Meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie
SUPPURATION IN THE PLEURAL CAVITY
The first main topic on the program, "Suppuration in the Pleural Cavity," was presented by Professor Sauerbruch of Berlin. The experiences of the influenza epidemics of the ninth and tenth decades of the previous century, and, more particularly, the grave influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919, in which the mortality of the radical operation for empyema with rib resection rose to 90 per cent, have changed the views on the treatment of suppurative inflammation of the pleura. The rule set up by Franz König that every empyema should be treated as soon as possible by a wide opening with rib resection has been overthrown. The mode of treatment will depend on the nature of the fundamental disease, the time of the appearance of the suppurative pleural inflammation, the general condition of the patient and, particularly, on the thoracic