Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/58

 xlviii INTRODUCTION

One can more readily appreciate the pre-eminent and original part Joseph Price has borne in the evolution of the treatment of pelvic inflam- matory diseases in the eighties as he dictated the practice not only of this country but to some extent of the entire world ("Transactions of Philadelphia County Medical Society," Philadelphia, 1890) when we recall the fact that Tait's work on pelvic abscesses began as late as 1880. Tait was then in the habit of suturing the abdominal incision down to an opening made in the exposed abscess, which he at that time thought could not be removed. Of Price's high skill in dealing rapidly and safely with these cases there are surgeons living in all parts of the country to testify.

Extra-uterine Pregnancy. — The most dramatic operation in the whole realm of surgery is that for a ruptured extra-uterine pregnancy which lingered so long as one of the most hopeless and distressing ailments. The conquest of this malady was one of the most brilliant achievements of the last century. The early history of this subject will be found scattered through the pages of John S. Parry's classical work, "Extra-uterine Preg- nancy, etc.," Philadelphia, 1876. Also an outline in "A Sketch of the History of Obstetrics in the United States up to 1860," by J. Whitridge Williams.

In 1759 John Bard made a diagnosis of extra-uterine pregnancy and opened the abdomen and removed a macerated fetus. The wound was kept open and the patient recovered. ("Medical Observations and Enquiries," London, 1764, vol. ii.)

In 1791 William Baynham, of Virginia, operated successfully upon the wife of a planter. He repeated the operation in 1799 upon a slave. ("New York Medical and Philosophical Journal," 1809, vol. i.) For these references see Parry (ut supra) ("American Journal of Medical Science, 1876," vol. lxxii).

In 1817 Samuel Bard ("A Compendium of the Theory and Practice of Midwifery, etc.," New York, 1817) expressed the opinion that an abdominal pregnancy was never primary.

Hodge tells us that in 1827 Thomas Chalkley James, of Philadelphia, also insisted that " Ventral or Abdominal Pregnancy" (address before the College of Physicians of Philadelphia) never originally occurred, that tubal or uterine pregnancy had previously existed, in cases where the child was found in the cavity of the abdomen. (Hodge's Biography," American Journal of Medical Sciences," July, 1843.) This anticipates a long discus- sion settled finally by the microscope in the hands of Werth and others. In 1867 S. Rogers advocated gastrotomy afterthe rupture of the cyst of an extra-uterine pregnancy. ("Transactions of the American Medical Association," 1867, vol. xviii.)

In 1872 J. G. Allen, of Philadelphia, reported three cases of extra-uterine