This is the account, written on 19th June, by the surgeon John Hume, detailing his treatment of Lord Uxbridge at his quarters in Waterloo on the night of July 18th, following his wounding in the closing minutes of the fighting. He had just amputated Sir Alexander Gordon's left leg.
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"On the evening of yesterday after having seen Colonel Gordon put to bed, Captain Seymour came to see me to say that, the Earl of Uxbridge had been wounded, he was afraid badly, in the knee…
I found on inspection that a grape shot had struck him on the right knee close to the lower edge of the patella and entered on the inside of the ligament, and having torn open the capsular ligament had made its exit behind externally fracturing the head of the tibia, cutting the outer hamstring in two. The capsular ligament was filled with fragments of bone and cartilage like gravel, but there was no swelling whatever of the joint or limb.
His lordship was perfectly cool, his pulse was calm and regular as if he had just risen from his bed in the morning, and he displayed no expression of uneasiness though his suffering must have been extreme; but what struck me as most remarkable was his excessive composure though he had been on horseback during the whole day and personally present in almost every one of the many charges made by the cavalry during the battle, he was neither heated nor did he display the least agitation.
There could hardly be a doubt of the expediency of amputating the leg but as I was not personally known to his lordship I conceived it was a duty I owed to his family and to himself to do nothing rashly or without evincing to all the orld that amputation was not only necessary but unavoidable. I therefore without giving a decided opinion applied a piece of lint wet with cold water over the knee and having desired his lordship to repose himself for a little I went out to endeavour to collect as gmany medical officers as I could meet [with] that they might see the wound and assist me in the operation…"
(Having gathered a group of surgeons he found in the vicinity, Hume returned with them to review the patient together. Hume was astonished when a young assistant surgeon pusehd forward and announced to Uxbridge that while his wound was serious and would take some time to heal, he would only experience some stiffness in the joint. There would be no need to amputate. Hume pointed out that this confident prognosis had been reached without examining the wound, quickly pointed out the salient features of the wound to his colleagues. He still hesitated, whereupon Uxbridge assured Hume that he had his full confidence and that ultimately he valued his life more than his leg.)
"There was but one opinion amongst us, so having prepared the dressings etc, we returned into the room where I announced to Lord Uxbridge said the the operation being found necessary the sooner it was performed the better. He said ‘Very well I am ready.'
I disposed the assistants as I thought best calculated to avoid confusion and having applied the tourniquet I tokk the knife in my hand. Lord Uxbridge said ‘Tell me when you are going to begin.' I replied ‘Now, my Lord.' He laid his head upon the pillow and putting his hand up to his eyes said ‘Whenever you please.'
I began my incision without retracting the integument nor in the usual way with one circular sweep. bu with my knife I made one cut above from within outwards describing a small segment of a circle and in the same manner below, beginning at the inner point or horn of the upper and keeping as nearly parallel as possible. I finished the incision by joining the two points on the outside of the thigh. I then retracted the skin as much as possible and with a few strokes of the point of the knife had integument sufficient to cover the end of the stump. With one stroke of the knife I divided the muscles all round to the bone and having retracted them on both sides, I took the saw.
I had sawn nearly through the femur but the person who held the leg being over apprehensive of splintering the bone raised up the limb so that the saw being confined could not be pushed backwards or forwards. I did not perceive what the cause was and said angrily ‘Damn the saw', when Lord Uxbridge lifting up his head said with a smile ‘What is the matter?' These were the only words he spoke and during the whole of the operation he neither uttered groan or complaint nor gave any sign of impatinece or uneasiness.
I had only two arteries to tie, namely the femoral and a small cutaneous branch. The stump was dressed in the usual manner and his Lorship having drank a very small quantity of weak wine and water was undressed and made as comfortable as the miserable bed upon which he was stretched woud allow him to be. His skin was perfectly cool, his pulse which I was curious enough to count gave only 66 beats minute. and so far was he from exhibiting any symptoms of what he had undergone in his countenance that I am quite certain had anyone entered the room they would have enquired of him where the wounded man was."
paints the Dogman from the Flintloque starter set.
