DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY 
835 
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
By E. A. and E. Mkriulat, 
of the McKillip Veterinary College , Ch icago , III . 
NEPHRECTOMY. 
Nephrocentesis, nephrotomy and nephrectomy are closely 
associated, and any one of these operations may be indicated for 
the same condition, or may be performed in succession for the 
relief of renal diseases. In our study of nephrectomy we shall 
divide the subject as follows : 
1. History. 
2. Indications. 
3. Symptoms. 
4. Mortality. 
5. Operation. 
1. History .—The operation has been performed upon ani¬ 
mals for the purpose of perfecting it, and to demonstrate that 
animals can live with but one kidney ; besides, these operations 
have also been performed to ascertain the sequelse that may be 
expected after the removal of a kidney, before applying such 
interference to human beings. The first successful operation of 
this kind was performed by S. Blancard, and the surgeons that 
witnessed it considered it a procedure applicable to human sub¬ 
jects. Nephrectomy was performed unexpectedly several times 
before it was undertaken as a planned operation, but at present 
it is being placed among the practicable surgical operations with 
a decreasing mortality. . The first operation undertaken with a 
determination to remove the kidney of a human subject was 
performed by Simon, of Heilderberg, in 1869. The patient (a 
lady) made a good recovery, and since the operation has been 
frequently performed, with a mortality varying from 40 to 50 
per cent. In experimental surgery on animals, the results are 
more favorable. This, however x is due to the unimpaired health 
of the animals used for such purposes. The operation is not a 
practical one for large domestic animals. 
2. Indications .—In human surgery nephrectomy is looked 
upon with a degree of disfavor, because the mortality is large ; 
this is due to a certain extent to delaying the operation too 
long, and in some cases to the improper selection of cases. It 
may be expected that the percentage of mortality will always 
be high, even if the cases are carefully selected. I11 veterinary 
