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Showing posts from June, 2012

The Old Operating Theatre

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It's 19 April 1824. Elizabeth Raigen (aged 60) is walking merrily along a busy street in London, minding her own business, when suddenly she is struck down by a passing heavy horse-drawn carriage, which promptly runs over her leg, sustaining a compound fracture of her tibia and fibula and an extensive wound, just above the ankle.  She is swiftly (in horse-drawn carriage terms) taken to St. Thomas' Hospital (now Guy's) where she receives emergency medical treatment (emergency treatment consisting of her wound being patched up as much as possible with some adhesive straps and her leg laid on a pillow).  That night, Elizabeth can't sleep, is restless and complains that her leg is very hot. Some evaporating lotion (to cool it down) is applied. The next day, blood has started to ooze from the wound and she is given some Tincture of Opium to relieve the pain. Elizabeth's pulse starts to slow down during the following night, although manages to get some sleep. She has