The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-06-27
Remarkable surgical Case.

Inc waterbury (C0nn.) A1cc7tcdn C0ntltuS
an account of successful surgeZY that is wor-
thy Of notice. 1t is the case OF Miss Hattie
Thomas, who more than year age while In
the employment of Edwin Smith, 9 nanufac-
turer Of buttons in Naugatuck, had her hair
torn completely of her head from the nape of
the neck to the forehead, including one eye
brow and part of one ear, by being caught in
q revolving shalt. The wound was worse than
the scalping by an Indian, who merely cuts a
circle of three or four inches diameter about
the crown, and Leaves his victim tensured like
a Roman Catholic monk or friar. Such cases
of scalping are on record in which the loss Of
the natural head-covering was supplemented
by an artificial toupee. But in this case the
exposure of the skull threatened death by ex-
haustion induced by suppuration. The Am'eri-
can says:
At the time it was supposed the victim of
the horrid manning could survive the shock
but short time, and if she recovered from the
shock to her nervous system, her life would be
but of short duration, as she could not long
stand the agony of the pain from the wound,
nor the drain upon her constitution by the sup
puration, that must inevitably take place.
DR.. S. Il. Barrett, then of Naugatuck, but
now residing in Waterbury, who was in almost
constant attention upon the sufferer, found that
she was likely to rally from the first effects of
the accident He therefore determined to re-
sort to the process of "skin grating" discov..
cred about three years ago by M: Reverdin, of
Paris, as means of saving the life of his pa
tient. About six or seven weeks after the
accident, when the wound had been brought
into healthy state by suppuration, the expert
ment was tried, the patient herself furnishing
the first "seed skin" from her arm. The
s. tbo roouirod ic
ply to clasp the piece between the thumb and
finger, raising it up, and clipping off with knife
or scissors. This first attempt was success,
and greatly encouraged the Doctor, who con-
tinued the experiment, still taking the "seed
skin" from the arm of Miss Thomas, but the
excessive discharge from the head wound, and
the additional drain from the new wounds, ne
cessitated by the removal of the skin, made it
absolutely necessary that the doctor procure
his supply of "seed skin" from other sources.
Miss Gibson, her faithful nurse and particular
friend before and after the accident, volun-
teered to furnish the next supply, and when
the lady was exhausted, and the experiment
continued to show every indication of success,
the doctor mutilated his own arm for the bene-
fit of his patient and the elucidation of science.
And not the least noteworthy circumstance is
that number of the young lady friends of
Miss Thomas came forward and volunteered to
furnish, as far as they could, whatever new
material was needed. Thus the doctor, at va
rious times and from different persons, took
sixty-four pieces of "seed skin," varying in
size, the larger pieces being sufficient to cover
a. silver half-dollar. These large pieces were,
in some instances, divided and subdiyided, so
that the number of separate pieces applied to
the wound amounted to at least one hundred
and fifty. These pieces of healthy skin thus
transplanted would soon grow and extend from
one piece to another, until, after the lapse OF
time, the pieces would join each other and
shoot out until the margin of the wound was
reached, and in this manner the head had be-
come entirely covered with new growth OF
skin. All kinds of wounds heal from the mar
gin and not from the centre, and the growth
from the old skin in this case, all round from
the back of the neck to the eyebrows, has been
only about an inch. If this grating" or
"transplanting" had not been resorted to, the
wound would have remained running sore,
and soon exhausted the life of the victim.
On examining the head, the action Of nature
can be seen in the development of new blood
vessels or veins, which branch out and unite
with each other, the original "seed skin" form
ing no impediment to the growth of the veins.
The development of veins and blood -vesseB
also indicate healthy action Of the skin.
It is doubtful if q case go remarkable ID on
record. If the experiment proves to be as
successful as present indications promise, the
skill of DR.. Bartlett will be as profitable to
him as the recovery of his patient will be graf
flying.