Fig. 84.—Silver catheter.
Fig. 85.—English Flexible catheter.
The curve preferred by different surgeons varies much; that depicted in fig. 84 is the one used by Sir Henry Thompson; it begins at 3¼ inches from the point, and ends when the point is at right angles with the stem. Each catheter is fitted with a wire stylet.
The flexible catheters are of many kinds; the English gum-elastic (fig. 85), the French black flexible (fig. 86), and the vulcanised india-rubber (fig. 87), catheters, being the three varieties most generally employed. English flexible catheters should be kept on stylets well curved at the last 3 inches, that, when the stylet is withdrawn, for the catheter to be passed, the latter may retain sufficient curve to pass over the neck of the bladder easily.
Fig. 86.—French bulbous-ended catheter.
Fig. 87.—Vulcanised india-rubber catheter.