Case of Retention of Urine successfully treated. 369 
after recovering from a death-like insensibility, were painful and 
oppressive for many days. 
I am your obedient servant, 
SAMUEL WITTER. 
To Messrs. Nicholson and Tilloch. 
LXXX. Case of Retention of Urine successfully treated by 
puncturing the Bladder. By Jonn Taunton, Esq., Sur- 
geon to the City and Finsbury Dispensaries, and to the City 
of London Truss Society for the Relief of the ruptured 
Poor, Gc, Se. 
amie] ou Jones, aged 67, a brass turner by trade, a stout 
muscular man, his general health extremely good, with the ex- 
ception of an ulcerated leg for the last twenty years, and during the 
last eight or ten hydrocele on one side and hernia on the other. 
For the last twelve months also he has experienced some diffi- 
culty in voiding his urine, which came away in small quantities 
at a time, and with frequent calls. On July 7, 1813, after a 
hearty dinner he sat ap hour or two in the open air, during which 
time he «was attacked by violent pain in the abdomen, with 
purging. These symptoms continued all night, and his urine 
came away in drops without any effort. On the 8th he was ad- 
mitted a patient of the Finsbury Disvensary.—-The abdomen was 
hard, swelled, and painiul; and there was a considerable degree 
of fever attended with thirst: the purging 2lso continued. The 
leg, which had been much inflamed for the last three months, is 
now better. An anodyne tomentation and some powdered rhu- 
barb were prescribed for him by the physician who visited him 
till the 13th ; and during the interval aperient fomentations, &c. 
were resorted to with a view to relieve the complaint in the 
bowels and general disorder of the constitution. On the [3th 
Mr. Taunton was requested to see him, on account of the stilli- 
cidium urine which had existed from the beginning of the attack. 
He found him with quick weak pulse, brown tongue, violent pain 
in the region of the bladder, which was distended, forming a 
tumour reaching above the umbilicus: the urine was dribbling 
away involuntarily. The catheter was introduced, but could 
not be passed beyond the neck of the bladder. The smallest 
gum catheters were also tried without effect. Continuata foment. 
14th. The bladder reaches still higher up: the catheter again 
attempted, but in vain; other symptoms the same. Punc- 
turing above the pubis was determined on, and consented to 
by the patient. Upon going to perform the operation at three 
o’clock, it was found that a considerable quantity of urine had 
come away involuntarily and almost in a stream, and the patient 
Vol, 48, No. 193, May 1814, Aa would 
