Abdominal Surgery

George S. Davis; Detroit, Michigan, 1888 First edition. Scarce. An early monograph on experimental surgery. Dark brown cloth-covered boards, gilt lettering on spine and front board, 7 1/2 x 5 7/8 inches, 87 pp., index, ads front and rear. Illustrations with regard to the "union of intestinal wounds" (b/w drawings of suturing techniques, eg. loop suture of Ledran, loop suture of Pulfyn, suture of Heyward, suture of Gely, suture of Ramsdohr, suture of Jobert, suture of Lembert, treatment of wounded intestine according to John Bell, Emmett's suture). Good+ (moderate edgewear; dulling of spine gilt; modest dust soiling, edges of book block; missing front free endpaper; binding mildly shaken, with cracked front gutter, but still strong; pages clean). One of the volumes in "The Physicians' Leisure Library" series. From the Preface: "How, then, can a student not in reach of hospitals and an abundance of opportunities and material, attain that degree of knowledge which shall give him that confidence so necessary to the conscientious, good surgeon? He must do it by providing his own opportunities and material. Where can the necessary material be obtained? For answer, I say, search the kennels and the hutches about you. Hunt up those oft tried, faithful and most efficient martyrs who give their lives to the cause of science --- the dogs and rabbits. Vincent Boune's Epitaphium in Canem ought to be read and appreciated by everyone who undertakes a vivisection. Dogs have rendered inestimable aid in evolving the numerous great surgical discoveries which have added so much to the years and comfort of mankind. With the aid of dogs hundreds of ambitious, enthusiastic surgeons have been enabled to make successfully the studies necessary for an understanding of the means by which nature repairs damage. Parenthetically, I wish here to state that I have great faith in the life-saving value of abdominal surgery, yet I do not believe I am a 'crank' on the subject. No man is more firmly set than myself, against that blood-loving, chance-taking recklessness so sententiously if not elegantly expressed by the phrase: 'belly rippers.' Abdominal surgery, as I believe, should be practiced (in its present state of developement at least) as a last resort, and so practiced the most successful operator, in my opinion, will be the one who is quickest to decide accurately when death is at hand, when the 'last-resort-opportunity' is offered." This book is essentially a monograph on experimental abdominal surgery in dogs. The author covers a range of pathology and techniques, including: blunt abdominal trauma, acute peritonitis, union of abdominal wounds, strangulated hernia, laparotomy for gun shot and bayonet wounds, intussusception, colotomy, excision of the pylorus and stomach, "speenotomy and spleenectomy", cholecystotomy, abscess, cholecystectomy, cystotomy and bladder wounds, cystectomy, normal ovariotomy, oophorectomy, hysterotomy and hysterectomy, "hepaptomy", nephrectomy, gastro-duodenostomy. "No surgeon who aspires to work in the abdominal cavity can consider his education fairly commenced until he has made every variety of intestinal anastomosis upon dogs, and thereby familiarized himself with the practical details of this work. Not a few cases of obstruction of the bowels are due to a paralysis of a segment of the bowel caused by adhesion resulting from the healing of old typhoid ulcers. A removeal of these cicatricial parts may not always be practicable owing to hemorrhage or the extent of bowel involved. In such cases an ileostomy or jejunostomy might save life and restore sound health." From Chapter II (Blows Upon the Abdominal Wall): "The frequency of death after blows and kicks have been inflicted upon the abdominal wall, makes it desirable to have more available knowledge as to lesions of the abdominal viscera caused by external violence, than is commonly found in text books on surgery. Hence I give the following results of some of my own experiments---" (1722RO122). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.