The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-11-23
@eOtral.
From the London Lancet. |

Curious operation.-Tbe operation oil trans
fusion, or blood taken from man and injected
into the veins Of woman, who was dying OF
hamorrhage, was performed about three weeks
since, under the direction Of DIR. Blundeli,
Lecturer on Physiology and Midwifery at
Guys Hospital.
The woman was attended By MIR. Waliar.
When visited by him, the patients pulse, at
the wrist, was scarcely perceptible, indeed, at
times, it could scarcely be felt; the lips and
face were of palliG or death-like hue; and,
in word, the taper Of life was but family
ghmmering.
Under these circumstances, il occurred to
Mr. Waller that the operation sf TRANSMISSION
would be a measure to rescue the patient from
her perilous situation.
DR.. Blundell was sent for, and upon his ar
rival he found the patient had somewhat
rallied, IN consequence OF which he deemed
it better to delay the performance of the OPP
Grafton; for, as Doctor Blundell observed to
his pupils, the operation is only justi6able in
extreme and otherwise desperate cases. Aft
ter waiting an hour, the patient became worse,
she vomited, and was exceedingly restless,
which may always be regarded IS a very bad
symptom the pulse at the wris was futter-
ing and occasionally not to be fdt, and there
was that peculiar expression of counteuance
which can scarcely be described it may be
called I" death in the face" Itdid not APP
pear proper TO delay the operation, which was
therefore commenced as follows.-The cephal-
&c vein OF the right arm was laid bare, to the
extent OF about an inch, and blint pointed
bent needle was passed under the vein, at the
lower part of the opening, so as to srevent the
ef1ux OF blood. The husband Of the patient,
robust, healthy young man, was now called
in, and two ounces Of blood were taken, in a
full stream, from his arm, and received in a
conical glass tumbler. An opening Of; bout
9Th of an inch was made in the vein If the
patient, and, by means of a syringe or tule, the
blood extracted from the husband was some
wha: slowly thrown in, towards the leaTt.
No very obvious effects were Producet from
this supply Of vital fluid, and after pause of
! one or two minutes, two other ounces oiblood
were thrown in; soon after this the plse at
the wrist intermitted and there was slight
restlessness, or rather desire to change ptsure,
but the same symptoms passed away the
space of two or three minutes. In conse-
quence of these symptoms, it was deemed
prudent to wait awhile; and after lapse of
ten minutes, the patient was evidently rally
ing.
From this period the patient went IN i'm
proving, and had not single bad symptom
which could be attributed TO the operation
the functions of respiration, circulation, and
OF the chylopocuc viscera, were duly perform
ed-the temperature of the surface of the body
was OF the natural standard-neither was
there any subsequent affection Of the sensori-
UNI, which DR.. Blundell has known to occur
IN some cases after the operation of transfus-
ion.
The syringe employed was of brass, and
well timed on the inside of the mouth of the
es in length, Of the size of crows quill,
shaped like pen at the end, but with blunt
point.
Before the blood was thrown into the vein
of the patient, all air was carefully expelled
from the syringe, by placing the mouth up
wards, and pushing up the piston until the
blood appeared at the end Of the tube attach
ed to the syringe.
DR.. Blundell observed, this case demonstrat-
ed, beyond all cavil, that the blood Of nan
may be injected, by means of syringe, into
the veins of woman exceedingly reduced
from hemorrhage, without causing death.
The Doctor, (and he has seen great deal of
hamorrhage,) is decidedly of opinion, that
this timely supply of vital fluid turned the
scale in the patients favor, and rescued her
from death.
A London paper says, it has lately been