ITS SURGICAL AND MECHANICAL TREATMENT. 97 



tion I conceive to arise from the possibility of diffuse 

 cellular inflammation of the soft palate extending 

 downwards. Sometimes this kind of inflammation 

 occurs idiopathically, and terminates in death ; may 

 we not reasonably expect that it might follow inci- 

 sions in the palate ? 



One case of a fatal termination to the operation 

 for cleft palate is recorded in the post-mortem book 

 of St. George's, where the patient, a girl of fifteen, 

 died from erysipelas of the head and neck, follow- 

 ing upon the operation. Whether the post-mortem 

 books of other hospitals wiU furnish other cases 

 of a fatal result, I have had neither the opportunity 

 nor time to ascertain. 



If such fatal results sometimes so quickly follow 

 trivial operations, when performed on apparently 

 healthy subjects, is not the operation on cleft palate, 

 which is obnoxious to the same, invested with an 

 importance which its mere performance, difiicult 

 though it be, would fail to give it ? Can there be 

 any wonder that persons are often to be found un- 

 willing to incur this risk when the lesion can be so 

 successfully remedied by treatment which is alto- 

 gether free from it ? 



Again, there are other of the necessary conditions 

 for a successful termination which may be absent, 

 — union may not take place by first intention. With 

 the greatest care the flaps may still be so much 

 bruised, that instead of retaining their vitality they 

 may slough away. It may be impossible to get 



