(4o) . HISTORr of the SOCIET'T, 



w*^HrmUton theiF novelty or importance, feem moft worthy of being record- 

 ed. 



Upon performing lithotomy for the firft time, he was ftruck 

 with the difficulty of introducing the gorget, and, on examina- 

 tion, he found it blunt at the point, where fliarpnefs was moft 

 needed, fo that inftead of cutting, it tore the urethra. The cur- 

 tler finding it difficult to fharpen the gorget, as commonly m.ade, 

 up to the button which goes into the ftaff, Mr Hamilton di- 

 reded him to make it in two feparate pieces, which, locking to- 

 gether, had all the firmnefs of the old inftrument, with the ad- 

 vantage of being eaiily fharpened when taken afunder. Tliis 

 inflrument he always employed afterwards in operating, which 

 he did often, and with great fuccefs. 



In midwifery he met with feveral uncommon cafes, of which 

 the moft remarkable are inftances of two women who furvived 

 a complete inverfion of the womb*. He detailed thofe cafes to 

 his pupils, along with "others that ended fatally ; and took occa- 

 fion from them all to enforce the neceffity of avoiding force, or 

 even hafte, in delivering women. The following extract, nearly 

 in his own words, proves with what caution he treated his pa- 

 tients, and with what care he confidered their cafes afterwards : 

 *' I have feen four cafes of inverted uterus, of which two pa- 

 tients died, and two recovered. This recovery is fo fingular, 

 that I know only one cafe by Thomas Bartholinus fimilar 

 to it. 



** The great objeft in all cafes of fuch danger, is to under- 

 ftand fully how the accident happens, that fo we may be able 

 to prevent is occurrence. It is evident, that the uterus can ne- 

 ver be inverted when it is contradled, or even beginning to con- 

 tract itfelf J it therefore muft happen when the fibres of it are 



relaxed, 



• Both thefe patients are ftill alive ; and the hiftory of one is given in the Medi- 

 cal Comnaunications of London, vol. 2. 



