Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/59

 HISTORY OF GYNECOLOGY IN AMERICA xlix

pregnancy in which he had used a " very powerful galvanic current to destroy the extra-uterine pregnancy in fetus in some three cases," in 1869, in 1870 and later. All the patients recovered but the last one died later passing fetal bones by the vagina. ("American Journal of Obstet- rics," vol. v, 1872.)

This practice of Allen's was widely discussed and largely influenced the practice of a generation which was destined to try out all the possi- bilities of electricity, galvanism and faradism as therapeutic agents.

Lawson Tait began his radical surgical work on extra-uterine preg- nancy in the seventies. (" Successful Case of Gastrotomy in Extrauterine Pregnancy," "Medico-Chirurgical Transactions," London, 1S73.)

Joseph Price took up this most important subject in the early eighties and taught our country at large how to recognize and how to treat with success this hitherto difficult and fatal class ("Ectopic Pregnancy and Puerperal Peritonitis," Philadelphia, 1890).

No steps of importance have been taken since then, except the experi- ments by Hunter Robb at the Lakeside Hospital, Cleveland, showing that if the uterine vessels are cut in an animal, the bleeding will cease spon- taneously and the animal will recover if no operation is done, thus sup- porting the doctine of a watchful armed neutrality in the desperate cases.

Vaginal and Plastic Operations. — The gynecological specialist has ever been fortunate in finding a broad and diversified field for his special services, one covering not only the graver abdominal operations for ovarian and uterine tumors, but also a variety of delicate plastic opera- tions, for the most part relating to the repair of injuries received at birth. This latter group of operations originated too in a dramatic way, being identified at the outset with the person and the activities of the famous J. Marion Sims (1813-1883) of Montgomery, Alabama.

Vesico-vaginal Fistula. — Previous to 1850, the flesh of womankind was probably heir to no more distressing ailment, no more deplorable condition, than a vesico-vaginal fistula. John Peter Mettauer, of Virginia (1787-1875) had healed a case with leaden sutures and reached the conclusion "that every case of vesico-vaginal fistula can be cured and my success justifies the statement." (" Boston Medical and Surgical Journal," vol. xxii; also "American Journal of Medical Sciences," July, 1847.)

Jobert de Lamballe was persisting in spite of repeated failures and many deaths in Paris to replace the defect by his method of autoplastie par glissement. George Hayward (1791-1863), of Boston, had even suc- ceeded in three cases out of nine in giving relief (" American Journal of Medical Sciences," August, 1839) ; Joseph Pancoast, of Philadelphia (1805 -1882), had operated successfully in two cases ("American Journal of Medical Sciences," October, 1842; also "Medical Examiner," May, 1847).