The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-08-11
From the Cornhill London Magazine.
Il LEG LOST.


IN the area of the operating theatre at one
OF our metropolitan hospitals, In this year
of our Lord 1860. Notice is posted that
amputation of the thigh will be performed
at 2 O'Clock P. NJ, and we occupy our seat
ten minutes before the hour.
The area itself is small: of horseshoe
form; and surrounded by seats rising on
steep incline one above another, to the num-
Der of eight or nine tiers. From one hun
dred to one hundred and fifty students occu-.
by these, and pack pretty close, especially
on the lower rows, whence the best view is
obtained. For an assemblage of youth be-
tween eighteen and twenty five years. who
had nothing to do but to wait, they are toll
erably well behaved and quiet. Three or
four practical jokers are however among
them, and so time passes all the quicker for
the rest. The clock had not long struck
two, when the folding doors open,s and in
walk two or three of the leading surgeons
of the hospital, followed by feR pfassssbsl-
al lookers-on; che latter being confined to
seats reserved for them on the lowest and
innermost tier. A small table, covered
with instruments, occupies place on one
side of the area; water, sponges, towels and
lint are placed in the opposite. The sur
ces over the table to see that his instruments
are all there and in readiness. He requests
a colleague to take charge of the tourniquet,
and with word deputies one assistant to
"take the flaps" another to "hold the flaps"
another to hold the limb, third to hand
the instruments, and the last to take charge
of the sponges. This done, and while the
patient is inhaling chloroform in an adjoin-
ing apartment. under the care of gentle
man who makes that his special duty, the
operator gives TO the now hushed and listen
ing auditory, brief history of the circum-
stances which led to an incurable disease of
the left knee joint, and the reason why he
decides on the operations about to be per-
formed. He had scarcely closed, when the
unconscious patient is brought in by couple
of sturdy porters and laid on the operating
table, a small but strong and sturdy struc
ture, four feet long by two feet wide. which
stands in the center of the area. The left
being the doomed leg, the right is fastened
by bandage to one of the supports of the
table, so as to be out of harms way; while
the dresser, who has special charge of the
case, is seated on low stool at the foot Of
the table and supports the left. The sur
geon who assists, encircles the upper part
of the thigh with the torniquet, placing its
pad over the femoral artery, the chief vessel
which supplies the limb with blood, pre-
pares to screw up the instrunzant. TINS to
make sure that no considerable amount OF
the vital fluid shall be lost. The operator
standing on the left side of the correspond
ing leg, and holding in his right hand a
narrow, straight knife, Of which the blade
is at least ten inches long, and looks mar
velously bright and sharp, directs his eye
! to him who gives the chloroform, and awaits
the signal that the patient has become en-
| tirely insensible. All is silence profound
every assistant stands to his place, which is
carefully arranged so as not to intercept the
view of those around.
The words 'squite ready" are no sooner
whispered, than the operator, grasping firm
ly with his left hand the flesh which forms
the front part of the thigh, thrusts quietly
and deliberately the sharp blade horizontal
! ly through the limb, from its outer to Its
inner side. SO that the thigh is transfxed a
| little above the central axis, and in front Of
the bone. He next cuts directly downwards
in the plane of the limb, for about three
inches, and then obliquely outwards so a;
to form flap, which is seized and turned
upwards, out of the way by the appointed
assistant. A similar translation is again
made, commencing at the same spot; bu
the knife is this time carried behind the
bone; a similar incisioD follows, and anoth
er flap is formed and held away as before
Lastly, with rapid circular sweep round
the bone, he divides all left uncut; anc
handing the knife to an assistant, who takes
it and gives him a saw in return, the oper
ator divides the bone with few workman
like strokes, and the limb is severed from
the body. A rustling sound of genera
movement and deeper breathing is heart
among the lookers-on, who have followed
with straining and critical eyes every &C
which las contributed to the accomplish
ment of the task; and some one of tn
younger students is heard to whisper to hi
neighbor, Give and thirty seconds: no
bad, by Jove !"
The operator now seats himself on til
stool just vacated by the dresser, who ha
carried away the leg, and seeks in the Gu
sur aces before him the end of tie main al
terry on which to place ligature. There i
no flow of blood, only a little oozing, 70
the tourniquet holds life's current hard an
fast. Only FIVE minutes uncontrolled f1oV
. of the current from that great artery no'
! so perfectly compressed, and our patient
r career in this world is closed forever. Hol
is it permanently held in this check an
what have we to substitute for the kissing
sparkling and suffering iron and the boil
ing pitch ? The operator takes hold of Ii
cut end of the artery with slender, del
cate pair of forceps, and draws it out a Ii
tie. while an assistant passes round the en-
so drawn out igature of fine whipcort
fine but strong, and carefully ties it theI
with double knot, and so effectually clio;
es the vessel A similar process is az
piled to perhaps six or seven other, bl
: smaller vessels, the tourniquet is removed
: and the bleeding ensues. Altogether tt
: patient has lost but little more than PHI
of blood The flaps are placed in appos
) ton, the bone is well covered by them,
few stitches are put through their edge
some cool, wet lint is applied all around tt
n stump, and the patient, slumbering peac
a fully, is carried off to a comfortable BE-
P, ready prepared in some adjacent ward
q Half an hour hence that patient will rega
consciousness. and probably the first expire
% sion he makes viii be, Il am quite reae
for the operation, when is it to begin ?''-
And it takes no little repetition of the ass
rance that all is over, to make him reali
the happy truth.