The Nevada Democrat., 1857-09-30
NEVADA DEMOCRAT.
MORNING, SEPT. 80, 1857.


dnary surgical operation performed by DR.. E.
8. Cooper, of San Francisco, on the 9th of
April last. Mr.. B. T. Beal, aged rs, on the 26th
Of January last, in attempting to burst an old
GUN. had piece of iron an inch long and half
an inch wide driven into his left side, which
lodged beneath the heart, upon the vertebral
column. He was taken from Tuolumne county,
where the accident happened, to San Francisco,
where he arrived on the sth of April, and the
operation was performed the next day in pres
ence of large number of medical gentlemen
of that city. The patient was anxious to have
the operation performed, although there was
every probability of his dying under the knife
The operation is thus described in the PAM
phlet:
The patient being placed on the right side,
an incisIon through the soft parts three inches
long was made commencing opposite the sew
entn true rib aud following the track Of the
original wouud was carried over the hfTh aud
sixth RIBS, which were drawn close to eacn 9TH
er by contractlOns, consequent upon the Injury.
The sixth true rib was found fractured aud
slightly carous. A transverse incision three
incnes lOng, Was now made, beginning at the
centre Of the hrst wheu tue soft parts were re-
hected, so as 10 expose the RIBS. .Torslon was
applied to one lntercostal aud two OF three
small arteries winch bed rather freely. The
wouad was now fully absterged after winch au
effort was made " nnd the Dreecu-pin by using
the probe. THIS failiHg the Inclsions were
lengtnened aud the ribs further exposed.
portion OF the sixth rib which was carious was
now removed and was followed by the discharge
of about ten ounces OF huid resembling ven0us
blood. contained in cyst which was broken 10y
the removal Of the portion OF the rib. A most
extensive but careful examination with the
probe was now made in order to detect il pos
sible, the foreign body, yet to no purpose; but
air having already been admitted into the chest
/ unhesitatlngIy removed portions of the filth
aud seventh riDs together with such an add-
tonal piece Of the sixth as was necessary 10
make ample room tO afford every facility for
the further prosecution of the search Some
very firm adventtious attachments were now
broken up with the fingers, which gave exit 10
au Immense amount of purulent matter-twO
quarts at least-which had been entirey dis
connected with the fluid hrst discharged from
the chest The pleura had several large holes
through it aud was thickened to four or SIX
times its natural state ia some parts. The pull
sations OF the heart in the pericardium could he
distinctly seen through these holes. Brandy
was now administered freely to the patient who
AppEoSu " uC iapiulJ SluhlHSs AHt lGll IuliH
was found completely collapsed after the dis
charge of purulent matter. By giving brandy
freely the patient soon began TO revive when
the search for the foreign body was resumed.
At this time the fingers could be placed spon
different portions Of the heart and feel its pull
sations distinctly, but could obtain no clue to
the location Of the foreign body. The patient
now appeared almost completely exhausted.
Brady was given freely. Chloroform was not
administered at first, owing to the expected
collapse Of the left lung on the admission of air
into the chest, but considerable reaction ta-
king place a limited quantity was now used
aud the manipulations continued. A sound
was introduced and the thoracic cavity explor-
ed for at least three quarters Of all hour before
anything like metallic touch could be recog-
niZed, and then it was so ipdistinct as to leave
the matter doubtful.
The space Immediately above the diaphragm
" as considered the region in which the metal
was most likely to be found; since the immense
amount of suppcration which had taken place,
it was.thought might have dslodgcd, and grav-
itation carried it down to the bottom of the
chest The metal not being found here there
was no longer any probable opinion to be form
ed as, 10 its whereabouts, and to describe the
difficulties of the search that followed would be
difficult if not impossible. No one can have any
just conception of the degree of patience re-
qured to do what was done, save the one who
did it. This is not spoken boastingly, but it is
simply the truth. 1t is sufficient to say that a
general exploration of that side Of the chest
was made, and then it was taken by sections.
occasionally passing through holes in the pleu-
ra, which latter appeared to have scarcely no
normal relations to the surrounding structures,
touching by lines the entire surface of the parts,
aud at last the sound appeared TO encounter
Of a metallic uaturp hpnaaf tba hna
but the pulsations of that organ were so strong
against the instrument as to render it difficult
TO settle the matter definitely. AT last how
ever, it became evident that the location of the
iron was found. and | endeavored to move it
out of its position with the point of the sound.
in order to get it into place more eligible for
extraction by the forceps ! failed in this, and
in mannuyering the instrument finally lost the
track by which the sound had first passed back
of the heart to the metal, aud il was during my
efforts to recover this. and which was accom-
plished with the more difficulty owing to some
membranes falling in the way, that discover
ed the sound had in the 6rst instance reached
the metal by passing between the descending
aorta a0d the apex of the heart. The metal be-
ing again found, the sound was steadily and
strOn y held in contact with it until pair of
long lthotomy forceps was thereby conducted
to the spot and the breech pin seized and ex-
tracted, which, however, was the work of sew
eral minutes, owing to the great difficulty in
graSping it even after the forceps was made to
touch it. The forceps, however, being heavi-
eT, the motion of the heart was not so embar-
RAISING to lis manipulations as it had been to
that Of the sound. but owing to its size it could
not follow the sound and be expanded sufficient
iy to seize the metal without lifting the apex of
the heart considerably out Of its natural posi-
ton, After the metal was extracted, the pa
tient was turned on the wounded side, and
tent placed in the track of the original sinus,
after which the wound was dressed aud the suf-
ferer permitted to rest in bed with b body still
inclined towards the injured side
On the first of August the external wound
bad healed, and all the functions Of the system
were well performed. The left breast was some
what sunken. but the upper 10 be of that lung
had recovered in great degree its former ac-