Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 297

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Report of the Ophthalmic Hospital.

MAY,

have a similar ordeal in prospect to the one he has passed. Subse- quent to his recovery he presented a pair of scrolls with a statement of his case, containing a poetical statement, of which the following is a translation.

"In the cyclical year wúshin (A. D. 1848), I had been afflicted with the stone disease for more than a year, and every [Chinese] physician having been unable to affect a cure, I subsequently repaired to Dr. Parker, the celebrated American physician, and begged him to cut and extract the stone, and in some ten days and more I was well, and have therefore written these scrolls, to manifest the sentiments of my heart.

"Not only according to true principles do you disseminate your skillful art : "But, still more, in your emerald satchel you possess an assortment of won- derful prescriptions."

"Your younger brother, Kwoh Awei, of the district of Nanhái, presents his compliments."

No. 29,015. Dec. 11th, 1848. Calculus, triple phosphates: Ngu Chiu, æt. 51, of the district of Kauyau in the department of Sháu- king, had been afflicted many years with stone. He was much emaciat- ed, a copious discharge of ropy mucus had existed for a long time, and his constitution was so impaired that I declined to operate. To palliate his distressing symptoms was all that could be promised. After remain- ing several months, he proposed if he could not be operated upon to return home and pursue the palliative treatment there. This he was advised to do. But in a couple of months or so, he renewed his im- portunity for the extraction of the stone, which was again declined. The injection of the bladder with diluted nitric acid (two drops to an ounce of water) was commenced, with attention to his general health. Under these means there was a mitigation of his more urgent symp- toms, yet his sufferings were insupportable, and a brother came re- peatedly a distance of twenty miles, to join him in his urgent solicita- tions, and against the decision of an unbiased judgment they prevailed. On the 17th of Oct. 1849, the stone was extracted, measuring 3 by 5 in. in circumference, and weighing 1 ounce. The hemorrhage was excessive, apparently from the neck of the bladder, and only arrested by filling the wound with a pledget of lint saturated with the tincture of muriate of iron, a silver catheter being previously introduc- ed. Healthy suppuration was never established in the incision, and a few days subsequent to the operation, a large and hard protuberance appeared in the region of the stomach. This however subsided in eight and forty hours, and hopes were entertained for his recovery. But about the ninth day he declined rapidly, and died on the eleventh