Description

LE CAT’S FORCEPS FOR EXTRACTION OF LARGE BLADDER STONES, English, mid-19th century, signed twice “Weiss, London.” Measuring 11″ (28 cm) long overall (minimum), these lithotomy forceps are made of grey steel with a shaped ebony handle. The ingenious linkage permits one to set the maximum opening by long screw, and to independently set and lock the forward opening, the “overbite” of the jaws. Both jaws are smoothly convex on the outside, and concave on the inside, the smaller relatively flat and smooth-edged, the other curved to a right angle and with sharply serrated teeth. It is poss.ible to grip stones of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This unusual form is in fine condition throughout. It is a variant of the forceps introduced by Claude Nicholas le Cat (1700 – 1768), surgeon of Rouen, professor of anatomy and surgery, medical author and inventor. Bennion (p. 87) illustrates two examples of large Le Cat stone extractors with the long screw adjustment, but with simple scissor hinge. Very large bladder stones were encountered at times; Le Cat writes of a calculus weighing over three pounds!