Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1867-06-12
Wonderful Surgical Operation.

The gainesville, Ohio Telegraph
contains the following account OF
dlifcult and seemingly impossible sur
slcai operation performed by Surgeon
General E. B. Wolcottr Of Milwaukee,
upon Mr.. Jas. H. Paine, Of that place,
and brother of Gen. Halber. +.
Paine:
I'VE are daily filed with surprise
as we behold our fellow citizen, Nr.
James h. Paine, walking our streets
with frm, quick step, and with
tullness OF body and face indicative of
health and vigor. For years, Mr..
Fame suffered from a disease Of the
lungs which brought him to the verge
OF the grave, and even the most hone
ful Of his friends did not expect he
WoRld live to see the beginning Of the
year 1867.
Last fall he left gainesville for Nil
Waukee, where we ali supposed he
would die and find rest in a welcome
grave lie was wasted TO a mere
skeleton, and weighed not over one
hundred pouuds-had no appetite
could not sleep, and for forty wears
had not slept TO exceed forty min
utes at one time-nor did he ever lie
down an hour at once during those
four years. He and his friends had
abandoned ali hopes Of recovery, when
he was visited by Surgeon Gen. L. 3.
" olcott, who proposed, as a last, and
desperate effort to save him. to cut
directly into the lower part Of the
diseased lung, and relieve the abcess
by inserting tube The history Of
surgery furnished no precedent, while
his own brother, DR. WoIcott, and
DR.. Marks, who were with him, and
examined the patient, and finally as
sisted IN the operation, earnestly dis
suaded him from it.
But, az if inspired by some good
angel, he decided to leave the matter
to MIR. Paine himself, who replied. he
could not live as he was more than
three weeks, and that short time was
OF no consequence to him in his suf-
tering condition, and therefore he was
ready for the operation.
The abcess was in the left lung.
ITS exact position; this, of course, IN
creased the difficulty Of the operation.
An opening was made between the
sixth and seventh ribs. in front, and
with no satisfactory results; another
was Immediately made at the side be-
tween the eighth and ninth ribs, and
with complete success. A tube was
inserted through which matter flowed
freely.
Mr.. Paine's cough, which had been
most distressing, ceased entirely with
IN thlrtr-tye minutes after the opera
ton. which was performed on the 18th
Of November, 1866, and he has not
cou@hed since. He now has an ex-
cellent appetite, sleeps we'll, weighs
one hundred and forty-ive pounds,
walks without difficulty, and saws he
thinks he could easily walk ten miles
a DAY. There has been no DISCHARGE
from the tube for n ore than & month,
and the tube in fact dropped out.
In a word, Mr.. Paine calls himself
well man, and talks Of soon going
back TO Milwaukee, not with the ex-
- N14't' VI u ' III Z III Il rev weeks out
OF entering into active business.
v Q cannot close this notice Of
new and marvellous operation without
expressing oar thanks and the thanks
Of scores and hundreds III this com
munlty to Surgeon Wolcott for his
noble boldness III vcnturing where no
pilot bad gone before. Indeed. suf
tering humanity tile world over will
rise mp 10 bless his name. Already
the precedent he set IS being followed
by other eminent surgeons.
Within few DAYS our own distin,
gulshed surgeon, DR.. II S. Bcardslev,
assisted by that most successful prac,
tlcloner, Dr.. Brown, performed the
same operation upon the right lung Of
Mr.. J H Cowdry, Of Perry. At the
time OF the operation Mr. C0wdry was
very feeble being able to sit p but
part Of 8 day. and suffering from a
constant cough. Already the cough
is greatly diminished, and there is
every prospect Of an entire restora-
ton to health
Has not Dr.. Wolcott opened the
door of hope to the consumptive 2"