The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-06-04
MOST kaTAAoApisAaY seRuicAt OPERA.
FffH.


Tie Gan frnnc,sco Sun says surgical
operation Of such rare delicacy, coolness
aud skin, rs the ono which we aro about TO
record, and probably which has not been
surpassed In the annals Of surgery, was per.
,forlned IN that city on Saturday, the 18th
April. The facts Of tho cnso arc rs follows:
About two months and half ago, a Mr..
Beale, of Toulumne county, hnd the breach
pin Of a fowling piece blown into his
body while endeavorug to discharge tho
gun, which was rusty aud overloaded. The
breech-pih entered under tho left arm,
breaking a rib in its progress, and finally
rested in tho cavity Of the chest beneath the
heart, where it remained during the time
mentioned, producing cff'usion and purulent
secretion until the cavity of the chest was
perfectly engorged. lie had been treated
for the wound, but with little or no relief,
rs the piece of metal still remained in his
body, although it had been vainlv searched
for.
In an almost dying state, Ibis frame attcn-
uated and weakened, Mr.. Beale was brought
to this city for treatment, but with scarcely
hope for recovery. But being most de-
ter,nincd character, he readily consented to
suffer an operation, although Informed that
it would probably cause his death before
the operation could he completed
Accordingly his surgical attendats COM
menced by making an incision through the
iieshy parts under the left arm, down the
ribs, midway between the spine and the
breast bone, for the distance of four inches
and a half. A transverse incision was then
made, three inches long, commencing near
the centre of the former, and directed to-
wards the breast bone. Portions of the en-
tiresixLh and seventh true ribs were removed
with the saw, and subsequently, part of the
first false rib, when it was expected the me-
talic substance in the cavity of the chest
could be readily discovered. This hope,
however, proved delusive, rs the probe was
tried in vain, to its full length, about five
inches. The external wound was then ell
larged so as to admit the fingers, in the hope
of ascertaining Ivy the sense of the touch,
some sinues or opening, leading to the me-
talic body, throug gll which and instrument
might be passed to ascertain its location
Tile most patient and careful exploration
failed to reveal anything, although the fin
gers were repeatedly passed about the
heart in every direction.
AS dernicr resort, steel sound, nearly
fourteen inches i'll length, was introduced
to the depth Of about eleven inches, and
the cavity Of the chest cautiously but thor
oughly explored, until the locality Of the
membrane was asccrtaincd beneath the
heart, it was most difficult to determine
whether the foreign substance was found,
as the action Of the heart constantly i'm
parted motion to the instrument, which
necessarily embarrassed the delicate exer
else of the sense Of touch, and the metal
was enveloped in the deposit of matter, or
SO covered up by the membranes that the
sensation conveyed through the sound was
moro like that made when coming in con-
tact with homes than of foreign and me-
talic body, and required the exercise of a
remarkable degree Of GOODNESS, patience and
courage.
The brecch-pin was finally seized and
extracted, and the patient is now doing well,
far beyond what possibly could have been
expected under the circumstances, ard is
: most likely to recover.
This magnificent operation, which occu.
;; pied one hour and quarter in its perform
ance, was sthe work Of Doctors E. S. Cooper
and j. IL. Rowcll, assisted by doctors \.
Is. Sheldon, Webster and others.
1t is most worthy Of remark, that Mr..
Beale suffered the whole of this wonderful,
dangerous and trying operation without the
use of chloroform or ether; but firmly set
ting his teeth, endured the insutferabe ago
nyfor the space of one hour and quarter.
Sometimes he would say, "Doctor, l can
stand this no longer" when small quanti-
tyof brandy was administered to keep him
up; but otherwise he never gave groan
that could beheard across the room in which
le laid We certainly consider this the
most wonderfully surgical operation ever
performed in this country, and challenge a
parallel elsewhere. We have taken mucl,
pains to give this account at length, for the
advancement Of the surgical art.