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 condition had, in fact, steadily improved, and become far less
obvious. The prominence of the sterno-mastoid and clavicle still present
was difficult of explanation, except on the theory of an injury to the
bone, or that an aneurismal sac had consolidated spontaneously.
(14) _Arterio-venous aneurism, root of right carotid._--Wounded
at Magersfontein. _Entry_ (Mauser), centre of right
infra-spinous fossa. _Exit_, 3/4 of an inch above clavicle,
through point of junction of the heads of the right
sterno-mastoid muscle. Range 200-300 yards. When wounded the
man ran two hundred yards to seek cover. There was no serious
external haemorrhage, but the injury was followed by some
difficulty in swallowing, and haemoptysis, which lasted for the
first two days. The right radial pulse was noted to be smaller
than the left, and weakness in flexion of the fingers, with
hyperaesthesia in the ulnar nerve distribution, was observed.
The right pupil was also noted to be larger than the left.
The patient was sent down to the Base, and on the twenty-fourth
day the condition was as follows. A pulsating swelling existed
extending 1-1/4 inch upwards beneath the right sterno-mastoid,
from the mid line of the neck backwards to the centre of the
posterior triangle, and downwards over 2 inches of the first
intercostal space, which latter was dull on percussion. There
was some evidence of a bounding wall, but it was thin and the
tumour was soft and yielding. A loud machinery murmur was
audible over the tumour, over nearly the whole extent of the
thorax, and in the distal vessels as far as the temporal
upwards, and the brachial as far down as the bend of the elbow.
The murmur was audible to the patient with his ears closed.
Over the swelling a strong thrill was palpable; this extended
some little distance into the distal vessels and felt
remarkably superficial. It was particularly evident in the line
and course of the anterior jugular vein, and appeared to be
extinguished by local pressure. Although readily felt in the
posterior triangle, it was impalpable on deep pressure in the
suprasternal notch, a fact which seemed in favour of localising
the aneurismal varix to the subclavian artery and vein. The
right pulse was good, although smaller than the left, and was
said to have improved in volume. The right pupil was slightly
larger than the left, but reacted normally. There was no pain
or difficulty in swallowing. Weakness in power of flexion of
the fingers persisted, and there was some impairment of
sensation in the area of distribution of the ulnar nerve.
Three weeks later no material change had occurred, except that
the swelling was perhaps softer and the thrill more
superficial, and at the end of two months the patient was sent
to England.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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