Part 2

Prof. Gross, in his excellent work on surgery, says, "synovitis, in the great majority of cases, arises from the effects of rheumatism, gout, eruptive fevers, syphilis, scrofula, and the inordinate use of mercury."

Prof. Hamilton, in "Principles and Practice of Surgery," says, "synovitis may be caused by exposure to cold, or may occur as a consequence of a rheumatic, strumous, or syphilitic cachexia, as a gonorrhoeal complication, as a sequela of fevers, and from many other causes, whose relation to the disease in question may not always be easily determined."

Since there was no local injury to the knee in this case which could have caused the disease, we must seek some other cause for it.

I have thought that its origin might be accounted for on the principle of metastasis of morbid material. The patient had pneumonia which passed through its several stages somewhat rapidly, resolution taking place about the end of the second week. The symptoms of this were well marked, viz: a chill followed by fever, cough, brick-dust sputa, delirium, pain over lower half of right lung, which was solidified, and afterward gave the crepitant and sub-crepitant roles. Could not the morbid material, which entered the circulation from the re-absorption of the deposit in the solidified lung, have been carried to the synovial membrane of the knee, and there found a lodgment, and set up the inflammation which resulted in the formation of so much pus? If not, Why not? Notwithstanding a tedious illness, and an anchilosed knee, was not this result better than to have had suppuration of the lung tissue and destruction of the whole of the right lung, and perhaps eventually the left also? However, we are not certain that such a result would have followed, although the patient's general appearance at the time of the attack, and the typhoid condition which followed, as also the low grade of inflammation bordering on the scrofulous, made such a thing probable.

CASE FOURTH.--On Jan. 31st, 1879, Mr. R----, Italian, aged 35 yrs., while chopping wood near Almaden mines, was injured by a falling tree. The lower part of the body was very much bruised, both posteriorly and anteriorly. The only place where the skin was broken was a smooth cut about four inches long and nearly half an inch deep, following the fold or crease between the right testicle and thigh, and extending from the anterior part of the testicle to the perineum in a straight line just where the scrotal integument joins that of the thigh.

The main injury was in the lumbar region over the upper lumbar vertebrae. The spinous process of the lower dorsal vertebra seemed to be unusually prominent, leading to the supposition that the spinous process of the upper lumbar vertebra might be fractured and depressed. However, I was unable to detect mobility or crepitus in any of the processes, spinous or transverse, either of the dorsal or lumbar vertebrae.

There was considerable tenderness over the lumbar region. I would here state that the examination was made about twenty hours after the receipt of the injury. There was but little discoloration of the skin, not very much pain, no paralysis of any part, the bladder evacuating itself naturally, and a cathartic producing its ordinary effect in the usual time.

The patient did well; complained of but little pain; did not use opiates. On Wednesday and Thursday following, the patient felt well enough to walk about the wards, eating well and having no constitutional disturbance, pulse never higher than eighty per minute, and the temperature not above 99 degrees F.

On Friday morning the nurse remarked that this patient had complained of pain in the back during the previous night, and that there seemed to be a soft spot on his rump. By examining, I found below the bandage which I had put around the patient, a fluctuating mass, immediately beneath the skin and superficial fascia, extending from the tenth dorsal vertebra above, to the coccyx below, and from the crest of the right ilium to that of the left.

I was at a loss to know how to account for this fluid, for there was at least a quart. I removed the bandage and examined more carefully. There was no inflammation to amount to anything, nor had there been. Here it is only the seventh day from the receipt of the injury, and it surely cannot be pus. However, to satisfy myself, I used an exploring needle; and not very much to my surprise, I discovered light colored arterial blood! Could I be mistaken? I twisted the needle about, pressed it to one side, until nearly a drachm of the blood had escaped. Fully convinced now that I had a secondary hemorrhage to deal with, the question arose what to do. I supposed that it came from one of the lumbar or inter-costal arteries that had been injured by the supposed fracture of the process of the vertebra. If so, it comes from an artery inclosed in a bony cavity, and one that cannot contract and close spontaneously, and since its origin is so close to the aorta, it will continue to bleed until the patient dies of hemorrhage.

While I was thus examining the fluctuating mass, and conjecturing as to origin and results, I fancied that the quantity of fluid was sensibly increasing. However, I will not be positive that my imagination did not assist in this accumulation.

But what shall I do? Cut down into this sinus, and hunt the bleeding artery, and tie it? Could I find it? And could I tie it if I did find it? Probably not; and more especially if it is a lumbar artery, and injured in the foramen through which it passes from the vertebra. But the man will probably bleed to death; and must I do nothing to prevent it? I concluded to use pressure with a bandage for the present, and ask for the advice of my brethren. Accordingly, compresses were placed along the spine, and the body bandaged snugly.

On returning to town, I stated the case to doctors Brown and Thorne, giving my theory for the hemorrhage,--that it was secondary, and probably from a lumbar artery. They were of opinion that it would be almost an impossibility to find the artery and tie it, and without seeing each other, concluded that pressure was the remedy to be used. I would state that at the last visit the pulse was 74, and temperature 99. This was at about 9 A. M. I visited him again about 5 P. M., and found the pulse and temperature the same. There was by this time considerable increase in the quantity of fluid. I re-adjusted my compresses and bandaged again. On Saturday morning I found the quantity of fluid about the same, perhaps slightly increased. There was now considerable inflammation of the integument, over a large part of the sinus, the skin appearing tense, and the small blood vessels distinct and purple. The patient had a slight chill last night, pulse 100, temp. 102; did not remove the compresses.

Saturday evening, Feb. 7th, condition worse, pulse 112, temp. 103, tongue furred ash-colored, countenance typhoid in expression, loss of appetite, no abdominal symptoms, mind clear. Sunday, Feb 8th. pulse 120, temp. 105.4, tongue same as yesterday, had a chill last night. The skin over the sinus is inflamed somewhat more than it was yesterday. With the advice and assistance of doctors Brown, Thorne, Benj. Cory and Kelly, sixty-eight ounces of blood was removed from the sinus, by aspiration. One hour after this operation, the pulse was 140 and the temp. 104. The specific gravity of the blood removed was 1030, and after standing for two or three hours, a grey or ash-colored sediment settled, the proportion of this being about 20 per cent. of the whole amount of the blood. This sediment consisted of corpuscles that seemed to be undergoing decomposition; they were a little larger than the red corpuscles; contained granules or spots, from three to four and seven and eight in each corpuscle. Some of them seemed to be simply swollen red blood corpuscles, ready to burst, or as it were, suppurate. If there be such a thing as inflammation of the blood,--and I believe there is,--then this change must effect the red corpuscles themselves, as to size, temperature and perhaps pain, thus supplying three of the well known characteristics of inflammation, expressed so tersely by the old latin formula, rubor, tumor, calor cum dolore. Owing to the color of the blood, the rubor, or redness, is not produced by inflammation here as it already exists.

But to return to the patient. After the blood was withdrawn, compresses were carefully applied, and the body bandaged from the lower ribs as low down as the bandage could be applied with the legs flexed at right angles to the body. The patient stood on all fours, as it is called, while the bandage was applied.

Monday, Feb. 9th, 9:30 A. M., pulse 100, temp. 103.8. There appeared to be about one-half a pint of fluid in the sack. Monday, Feb. 9th, 6:30 P. M., pulse 100, temp. 102. Tuesday, Feb. 10th, 9:30 A. M.,--the fluid in the sack has increased--perhaps a pint now in it, pulse 110, temp. 104. Wednesday, Feb 11th, 9:30 A. M.,--pulse 90, temp. not taken. Condition good. Ordered a laxative.

Friday, Feb 13th,--considerable inflammation over the left iliac crest, in the centre of which, a spot as large as the thumb nail, looks gangrenous. The inflammation extends over a surface as large as the two hands. Some bullae or blebs have formed in the vicinity of the gangrenous spot. Ordered a large flaxseed poultice applied, expecting an abscess would form at this place. The cathartic moved the bowels two or three times. I will here state that the patient, after the withdrawal of the blood on Sunday, was ordered iron, quinine and whisky; twenty minims of Tr. Ferri Muriat., three grs quinia, in a tablespoonful of glycerine and a little whisky. I afterward had the quinia made into pill and left off the iron, as the latter seemed to disagree with the stomach.

Saturday, Feb. 14th, 5 P. M.,--pulse 112, temp. 102.4. The inflammation over the left ilium is much better; but there is now as much inflammation over the right ilium as there was over the left. The fluid in the sinus has increased gradually since the evacuation of it with the aspirator. The inflammation that has now existed for two or three days over these parts of the sinus, led me to conclude that the blood which was left and that which had accumulated, had undergone decomposition and was now pus. I used an exploring needle and found this to be the case. I then introduced a trocar and canula, and drew off fifty ounces of pus, slightly tinged with blood. I re-adjusted the compresses and bandage over the sinus, hoping that a part of it at least would become obliterated before it became necessary to open it more freely.

Feb. 15th, 5 P. M.,--pulse 112, temp. 102.5. The inflammation over that part of the sinus to the right of the spine is still about the same as yesterday; also that over the left ilium. The fluid has increased during the last twenty-four hours so that there is now nearly as much as was drawn off through the canula yesterday. I concluded that further delay to a free opening was useless; consequently with the patient lying on his right side, and near the edge of the bed, I made an opening one inch long in the lower portion of the abscess,--for I now considered it one,--near the spot where the needle of the aspirator and the trocar had been previously introduced.

After the discharge of about a pint of bloody pus, the stream was checked by a clot of blood coming into the opening. I enlarged the opening, making it about two inches long, when a clot the size of a hen's egg came through, followed by about a pint more of bloody pus. After syringing the cavity with a five per cent. solution of carbolic acid in distilled water, and introducing a tent about four inches long, I applied compresses and bandages. Ordered the quinia continued, and whisky and beef tea.

Feb. 16th, 9 A. M.,--pulse 100, but feeble; temp. 97.8. Removed dressings which were saturated with pus and blood. The latter had excited the anxiety of the Superintendent during the night, and he applied an additional bandage. There was perhaps five or six ounces of thick, flaky, yellow pus discharged. No hemorrhage; syringed the cavity with a five per cent. solution as before, and introduced a clean tent.

On examining the inflamed spot over the left ilium, I detected fluctuation over the anterior part of the crest of the ilium, near the gangrenous spot, and extending down over the abdomen. However, it seemed to be superficial, at least, not deeper than the connective tissue between the external and internal oblique muscles, and not more than one inch by two in size. This I opened, and squeezed out about half a ounce of pus. Introduced a tent and applied oakum over both tents, for the purpose of absorbing the pus, and applied a compress over the main sinus or pouch, and a bandage over the whole lower part of the body.

Feb. 17th, 9 A. M.,--pulse 96, temp. 99. Ordered a laxative of carbonate of magnesia. Both openings discharging very freely. The gangrenous spot over the left ilium is separating from the surrounding tissues. Removed considerable dead flesh from this spot, leaving an opening or pouch one inch in diameter, leading down to the pubis, just beneath the oblique muscles.

Feb. 19th, 9 A. M.,--pulse 106, temp. 99.5. Both sinuses discharging very freely. Made an opening in the lower part of the pouch to the left of the pubis for better drainage, as the patient usually lies on the right side. Laxative has operated. After washing out both sinuses with a five per cent. solution of carbolic acid, I inject the smaller sinus with liquid vasaline.

Feb. 20th, 9 A. M.,--pulse 112, temp. 103.5. There is a great amount of pus being discharged from the large sinus on the back, not so much from the small one. Patient had a chill last night. After the usual washing out of the sinuses with the carbolic solution, I inject both of them in with liquid vasaline. This I do, a well as the washing out, by means of a No. 10 catheter, attached to the end of a Davidson's syringe. The sinus on the back extends from the coccyx to the ribs, and from one ilium to the other. The skin and fascia of the external wall being so thin that the catheter can be seen over the entire extent, as I push it from one part to another for the purpose of washing out all parts of the sack. Patient has been complaining of pain and want of sleep; had a chill last night. He still takes beef tea twice a day, and eggs and other food twice a day, making four meals a day; also, continues the quinine and whisky.

Feb. 21st, 9:30 A. M.,--pulse 98, temp. 101. Feels more comfortable. Discharge of pus much less than yesterday. Wash out the sinuses and inject liquid vasaline.

Feb. 23d, 9:30 A. M.,--pulse 98, temp. 101. Complains of being "very sick." Speaks English but poorly. Considerable discharge of laudable pus, but not so much as before the use of the liquid vasaline. There is one point near the left hand side of the large sinus on the back, where the walls are adherent. I wash them out with a five per cent. solution of carbolic acid in water, and again inject the liquid vasaline. By gentle pressure made over the upper part of the pouch, I force everything out of it at the opening below, bringing the walls of the sack together over the greater part of the surface. Hoping that the adhesion between the walls, which has commenced, will continue, and soon obliterate, at least, all the upper part of the pouch. Put on the usual compresses; this time using oakum instead of folded cloths.

Feb. 24th, 9:30 A. M.,--pulse 108, temp. 101. Did not wash out the upper or left hand part of the pouch on the back, for fear of disturbing adhesions that are taking place. Washed out the lower part and injected vasaline. A small spot, as large as a ten cent piece, has sloughed, making a hole into the pouch over the lower lumbar vertebra. Another spot immediately above this, and about the same size, looks as if it would slough.