The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-04-28
Ricburaun 4ispatfh.
SATURDAY lIORNIN0.. APRIL vs., 1870.

Elrbntn111 Ywpatft.
-
SATURDAY MORNlN0.. APRIL Us, iseo
: Anpssasias Liak UnAer Chssrsisrn.
+ We will nke quiet post Of Observation ln
the area Of the operating theatre ~ QUE OF ouI
metropolitan hospitals, In this year OF ouI
Lord is6o. Notice is posted that ampotaion
Of The tha@h viii he perormea - 40 "so GA
The Area Itself 10 small, of horseshoe form,
and Sy :s.. fs .Ss On s'ssp in
or nine tiers. From loo 70 $50 students occupy
these, and pack pretty closely. especially on
the lower rows. whence The best view is OBJ
eighteen and twenty-five years, who have
nothing to do bat to wait, they are toIerably
= welt behaved and quiet. Three or four practi-
cal jokers, however, 1t is evident, are distribu-
quicker for the rest. The clock has not long
struck two when The folding doors open, and
in walk two or three of the leading surgeons
OF the hospital, followed by staff Of d'essers.
a0d few professional lookers.on the latter
beanE condued to seats Reserved for tnem on
the lower aud innermost tier. A small table,
covered with instruments, occupies . place on
one side OF the area; water. spon&es; towels
and lint are placed on the opposite. The sur
xson who ID about to operate rapidly giances
over the table, and sees that all his instrn-
a colleague TO take charge OF the tourniquet,
and with word deputies one assistant to take
the fiaps,'. another to hold the limb, a third to
haud the Instruments, and the last to take
chs rye Of the sponGes.
This done, and while the patient is inhalinE
chioroforsn in an adjoining apartment, under
the care OF n gentleman who makes that his
special duty, the operator gives to the now
hushed and listening auditory q brief history
OF the circumstances which led TO IN incura-
BILE disease OF the left knee Joint and the rea-
sons why he decided on the operation about 10
be performed. he has scarcely closed, when
the unconscious patient is brought in BY Il
couple OF sturdy porters, and laid upon the
operating table, u small, but strong and steady
erection. four feet long by two feet wide,
which stands in the centre Of the erea The
left being the doomed leg, the right Is Stoned
by bandage to one Of the supports Of the ta-
bic, So rs TO be out of harms way while the
dresser. who has special charge OF the case, is
seated on low stool ut the foot Of the table,
aud supports the left. The surgeon who as.
sists encircles the upper part of the thigh with
the tourniQuet, placing its pad over the fe-
moral artery. 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 fluid can be lost.
The operator. standing on the left side OF the
corresponding leg, and holding in his right
hand narrow, straight knife, Of which the
blade is At least ten inches long, and looks
marsellonsiy bright and sharp. directs his eye
10 him who gives the cblorof0rm, and awaits
the signal that the patient has become perfect
Iy insensible. All is silence profound; every
assistant stands in his place, which is careful
Nv arranged so IS not 10 in terrupt the view of
those around.
The words ''quite ready are no sooner
whispered, than the operator, grasping firmly
with his left hand the flesh which forms the
front part of the patients thigh, thrusts quiet
ly and deliberately the sharp blade horizon
tally through the limb, from its outer to its
inner side, SO that the thigh is transfxed Il lit
tie above its central axis, and in front of the
II " Ia ride in ks,
plane of the limb for about four inches and
then obiiquely onward SO rs to form a nap,
which is seized and turned upwards out Of the
way, by the appointed assistant. A similar
transfixion is again made, commencing at the
same spot, but the knife is this time carried be-
hind the bone; a similar incision follows, and
another flap is formed and held away as before
Lastly, win rapid circular sweep round the
bone he divides all lett uncut; and handing
the knife to al assistant who takes it, and
gives saw in return, the operator divides the
bone With a few WOrkman-like strokes, and
the limb is severed from the body. A rustling
sound of general movement and deeper breath
ing is heard among the lookers-On, who have
followed with straining and critical ey es every
ment of the task and some one of the younger |
students Is heard to whisper to his neighbOr
"Five and thirty seconds not bad, by love y
The operator now seats himself on the stool
lust vacated by the dresser, who has carried |
away the leg, aud seeks in the cut surfaces be. |
tore him the end OF the main artery on which |
q
only little ooZing, for the tourniqu et holds
LIES current hard and fast. Only five min utes
uncontrolled flow of the current from that
great artery, now SO perfectly compressed and |
our patients career in this world would be |
closed forever. How is it permanently held |
IN check. and what have we TO subs itute now
tor the kissing, sparkling, and sputtering iron,
:Iod the boiling pitch! The operator takes |
hold OF the Gu, end of the artery with a slen-
der, delicateiy- made pair of forceps, aud draws
il out Il little, while an assistant passes round |
the end 50 drawn out ligature Of very flee |
waipcorU. fine but strong, aud carefully ties it
there with q double knot and SO effectually
closes the vessel. similar process is an.
piled TO perhaps six or seven other but smaller
vessels, tourniquet is removed, and no bleed.
lug ensues. Altogether, the patient has lost /
little mere than half-a-pint OF blood. The flaps
are placed in opposition, the bone is well COW
cred by them, a few stitches are put through |
their edges, some cool wet lint is applied all
around the stump, and the patient slumbering
peacefully, il carried Off to a comfortable he'd.
ready prepared in some adjacent ward. Half
an hour hence that patient will regain con- |
and probably the first observation
he makes will be, 81 am quite ready for the
operation. when is it going to begin!' And it
takes no little repetition Of the assurance that
all Is over to make him realize the happy truth.
Article: Under CAi0rof0yM.