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This point feems worthy of particular confideration ; and 
indeed it proved the fubjedl of fome controverfy, in the 
cafe of an aneuryfm about four inches above the knee of 
a healthful young man (fuppofed to proceed from a fall 
a year before) in which my opinion was afked. Some 
months after, one of the furgeons concerned in the con- 
fultation told me, there appeared at this time no hopes 
of fucceeding by the operation for the aneuryfm ; and 
but little of faving the patient’s life by amputation. 
It is not to be expelled that an operation of this nature, 
fo very precarious in this part, fhould in every inftance 
be attended with the fuccefs, which Mr. Leslie, an emi- 
nent furgeon at Corke,had the fatisfadlion to experience, 
in a cafe, which is related in the Medical and Philofophi- 
cal Commentaries of the Edinburgh Society, N° VI. p. 
176. § 2. The furgeon, however, ought by no means to 
incur cenfure for the unfortunate event, after having 
taken all prudent and probable meafures, to preferve his 
patient’s limbr**;. 
(a) The celebrated cyprianus, who was profeffor of anatomy and furgery 
in the univei'lity of Franeker, and the moft famous lithotomift of his time, after 
fuccefsfully performing the Caefarian operation at Lewarden, in which he found 
the foetus in the right Fallopian tube, wrote a letter, upon that occafion, to 
Sir THOMAS MILLINGTON, phylician to Charles II. ; and afterwards he 
happily cut that eminent phyfician for the ftone, at the age of fixty-elght, in 
London. In \vhich letter, he earneftly admoniflies furgeons not to be intimidated 
by threatening profpefts, from undertaking dangerous and difficult ""operations, 
lell their reputations fliould futfer for want of fuccefs. This letter, written in 
French, conlifts of feventy pages, containing much folid, praftical knowledge 
and was annexed to belloste’s 4th edition of his Chirurgien de rFIopital, 
printed at Amftcrdam in the year 1707. 
From 
