, 1881-08-21

cathcter. reference to which was made for tho
first time in the noon bulletin to-day:
Since the operation of the 8sh of August no
drainage tube has been used III tho wound. AT
the morning and evening dressings, however, IL
small flexible rubber tube about quarter OF al
inch in diameter was introduced, and Il weak
solution OF carboc ncid and water forced
through 1t to cleanse tho wound and bring out
tho accumulated pus. Up to Yesterday MORN
ing the surgeons htd been unable to pass the
tube beyond point distant three and IL half or
four inches from the mouth of the last i'.cisosl.
At that point it always met with I'LL obstruction
which could not be overcome without the cxer-
ton OF force, and force tho surgeons did not
think 1t prudent to employ. The apparent firm
ness of tn,s obstacle iiuaiIy led the surgeons to
believe .
THE DEPTHS OF THE WOUND HAD HEALED,
or at least the trncx of tho bali had healed ut
point where tho rubber cathetcr WAS stopped. y
few days since, however, it WAS noticed th.t the
of the resnlnr dressings Sas greater thnn Tho
quantity of water which the wound would hold
after tho ,pns hud been removed. This clearly
vindicntcd one OF the two thtugs-vix.: either
that the pts, which was In excess Of tho uppAr-
crt capacity OF tho wol1td canlo from Con-
cealed and ui,suspcctcl cavity. or that tho
of the wound tn have healed. 1t also indebted
that the obstruction which prevented the pass-
fiow OF p1is outward from tue deeper
and unhcalrt interior THY low. Temperature
OF tho patient neE;ltlyGu tile fhc0fy OF It pu5
cavity, and tho Surgeons therefore cnMc to the
conclusion that the deeper parts OF the wound
1nllst still be open, and hut tho eSces5 o[ puts
which could not be 1rherwlsg accounted for
must have come from there notwithstanding
the apparent obstruction encountered by the
cathetcr- Tn Thu rsday Ur. Bliss E1adc
4 LONG EXAMINATION OF THE WOUND,
but was still unable to ger tho tube deeper thnn
about three aud l, half inches. On Friday morn
ing, however, during the dressing Of the wound,
small piece OF cellular tissue. piece about liz
lHrge the cud OF ones little hngcr, s!oughed
on or bccame detached, and WIS washed out
with tho pus- This fr!gtuent OF tissue had ap-
parenIly been half detached for so1ue time. and
had acted as 's1>rt or rude valve ut
the pDint Whurc Tie track or tho bail
seemed to be obstrucled,. closing 1t
ag:inst the catheter aud agAlnst water |
from tho outside, but opening to pressure from
the inside, and allowing the outflow OF pus fro.n
the deeper parts OF the wound Upon the re-
movat Of this fragment OF tissue, Dr. Bliss again
introduced q ncXibie rubber tube. unG, finding |
it no longer encountered resistance. pissed it !
in AS already stated to distance OF twelve and
4 quarter inches. Almost tho entire Track Of |
the bail was then Thoroughly washed out ursd |
clcnnsed. The pus which came from this deeper |
pArt Of the wound, although not local In quality, |
was unusually white, and was perfectly henlthy |
in character. 1t was in fact. better pu5 than |
that secrotcd by the mare superficial parts Of I
the wound II any septic faint hA3 passed into |
the patients blood. it originated not tn the pus,
which bus been entirely protected from the air, |
but from that sccreted In the suppurating sur |