The Surgery of the Rectum

The Surgery Of The Rectum by Henry Smith. The book is a 19th-century surgical treatise comprising the Lettsomian Lectures on Surgery delivered before the Medical Society of London in 1865 and later issued in an expanded form (the third edition appeared in 1871). In three lectures, Smith surveys the pathology and surgery of diseases affecting the rectum, including fistula in ano, stricture, cancer, polyps, hemorrhoids, and prolapse. He discusses philosophical questions about the origin of fistula, critiques competing theories about internal openings, and emphasizes that accurate diagnosis of associated conditions—such as coexisting stricture or syphilitic disease—drives effective treatment. Practical methods are described, ranging from conservative measures to surgical interventions, with particular attention to the practicalities of avoiding sphincter damage and improving recovery. A substantial portion is devoted to hemorrhoids and prolapse, where Smith details the clamp-and-cautery technique, its refinements, and judicious use of nitric acid, supported by numerous clinical cases illustrating diagnostic and therapeutic principles. The volume remains a foundational reference on rectal surgery and its historical development.