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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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292 <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Medical Practice <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>oisoutset, "Seven cases <strong>of</strong> this operation have been performed on the humansubject, and we allude to them for the purpose <strong>of</strong> condemn<strong>in</strong>g theoperation, except <strong>in</strong> remarkably rare <strong>in</strong>stances, and to call attention to avery clever <strong>in</strong>strument (Trendelenburg's tampon-cannula) which has beenused <strong>in</strong> the course <strong>of</strong> some <strong>in</strong>stances when tracheotomy is resorted to. . . .But <strong>in</strong> malignant disease what is ga<strong>in</strong>ed by extirpation? Certa<strong>in</strong>ly not acure. Prolongation <strong>of</strong> life is undoubtedly achieved; but it is a questionwhether that prolongation greatly exceeds that which would result fromsimple tracheotomy. In the first case recorded, life endured six months afterthe operation, and was destroyed <strong>in</strong> consequence <strong>of</strong> recurrence <strong>of</strong> thedisease. In the second, the patient was alive five months subsequent to theoperation. In two others the reports were made after <strong>in</strong>tervals <strong>of</strong> threemonths and one week respectively. The other cases died after a few daysonly had elapsed." The tube referred to had a balloon around it whichcould be <strong>in</strong>flated to prevent blood gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the trachea!In 1876, Jones is quoted by J.S. Williams <strong>in</strong> a Report on Diseases <strong>of</strong>Children (page 41), "Dr. Jones speaks highly <strong>of</strong> the turpeth m<strong>in</strong>eral <strong>in</strong>croup, given early, and <strong>in</strong> case <strong>of</strong> febrile excitement he follows it withveratrum viride. These, he th<strong>in</strong>ks 'will always cure, <strong>in</strong> spasmodic croup,and will pave the way for other measures <strong>in</strong> the pseudo-membranous variety,<strong>in</strong> which latter form operate early, or not at all.' ""Postnasal Catarrh" was the title <strong>of</strong> a paper by Dr. William Porter <strong>of</strong>St. Louis (111. Med. Rec, 1878, p. 57), read at a meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the Ill<strong>in</strong>ois StateMedical <strong>Society</strong>. He described syphilis <strong>of</strong> the nose with ulceration andpolyps. Under chronic catarrh he described what appeared to be atrophicrh<strong>in</strong>itis.In 1877 (Trans. 111. State Med. Soc, p. 41) E. Fletcher Ingals, then listedas Lecturer on Diseases <strong>of</strong> the Chest and Physical Diagnosis <strong>in</strong> Rush MedicalCollege, gave a paper on "An Improved Method <strong>of</strong> Perform<strong>in</strong>g the RadicalOperation <strong>in</strong> Empyema," <strong>in</strong> which he described the use <strong>of</strong> an <strong>in</strong>dwell<strong>in</strong>gdra<strong>in</strong>age tube <strong>in</strong> the chest. He stated <strong>in</strong> behalf <strong>of</strong> his technic that "This hasthe advantage over other methods usually recommended <strong>of</strong> occasion<strong>in</strong>gbut a trifl<strong>in</strong>g wound, and consequently slight constitutional disturbancefrom that causeAt this same meet<strong>in</strong>g (page 198 <strong>of</strong> the Transactions) Dr. S. O. Richeypresented "Inflammation <strong>of</strong> the Middle Ear Follow<strong>in</strong>g Inflammation <strong>of</strong> theNares and Pharynx." He was certa<strong>in</strong> that an important factor was "The<strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>of</strong> cold air which has not been warmed by previous passagethrough the nostrils" and recommended that good "results may be obta<strong>in</strong>edby afford<strong>in</strong>g protection to the mucous membrane aga<strong>in</strong>st the stimulat<strong>in</strong>gaction <strong>of</strong> the air."Also <strong>in</strong> 1877, H. Z. Gill (page 237) <strong>in</strong> his Report on Otology, implored the

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