Early catgut sutures and letter
@GFM
Letter dated May 1887 written by William Watson Cheyne in London to Professor John Chiene in Edinburgh, with two pieces of new catgut obtained from Joseph Lister. When Lister was appointed to King’s College, London in 1877 Watson Cheyne moved with him as his house surgeon. The letter reads:
61, W. Cavendish St. W.
May 20th 1887
My dear Chiene,
Enclosed are two pieces of the new catgut which I got from Jospeh Lister this morning. He did not know which size you would prefer. There is not much surgery just now. By the way, I had a case of retropharyngeal abscess (not spinal) which I opened like jaws the other day and which did splendidly.
Hope to see you at Congress.
In haste, with kind regards,
Yours ever,
W. Watson Cheyne
Nineteenth century, late
