follow up the main trunk, and if possible
apply the ligature to the internal branch. On April 12, 61 days
after the injury, the classical incision for securing the
common carotid was made, and the sterno-mastoid slightly
retracted. It was found that the sac of the aneurism extended
over the bifurcation of the artery, reaching to the wall of the
larynx. The omo-hyoid muscle was therefore divided, and the
artery ligatured beneath, in order to ensure against any
interference with the sac. Some difficulty was met with, for on
opening the vascular cleft the vein was exposed and found to
completely overlie the artery: although it was on the left side
of the neck, the position of the vein was so completely
superficial that there seemed no doubt that it had been
displaced by the development of the aneurismal sac. A striking
appearance was noted on exposure of the vein, the coats of
which vibrated visibly, quivering in exact consonance with the
palpable thrill. On tightening the silk ligature all pulsation
ceased in the aneurism, and the vibratory thrill in the vein
became much lessened.
The patient made a good recovery, only disturbed by a slight
attack of vomiting, and at the end of a week the wound had
healed, and pulsation in the aneurism had completely ceased.
The thrill persisted as before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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