Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-04-28
THE GAZETTE. !.

- n e y -AH.s -.
SATURDAY. MORNING, APRIL IS. 1850.

~
-==--==-=- ~
is, Amputatipg . LIMB nader Chloroform.
1 .a-..so EEroaa the G.-,.aitbJi ayasinesf -. :.
We will takea Aoiet post of observation
in the area Of the operating theatre at one Of
our metropolitan hospitals; in this year OF
our Lord 1880. Notice is posted that ampu-
tation of the thigh will be performed 81 two
o'clock, P. NJ, and we occupy our seat ten
minutes before thehoar- 2. ~ - : -: 4.
!, The area .itseli.is- spallr OLA horse" shoe
from and s,irri,1ntfed by seats rising on a
steen incline one above another, to the num-
her Of eight or nine tiers. From llal TO l5e
s ~ sss SafyPs
best view is Obtained For, an assenablage OF
Youths between eighteen, and twenty-five
> wears, who have nothing 10 DO hut tos Wait,
thew are, soierabfy weH behaved Rn6 Quiet. +
Three or four practical 56kefs, however, 1t is
evident, are 'distribntsd among them, and 50
the time passes all the !qpick rafor the rest
The clock has not long struck two when the
folding-doors opsp, and l9 walk two sr three re-
of the leading spfgeepssof tbe hospital i9l-
/, lowed by q staff of afassers, and lew prp-
to seats reserved for them on the lower aud
innertnost tier. .ksfnaii table, covered with
Instruments, ,occnpies a place on one side, 3f
tie area; water, spop a towels and INT are
placed on the. opposite The surgeon VINO rs
about to operate, RAPIDLY. Chances over the ta-
j bic. aud sees that ,ali his instruments "a e
there and in.readiness = He requests cob
league to take charge of the tohfhiquet,' and
: with a word deputies one assistant to take
the flaps p another to hold the limb, "a third
, to hand the instruments, and the last to take
charge OF the rspanges.- ~ - -!
This done, and while the patient ~is isiisal-
ing chloroforln' in an adjoining apartment,
under thecare Of a gentleman who makes
that his special duty, the operator. gives 70
the now .hqshad and listening auditory q
brief history of the circumstanceswh,c LED,
to Mn incurabls .disease of the left kneeJo4nt,
and the reasons why ne decides on the oper-l
alton about 10 be performed. He has scarce
1y closed, when the, uneonsclous patient y
brought in by q, couple of sturdy porterss, anf
laid upon the operating table, small. put
strong and steady erection, four feet long by
two feet wide,, which stands the centre q
the area, i ThG left being, the doomed leg, the
rights fassened.by q .bandage to one of the
supports of the table, so as to be cut qt
harm'sway; while The dresser, who has spe-
cial charge iof the case, il seated on a1oT
stool at the foot Of the table, and. supports
the left. The surgeon who assists enclreles
the upper part of the, thigh with the tsa al
auet, placing aitsa pad over the femoraf :iaT-
F, terry, the chief vessel which supplies the limb
with blood, and prepares to screw up the
instrument, thus TO make sure that no con
siderable amount of the vital huid can be
lost, The OPERATOR standing on. the left
side of the corresponding Leg, and holding an
his right hand q Narrow straight knife, 'ot
which the blade is at least ten inches long
and looks t1aryeiiousiy bright and sharp,
directs his eye I'd. him who gives the chlord-
form, and awaits the signal That the patient
has become psrfactFy insensible. All is ST.
lence profound; every assistant stands IN his
place, which is Garafllly arranged o.as NIT
to interrupt the.vjeY of those, arpnnd 5..
!. The words .quite, Teady,H are no lsoonef
whispered, than the operator, grasping firm :
" with his hft hand the flesh which forms
the froht part of the patients thigh, thrusts
quietly and deliberately the. sharp, blade hoT-
izontally through the. limb. from its outer
to it's inner side, so that the thigh is trans
fixed "a, littleaabove its central. axis, and ip
doWn$afas il tie plane & tie 0limmb,' fol-
about four inches, and then obliquely Sut
ward, SO as to form flap, which is seized
. and turned upwards ont OF. the way, BY the
appointed assistant "A similar transtxioh
is again made; commencing at the same spot,
but the knife is this time carried behindthe
bone; d similar incision' follows and another
flap is formed and held away as before
Lastly, with rapid Circular sweep. rounS
the bone he divides ALL left,uncut; and hand
. ing the knife to an assistant, who takes NJ,
! and. gives a'saw' in return, Tire operator dl-
/. -yides the bone with few worknahifke
strokes, and the limb is Severed from the
body, A 9ustling sound OF. general moYe-
ment and deeper breathing is heard among
the lookersson, who have followediwiths strain
ing and critical eyes every act which has
contributed to the accomplishment of the
" task; and soms one of the younger students
is heard 10 whisper to his neighbor, Five
and thirty seconds pot bad, by JpveW -,
The operator now. seats. himself on the
stool Just vacated by the dresser, who has
. carried away the leg, and 'seeks'in the cut
surfaces befure him the end of the mann ar
: terry on which TO place a ligature. There j.
no flow of blood, only q little oozlng, for the
tourniquet holds LIES current hard and fast
ONLY, FIVE minutes uncontrolled flow of the
current from that great artery, now SO per
fectly compressed, and 1our patients career
in this world would be closed forever. How
is it permanently Held in check? and what
have we to substitute DOW for the Kissing,
sparkling. aad .sputtaring iron. and the, boil
ing. pitch The operator takes hold of the
cut end of the artery, with q slender, deli
icately made pair Of fJrceps, iand draws it
ont little, while an assistant passes ROUND
the end 50 draFn, out, q 1igatpreof very fine
whipcord, fine but strong, and carefully ties
it there with double knot, and so eifectuallg
closes the vessel. A similar process,is ep
piled to perhaps siS or-seyen other bat sinai
err vessels, tourniquet is re,ndved, and np
bleeding :ensues.; Altogether, the patient
has lost little more than. half,a-piRt. of blood
: Tue flaps ara placed ID opposition. the bone
is we'll coxeced. by ,them,- a few stitches ARE
! put through their edges, isome cael wet hint
is applied all around the stump, and the pa
= tent, slnmbering psacefully,,s carried OF tp
a comfortable bed, ready prepared in SOME
adjacent ward Half IAN hour. hence that
patient will regain CONSCIOUSNESS, and prob
ably the. first observation he makes will ~be,
"I any ,ujtps ready for the operation, when