Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-07-18
LOUISVILLE, (KY.) july z.
SINGULAR CASE.

An opera,ion nul seldom occurring IN inc
,r,c,,ce IF surgery. and possessed Of much dill
6cnI,v and importance, was performed lately ~
this city by Dr.. Edward Johnson, formerly Of
Chesterfield county, Virginia, and at present 10
par,n~r shio with DR. Wilson in this place. An
appropriate notice If the case is due 10 The skii
Of The operator, and proper for the Information
and encourage ment Of others, sho may un'oi>
tunately be in med Of any similar assistance.
The disease was an enlargement Of inc lower
Jaw bone, technically denominated an osto'sd'>
coma II occurred in healthy negro man, a.
buu, thirty three years of age, belonging 10 Dr
H. Nelson, Of the Iron Banks, Ky. Ncommenc.
ed about thirteen years ago from a decayea
TOO h, the disease ofwhich had affected the SOCK
r. in the bone. The enlargement wen, on slowly
for nine or ten years; but ia'ter'y II Increased
fas er, and began 10 endanger The lille OF the pa.
,i-nl by its pressure on his throat His breath
ing and swallow ing had both become difficult,
mar il uIarIy when a small sack situated Oh tbs
interior or back par, f.he lumor was els end
ed with flaid The enlargement extended nom
near The angle Of he aw on the LETT side ronnd
the chin about Two inches on the right side -
After t, e bonv ,umor was taken oLt, II weigh
ed eighteen ounces and q hail. and measured IL
inches and three quarters il circumfrrence. Bu'
10 person can form an adequate idea vi us Size
md the defo, mi,y IL occasioued, without having
seen i, before the operation.
The process Of drsec'ing i, out was not only
tedious and painful, from its great extent, and
the acute sensiblity Of the parts, but also nice
and haza rdous, from the d. lIcacy and imPor-
lance Of the organs, with which il was so near
" connected The patient sat in char, and
III. facial artery on The left side was ex posed
and lied little before The angle OF iheJ jaw. An
incis.on was then made through he under up
downwards on the chin, and connnuto by
curve to The ief along the jaw bone as Tar BACK
as the angle Another incision wasmade nom
this one, on the righI side, TO the distance oi a"
inch beyond the disease The soit parts 3ei"g
sect-d back, so as 10 expose the whole exc.
rior nf the bony ,umor, the jaw bone was sawed
in ,wo un cath side where it remained SOUND.
A tooth had to be extracted on each side, where
the saw was 10 be applied. The dissection OF
the tumor from the parts attached 10 u on the
in side wa. the last but not the least ditIcut pro-
cess IN ~ompe,ig its SEPARATION. ] he faps
Of skin bring brought together and properly Sc
cured. a cap of shee, lead, in he NATURAL form
of the chin, Was applied give the parts pros
per shape.
No difficulty or untoward Circumstance oc
CURED in the medical ire a,ment of the case; ard
fer tn lap,e of month, the complete success
of the op ration is m ,nifes, ard unquestionsbe.
The def,rmi,y resulting from il is inconsider'
able; the speech is al. ced, but distinct enough
10 be perfectly ineligible; and the stump Of the
law on the RICH, with Two or thee teeth IN IL
viii be Of some use in caring.
10 some cases OF similar operations, which
are recorded in medical books, the operators
.L-..,i., l.. ,aeassarv "a, to tho rn,id n
In this ase II was juGiciously preserved.
DR.. Johnson is entiilrd 20 much praise Tor
The skill aud judgment with which he opera'cd
and managed he case through all its stages.-
He was assisted at the operation ny Drs. Will
son, Pendrrgrast, and Gis; srve,sI",her MEM
bers Of the fscul,y, AID some of The citiz'ns
neins present TO witness SO extraordinary