The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-03
SURGICAL OPERATIONS.
The Case OF Napoleon tho Third.


TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
When deaths result from surgical operations as
inducing or exciting causes, from which latent
disease Is called into activity by the shock Of the
operation causing the fatal result and which
directly causes death just as much as the pistol
shot which perf0rates diseased heart professional
vanity ls soothed by the all-potent la mduuafse
nature, especially when organic disease Of vital
organs is found at the post-mortem, "to exist to a.
degree which was net suspected" and which must
in short time have determined q fatal result
ON the I'd OF january Napoleon ILL., was spoken OF
as enjoying remarkably good health, with the exr
cepton of his pains from calculus to which he had
not been q stranger for some time. His condition
was such that his physicians considered him capa-
BILE of undergoing the operation OF lithotrlty and
on the 9th the imediate cause OF ms aeata Is sadd
disease of the kidneys, OF which the failure OF the
circulation. was the expression, was OF snch
not been operated on, have shortly determined
fatal result. The kidneys were diseased to de-
Supposed could not have been ascertained."
Roberts, under the head moiitheasis, condensed
from the labors Of Mauet Prout, Magendie Clriole
Beole and others, gives, as conclusion, that the
great fatality OF stone in the bladder above the age
OF ffy-ave Is DUE not so much to the greater fire.
auency OF stone at that epoch as to its more
severe effacts on the constitution, and the less
favorable results OF the operation In advanced
A conclusion like Roberts,, based on facts.
might cause, under the most favorable
remote trouble, especially where the calculus had
been OF acknowledged long existence, even though
no examination OF the urine had been made, which
is impossible to nave been neglected, and leaving
,out OF the question entirely the history OF the En-
peror's lie.
the operation OF hthOtrity 1t Is necessary
to examine very carefully the condition Of the
urinary organs, and IL these be diseased IL VIII
~
Very considerable constitutional depression occa-
sonally follows the operation Of lithotrity, which
Is apt to prove fatal, especially where there
latent disease OF the kidneys.
'-Organic disease OF the Kidneys is more serio N
obstacle to lih0trity shan 10 ntnotOmy, IN
of the prolonged nature Of the operation and In
greater liability to sympathetic or propagated rrl
tatiop Of those organs.
"In ithotrity relapse is far more common .ha,
In lithotomy, and even in tho practice OF
Ciriole 1t has occurred about once In every tent
case. This arises from some fragment Of -scuil
having escaped detection, and being left benin
constitutes nucleus Ter q fresh formation ~
do not quote the comparative meritst Of llthc
| trity aud hthotomy to have inferred that IN
| latter might have been the more succe ssful eve
Hnder the existing conditions. Mo rshal Me
Once, il viii be remembered died fro m the opera
ton OF hthotomy, performed even by Neloton; bu
IN that case the fatal cause excited by the opera
ton was peritonitis, believe.
| "Dcath may occur In various way from the opera
tion but when failure OF the circ aton, or heart,
taxes place Win con a nsnsss 70 '9s as'
shock, which result Is most r.kely to follow pro
longed and too quickly repe ated operations, an;
especially where there Is Kidney trouble, whicl
always weakens the system, and deprives it oil III
pswer OF resistance"
case as well as OF the 3Oove quoted authorizes,
would seem that the Operation was Ill judged AM
fatal in its results. aAd that the post re
port would have been far more satisfactory mad
| simply dealt with fActs and Cranky stated that Tn
patient died from the shocS Of the operation, a.
CELEBRATED hy the advanced diseased state OF IN
kidncys, leaving cut the spcculations ~ 70 whs