Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-10-21
A NOVEL SURGICAL OPERATION.
Removing Turaor by Means OF Flee.
tTicify.
From the New York EvenIne Mnil, ocs. 81.

trtclty.
From the New York Evening Mail, Ocs. 3d.
Gen. Fitzpatrick, our late Minister
10 Chilli, was obliged to resign has po.
sitiou and return home on account Of
declining health. The disease seem.
Ell to he n swelling on the lower part
of the left side of the neck. Ii made
its FIRST appearance about year ago,
and was undoubtedly aggravated 10y
much speaking in the presidential
campaign then pending, IL was in-
duced by over excitement in the
army. Without receiving any per-
manent aid, the General returned to
Chill. The formation in the throat
increased. The most skiliful medical
men In the country were batIied in
their efforts tn master the difficulty.
They drugged the General nearly to
death.
The General returned to the United
States about ten days ago, and stop
ped at the Astur House with his fam
lily. His first business was to consult
some of our most skilful physicians.
DR.. l.. 4. Sass aud his associate. Or.
r. l.. Ifncoln, were called in. The
latter r4sNeaa a careful eAAHlInAti0u ~
formation was an crectile tumor,
without making known the result of
his discovery. he requested DR.. Ham
mOnd, eX. Surgeon General of the
UhitCd States army, to make an ex.
animation also, and he did SO, with
the same result as to the nature Of
the disease.
The physicians held q consultation,
and decided that DIR. Lincoln should
perform an electric operation, TO
which Gen. Fitzpatrick readily as.
scented. Friday last was the day
fixed upOn for the experiment. At
the time the tumOr prOtruded out.
Wardly us large as hens egg. In
wardly il was much larger, CrOwding
the windpipe half an inch over to
the let, making the effort to talk
and eat very difficult snd painful.
Gen. Fitzpatrick was placed under
the influence Of ether, Four laT ge
sized darniug needles were inserted
i'm the tulunr. Some idea can be
formed Of the stuhiFsIuness of the
tumut hy the fact that 1t required ull
the strength strong m&n possessed
to force the needles into it. The fact
that ii was near the jugular vein in
creased the diliiuity. An unusually
powerful electric battery was then
applied to the needless the full force
of the battery being given.
Notwithstanding the influence of
the ether, the electricity had such
an effect on the patient that two
powerful men had as much as they
could do keep him upon the he'd.
The needles were removed. The
patient lay quiet under the influence
OF the ether. In thirty minutes, ex'
actly. the outward swelling began to
go down. and So0u disappeared alto
gcther. The General lay unconscious
for two hours.
As he gradually came to his senses
he began to complain of cXCrutating
pains, and torturiug burning In the
| throat and neck; hut thCN" distress
Ing sensations were quickly mingled
with surprise aud delight. His
wiudpipe had straiIeued and reEum.
ed it's natural position, and the great
"Iuxpn which he had ronplaiued Of
so long had disappeared. OF course
the General was lcrt In Il terribly
weak condition, bat to day, though
instructed to keep his roo il and bed,
H. lsoklng extremely we'll.
DR.. Lincoln says the amount Of
electricity thrown into Gen. kiipat-
rick's system, 10y the operation,
; would transform pei2c of coal the
size Of a marble into "A coal of fire.