638 PROGEESS OF MEDICINE IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 



microzoa; and for most of these diseases the mode of development and 

 means of introduction of the micro-organism into the body are fairly- 

 well understood. To the information thus obtained we owe the 

 triumphs of antiseptic and aseptic surger}^ a great increase of pre- 

 cision in diagnosis, the use of specific antitoxin as remedies and as 

 preventives, and some of the best practical work in public h^^^giene. 



The evidence as to the increased powers of medicine to give relief 

 from suffering and to prolong life is most clear and direct in the rec- 

 ords of modern surgery — particularly in some of its special branches. 

 In a large proportion of certain cases in which the surgeon now oper- 

 ates with a fair chance of success, such as calculus in the kidney or 

 gall bladder, shot wounds in the abdomen, and tumors of various 

 kinds, there was no hope in the year 1800, and the unhappv sufferer 

 could only expect a certain, though often a lingering and painful, death. 

 In cases of cancer of the face, tongue, breast, or uterus, the persistent 

 pain, extreme disfigurement, and offensive odors which attended them 

 made death a boon to be prayed for, if not deliberately sought, 

 while now such cases, if brought in time to the surgeon, can often be 

 entirel}" relieved. The knowledge of this fact has become general 

 with the public, and patients no longer defer an operation as long 

 as possible, as was their custom in days of old. Instead of having to 

 look forward to the torture of incisions, manipulations, and stitching, 

 with but small hope of surviving the exhausting suppuration and 

 blood poisoning which were such common results, the patient now 

 knows that he will inhale a little sweet vapor, and sleep unconscious of 

 the strokes of the surgeon's knife or the pricks of his needle. He may 

 dream wondrous dreams, but will soon awake to find himself in his bed 

 staring at his trained nurse standing by his side, and wondering vaguely 

 wh}" the operation has not begun. He does not have to look forward 

 to weeks and even months of daily dressings. The surgeon will 

 glance at his temperature record and at the outside of his bandages, 

 but will probably not touch them for a week; and when he does 

 remove them there will be nothing to be seen but a narrow red line 

 without a trace of suppuration. These improved methods not only 

 preserve the mother for her children, and the bread winner for the 

 family, but the}^ greatly contribute to the public good by shortening 

 the period of enforced idleness and unproductivitj' after operations. 



Some of the greatest triumphs of modern surger}' are obtained in 

 cases of disease or injury of the abdominal organs. The removal 

 of ovarian and uterine tumors is now so common and successful that it 

 is not easy to realize that a hundred years ago there was practically 

 no help or hope for such cases. In former days the lists of deaths 

 contained many cases reported as inflammation or obstruction of the 

 bowels, or as peritonitis. It is now well understood that most of these 

 cases are due to disease of a little worm-like appendix connected with 



