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ratliet- wlio applied them, for tlicfe piirpofcs ; but, as the 

 name bougie is of Fiench origin, it may be the invention of 

 a French furgeon, and perhaps of Guido de Cauliaco, (who 

 flouriflied before the exiftence of Syphilis in Europe): for 

 this furgeon, in his chapter " Dc ulceribiis anchanim, &c." 

 Chir. Mag. Traft. IV. Dodlr. II. cap. 7. recommends the 

 " Turunda ex cera," to be pafl'ed up the urethra. 



The materials commonly had recourfe to, in the fabrica- 

 tion of bou;j;ies, catheters, and founds-, during the fixteentii 

 century, were gold, filver, and lead ; but as thefe metallic 

 rods were not lufHciently pliable and foft for introduftion 

 into a difeafed urethra, furgeoiis afterwards ufcd bougies 

 formed ol (lips of linen or cloth, dipped in melted wax, &c. 

 and rolled into the fize of a goofe-quill, of fufficient length 

 to pafa as far as the neck of the urinary bladder. This 

 kind of bougie was greatly improved by Mr. Daran, of 

 Paris, who, neverthelcfs, made ufe of fome veiy ridicidous 

 and ufclefs ingredients in the compolition of them; fuch as 

 flieep's dung, pulverized fhoe-leather, port wine, and live 

 pigeons ; not to mention various other ingredients, equally 

 ntedlels, thouj;h not quite fo abfurd and prepotterous. 



As it is now genendly admitted bv fiirgenris that bougies 

 aft mechanically only, and not mcdieinnlly, in curing difeafes 

 of the urinary canal, we Ihall proceed to defcribe the pro- 

 perties and compofition of waxen or plailer bougies ; after 

 which we (hall notice the elallic bougies, and (IvjU ofl'er a 

 few hints on an invention by Mr,- Smyth, of London, who 

 lias lately contributed to the revival of metallic inltruments, 

 which had almo'.t been wholly laid afide, on account of 

 their wanting due flexibility, &c. 



The properties required in a bougie for dilating a con- 

 trafted urinary canal are, i. SufKeieiit firmnefs to overcome 

 the refinance of the Ifriiture; 2. A degree of flexibility, 

 which (hall yield and accommodate itfelf to the windings or 

 tortuofities of the morbid canal ; 3. So much ftrength, 

 ciihefion, or tenacity, as not to be in danger of breaking; 

 4. Perfect fmoothnefs of furfaee, that it (hall occafion no 

 uneafinefs or difficulty iu palTuig ; 5. A mildnefs in its com- 

 pofition, which may enl'ure its remaining for a fufficient 

 time iu the urethra, without exciting pain or inflammation. 



That it is polTible to communicate a medicinal quality to 

 bougies, cannot be denied ; and it having been an old opi- 

 nion that ftriclures were ufually attended with ulcers or 

 abralions in the urethra, whieli required healing, furgeons 

 have frequently employed medicines in the compofition of 

 bougies, luppofed to poifefs a power of cicatrizing thefe 

 ulcers : but uf late, both the remedy and the difeafe have 

 been exploded ; we do not any longer fufpeft venereal ulcers 

 as a concomitant fymptom of ftrifture, and therefore have 

 difcontinued what were called cicatrizing applications. Still, 

 however, the idea of employing mercury in this way, is not 

 wholly given up ; and there are medical pratlitioners who 

 prefer bougies containing a large proportion of the fpecific, 

 believing that it tends to eradicate any venereal taint in the 

 fydem: but the major part of the profefTion confider mer- 

 cury as entirely ufelefs in thefe cafes ; becaufe, if there hap- 

 pens to be any venereal taint in the conftitution, this mode 

 of adminillering mercury would not be the moll eligible for 

 the cure ; and becaufe the addition of fuch an incongruous 

 article to the other ingredients, has the effeft of diminifliing 

 the tenacity of the bougies. A prefcription formerly in 

 vojiue, and whicli therefore had been received into the lad 

 edition of Chambers's Cyclopxdia, confilled of Burgundy 

 pitch, two ounces ; quicklllver, one ounce ; and crude anti- 

 mony in pov.'der, halt an ounce. 



The objection agaiiilt antimony, and fuch like brittle ma- 



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terialsi, will undoubtedly be urged with at lead as much force 

 as that we have already made againft mercury ; and on this 

 account we recommend tluit no mineral fubflancc (hall bfe 

 employed in fuch quantity as to Ulfen the tenacity or cohc- 

 five nature of the plailer compofition. 



The bell formed plailer bougies may, without any injury, 

 be varied in the proportion of their ingredients, oi- in the 

 colo'iring matter they contain, according to the temperature 

 of the weather, or the intention of the furgeon. Tliey may 

 be coloured red, with a little cinnabar ; white, with ccruffe ; 

 black, with Kthiops, 6cc. ; and in warm weather, or a tio- 

 pical climate, they (hoiild be made of a firmer coiifillencc 

 than in a cold country. The bafis of all plailer bougies 

 fhould be wax and oil : the wax may be either yellow or 

 white ; the oil, either vegetable or animal ; to which may 

 be added, a fniall proportion of refinous matter, &c. 

 to aflord the degree of confilleiice and tenacity we re- 

 quire. The ingredients fhould be well boiled and incorpo- 

 rated togetiier, efpecially when there is the addition (ufuallv 

 made) of litharge or minium i;i confidcrable quantity. 



I'hc following are airo~tig the moll limple and approved 

 compofitions for plailer bougies : 



N'^ 1. R. Gum lac, one pound ; 



Litharge plailer, three pounds": 



DiiTolve the gum lac in the plafter by flow boiling, and 

 add of yellow v\ax two pounds. After about three hours 

 more boiling, the whole may be fct afidc for ufe. 



N'' II, i^. Olive oil, three pounds ; 

 Yellow wax, one pound ; 

 Minimn, one pound and a half. 



Thefe. articles are to be boiled flowly for fix hours, or 

 even longer in the winter. If the mafs be not of a fufii- 

 cicntly firm confidence, add three or four ounces more of 

 the wax. 



N^ IV. R. Litharge plader three parts, and 



White wax two parts ; to which add as much 

 olive oil or hog's lard as will give the confidence required. 

 Boil them as before. 



N'^ V. R. Yellow wax, one pound ; 



Sperma ceti, half an ounce ; 

 Acetated ceruffe, from two to eight drams, 

 according to the degree of folidity defired. Small bougies 

 are to be made of a thicker mals than larger, efpecially for 

 a hot climate. 



N° VI. R. Yellow wax, four parts ; 

 Oil of olives, three parts ; 

 Sperma t-cti, one part. 



Boil them gently together for two hours, or until they 

 are properly incorporated. 



As prefcriptions of this fort may be varied at pleafurc, it 

 is unncceflary to increafe the number of our formula; :' the 

 above compofitions are to be ufcd in a melted date, but not 

 very hot. Slips of fuft linen or calico, of a fine texture, 

 and not lefs than eleven inches in length, are to be dippid 

 into the warm mafs, or Ipread over with fome of it by means 

 of a broad fpatula ; and care Ihonld be taken to make the 

 furfaee of this cerecloth as fmooth and uniform as podlblc. 

 Some perfons advife that the fiips of fine rag fhall be of dif- 

 ferent lengths, from eight to eleven inches, and about three 

 in breadth ; thele flips are then to be rolled up loofely, and 

 taking hold of one extremity with the left hand, let it fall 

 upon the furfaee of the jilafler, and then draw it out gently. 

 As it is drawn out it will unroll, and take up a quantity of 

 plailer on the furfaee, etpial to the thieknefs of a wafer or a 

 fixpence ; though, to facilitate the unrolling of the rag, it 

 will be proper to affill its motion with the end of the fpa- 

 Q. 2 tula. 



