Thomas Latta

Thomas Aitchison Latta (1796 – 19 October 1833) was a medical pioneer who was responsible for the introduction of the saline solution ("saline drip") methodology into the treatment of patients.

Thomas Latta is not listed independently in any Post Office Directory so it may be conjectured that he was unmarried and still lived in his parental home. Given the rarity of his surname he was probably the son of Alexander Latta, surgeon, who lived at 6 Union Place at the top of Leith Walk.

This was initially introduced by Latta in 1832 during a cholera epidemic which had reached Britain in the previous year and was killing huge numbers of people. Latta was the leader of a group of three Leith doctor's the other two being Dr Thomas Craigie and Dr Robert Lewins. Whilst all three were based in Leith the experiments were undertaken on five patients in the Edinburgh Cholera Hospital on Drummond Street in Edinburgh (it having already been seen as critical to isolate such victims). Although his results were both remarkably good and effective in saving human lives, the research appeared to thereafter be forgotten for 70 years before rematerialising in more broader use.

Intravenous theory had existed prior to this date but had never been successfully put into practice. The critical aspect of Latta's theory was the nature of the liquid, correctly speculating that a salt solution could substitute for blood. Basing his experiments on the theories of Dr William B O'Shaughnessy, Latta had equally observed that cholera victims lost a huge proportion of water content from their blood. Replenishment of this in combination with "oxygenating salts" were seen as key to patient recovery. The theory was then put into practice. Given that cholera was invariably fatal the patients had little to lose in being treated by this experimental treatment. Latta at first tried to administer this rectally, but on 23 May 1832 he wrote to the Central Board of Health notifying them of his intention to begin the treatment intravenously. This method was an immediate success. His letter described his method and response: "I attempted to restore the blood to its natural state, by injecting copiously into the larger intestines warm water.. trusting that the power of absorption might not be altogether lost, but by these means I produced, in no case, any permanent benefit.. I at length resolved to throw the fluid immediately into the circulation. In this, having no precedent to direct me, I proceeded with much caution. The first subject of experiment was an aged female. She had apparently reached the last moments of her earthly existence, and now nothing could injure her - indeed, so entirely was she reduced, that I feared I should be unable to get my apparatus ready ere she expired. Having inserted a tube into the basilic vein, cautiously - anxiously, I watched the effects; ounce after ounce was injected, but no visible change was produced. Still persevering, I though she began to breathe less labouriously, soon the sharpened features, and sunken eye, and fallen jaw, pale and cold, bearing the manifest impress of death's signet, began to glow with returning animation; the pulse, which had long ceased, returned to the wrist; at first small and quick, by degrees it became more and more distinct ... and in the short space of half and hour, when six pints had been injected, she expressed in a firm voice that she was free from all uneasiness, actually became jocular, and fancied all she needed was a little sleep."

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