, 1863-02-05
with wife still In the land Of the living. but of
whose WheFeabouts know h0thibg. and neiIhof
Undsr ChiorofOriiA

Under Chlcrofor1n. ~. 1',.o ,-,..s z
We extract from an article in" Tia CoFnhlIl
Magazine" the following account Of . suGgicals
operation d one u The London HoSpiluls.-
The area iiself 4 small, Of . hoTss,shoe foEmlf
and Surrounded BY seats rising On steep incIih6
One abote smother, TO the number Of eight -
nine tiers. ,Froml0 toCl50s studenlFs occupy
these, ind pack pretty closely, especially on thO
lower rows ~ltsacs the best visw 70 ko6ttihsd.
For IN aasealblhgs of youtha. between ,eiahlesn
and twenty-five yeaFe, who have nothing 70 Do
but to wait. they are tolefably vell-behavtd and
qniet. Three or four practical j0ksFN, however,
L 10 evident are Distributed among them; and as
the time passes ell the quicker idr The rest Ths,
clock has not long struck two. when the iol1ine-
doors open, and in walk two OF three Of the lead.
ing surgeons 81 the hospital, followed By as,alk
Of dfeSsefs. and few professional lsokera.on;A
the latter heing confined 10 seats reserved fbis
them on the lowest and inhefmost tier., A small
table, covered with Instruments occupiesa place
on one side Of the area water, tp6ngsS tcWelk.
and lint ere placed on the opposite. The suf4
geOn Who s ahout 10 opeFate, rapidly eAncss over 4
The table, and sees that his Instruments are en-
there, and IN readiness. BE requests colleaeno
to take charge Of the tourniQntsl, and With :
word deputies one assgant 70 " take the hkpA aia
another to hold the limb, third % hand the n.
strumenss, end the last 10 take charge iaf the oi
haling ehinrofnrm In an adjoining apartment, uh. I
der the care Of gentleman who tndtes that Sic
special dh.ys the operator gtss to the nov hushod
and listening auditory brief hislpryof tha eiH.
cumstances which led to an incunblo diaenla of (.
the len knee: e:joint. and the reasons Why he d.
ciies on the operation about 10 be pefiofmed.
he has scarcely closed, when the unrOnscl0oS
patient ls brought in BY aeouple Of siurdy pot. 3
ters end laid upon the operating table. snail d
Int strong and steady erection, four feet long by
two feet vide, which stands IN tie centre d he
afea. The lsit being the doomed leg. The Tioha
Il fastened BY abphdage 70 one Of The supports !,
Of the table, 80 % to be out oi harms wv
while the dresser, who has special charge oi ne N
case, h seated on low slool at the fbol of ihs
table. and supports The lsft The surgeon who 4
assists, enereeh Che upper part af The thigh with
the todrniqhet, placing ne pad over The tmofsl .
artery, the chief vessel which supplies the lidib
with blood, and prepares 10 acFew up the inairusa
meut thus 10 make sure that no considenhll !,
amount Of the vital iinid can be lost The oper-
lnF, standing on the left side 0f the cofrespondina
lee. and holdint n m rlfhl hand Z hfrfu1
straight kniIt, d which tie bade Is at leasl "a
inehes long, and looks maFtsllnusly bfieht and
sharp, dirgcts his eye 70 him who gives the eh o..
oiorn. and awaits the signal that The patient his
become perfectly insensible. an b silence pfo, 4
found, every assistant stands In bis ihce, which N
= !. e'.e"eS1 - = Se - srs"stHsat-tt1 ~
! The words sqniis ready" afe 10 sooner 9his,e
pered, than the operator, gTpHping hrmly with HE
len hand the flesh which forms the frunt paft 81
the patients thigh, thrusts qaelly and dslibef.
atsly the sharp blade hori10nthlly through lho Y
limb, from ilA outer toita inner side. - that lhs
thigh is transGxed little abGEe its central sxi1,
downwardS IN the plane o. the litnb, hf abo1t
four inches, and then obliquely outNarda, % q "
70 lorna dap. which Is svizsd and turned tvsap
wards out of the way By tbs appointed pssialnnf
A similar translation Is again made, eommencing
at the same spot. but the knife Is this tune cafs
Fied behind ne bone similar incision follows
and anntheF 6ap sforSned and held aNsy = ~ n
lore. Lasll with tnpid eirealar sweep runnd s
the bone be divides al left uncut; and handing
the knii6 TO On assistant, who takes q, and niurI
Q Gaw In Futnrn. the operator divides the bone
with few worktmnlike strokes. and the limb i
severed from the body. A IuAlline sound u
general movement and deeper breathing i hedid
among the loUkeSs.oh who have followed Uilh d
slFaining aud, critical eyes every acf which haa
contributed 10 the aecomplshnent Of The task; .
and snlIe one Of the younger students & heard
to whisper to bic npighOOr, Five and dirty ~
cOnds; not bad, BY Jovst.y ss,e III L Iasi
q The operator now seats himself on ihs slo6l
just vacated BY The dresser, who has carried nEaT
the Zee, and seeks IN The cut surfaces kslors bin
The siId of tlI6 main artery On which 10 place
lgatare There d no Gov Of blood, only little %
oozing, ini the tourniquet holds lies current
hard and fast Only i've minutes rac0nlfolled
Aow Of The current from that great svtery noweo7
perfectly compassionate our patients eaFetrin thl1 j
world would be closed forever How 4 L per-
manently held In check and what have Wp 70
substitute now loF the kissing. Sparkling and
Eputtering iron. and the boiling pilohf The optf-
aioF takes hold Of the cut end of The artery with
slender, delieately made pair Of iorcess and
draws Il out little, while an assistant phqlaa
round the end % drawn out Z ligaluFe Of exceed.
iugy ine whipe0aFd. hne but slrong. and care.
fully ties Il there with double knot and 20 6se-l
tually closes The vessel. A similar process y.
applied 10 perhaps six or seven other but smaller
vessels, the tournlquet Is removed, and no bleed.
log ensueA Altogether the patient hAs lost lltla
more than half . pint Of blood The hapa are .
placed IN opposition, the bone b well covered
BY them, lev stitches are put through lhsit
edges, some cool vet lint is lpplied IN arodnd
the stump. and the patient, ilumbering psaes-i
fully, is carried Of % . comfortable bed lsadr, :.
prepared IN some adjacent ward. Half en- hour
hence that patient Will regain consciousness and
probably the first observation be makes will BE-
!" am quite ready ioF the operation; when i 4 :
going TO begin Z" And Il takes no lillls fepeli.
ton Of the assurances that ell b over 70 uiako
him realize the hsppy truth ffN /
So Il 10 that he who loses the limb knows lona
abo0t the process than any one eonesrned n
initelv lees, my gentle reader, than yon who have
shared with us the quiet corner, and have ls.n-
all without losing eonaeiousntea, or hinline Ig
was an early day 10 The medical nessioh, aho {
many nov men were there; one q leasf Wul
observed TO bsrome Sefy--veFy pale. end theu <
slowly disappear; NJ one knew hew o. wherl, ;
f6g neither We 10 the arena nor thoss sl1sEhg1o
had leisure Or cared 70 inquire.