Electricity in surgery Author:John Butler Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: reason of this is obvious: the mixed gases generated by the decomposition of the water, by their pressure force the fluid of the cyst through the needle openings... more » into the cellular tissue, where it becomes absorbed, this absorption being stimulated to a great degree by the dynamic action of the current. The fact of the fluid being rapidly absorbed should not form any point in the prognosis, for no matter how unskillfully the operation is performed, this will take place, while a cure entirely depends upon the conditions above described being accurately fulfilled. OVARIAN CYSTS. There is no reason that I can see, why the rule just given for operating upon hydrocele should not apply to other cysts with fluid contents, e. g., ovarian cysts; due allowance of course being made for the difference of the size of the growths in the electro-motive force used. In the case of a large or medium-sized cyst, it would not be necessary to apply the needles over the whole of the internal surface at one sitting. A little can be done at a time. The operation is performed in this way: Two insulated long needles, about two inches apart, are made to penetrate the abdominal walls at the most prominent part of the growth, one needle to each pole of battery. About of a veber of current per second, may be used for about ten minutes at each sitting. The needles are then brought into contact with the internal wall of the sac, and moved slowly around as in hydrocele. In all such operations it is of course most needless to say that the needles should be very thoroughly insulated. The reasons of this will be evident when we consider the parts that are perforated before the needle enters the cyst: 1. The integument. 2. The subcutaneous adipose tissue. 3. Tendinous fascia. 4. Peritoneum. ...« less