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A case of an extra-uterine foetus
Lawrence
D. Longo,
M.D.
A notable early contribution to gynecology was that of John Bard of New York, who first successfuhy operated for ectopic pregnancy. The patient was about 28 years old. Her first pregnancy was normai, but the second ended in false labor at term, after which a distinct tumor remained in the abdomen. Five months later she again conceived, following which she was delivered of a healthy child at term. Subsequently, the patient developed fever and diarrhea, and the abdominal tumor becamepainful and increasedin size, until definite fluctuation was detected after 9 weeks. Bard, with Dr. Huck, an army surgeon, correctly diag nosed extrauterine pregnancy. At operation, Bard removed the macerated fetus and considerable pus (see left) but found no trace of the placenta. The wound was treated by the open method and healed within 10 weeks.Bards letter, of 1759, to John Pothergill was read before the London Society of Physicians the following year. It took over I20 years before Robert Lawson Tait establishedthe importance and feasibility of exploratory laporatomy and extirpation fT>r this condition.
305
D. Longo,
M.D.
A notable early contribution to gynecology was that of John Bard of New York, who first successfuhy operated for ectopic pregnancy. The patient was about 28 years old. Her first pregnancy was normai, but the second ended in false labor at term, after which a distinct tumor remained in the abdomen. Five months later she again conceived, following which she was delivered of a healthy child at term. Subsequently, the patient developed fever and diarrhea, and the abdominal tumor becamepainful and increasedin size, until definite fluctuation was detected after 9 weeks. Bard, with Dr. Huck, an army surgeon, correctly diag nosed extrauterine pregnancy. At operation, Bard removed the macerated fetus and considerable pus (see left) but found no trace of the placenta. The wound was treated by the open method and healed within 10 weeks.Bards letter, of 1759, to John Pothergill was read before the London Society of Physicians the following year. It took over I20 years before Robert Lawson Tait establishedthe importance and feasibility of exploratory laporatomy and extirpation fT>r this condition.
305