The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-12

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guard at the patients shpnldeEs %, ad
minister the ether when Il Is given, 4
steady him, and 10 hold him 10 case he
not being able to contain himself, SHOULD
struggle. The limb Is barred one Of The
surgeons takes tight hold Of II just above
the place where the cut is 10 be made
Grasplpg with both hands and compress
Ing asy ttghtly a. possible, be gives the
word. The other takes the knife which
is about eighteen inches in4length and
hall an inch In breadth, long, slender, and
sharper than q raZor-not al oil like any
other knife, and once seen Il is not easily
forgotten. The first cut Is made In tone
time and Two motions" two rapid semi
circular sweeps Of the hand, as,one mi9ht
cut an, orange, passing only. Through ihe
skin. But the skin here Is made up largely
OF nerve. It Is 10 this first cutaneous in
cision that nearly all Of the pain OF the
operation Is felt Itisthe first two strokes
that-where the patient ii not under the
influence Of ether-call forth the terrific
heart-breaking shrieks, the head being
thrown violently backward with agony,
and the chest seeming almost supernatur.
ally conVulscd. The skin thus divided Is
quickly turned back for an inch all
round. Then comes the second cut, this
time only one motion. TIE knife sinks
down, hlssing through the duiyering flesh
down hard on.alf sides against the cen.
trail shalt, the bone; the severed muscles,
nerves, veins and arteries lie with their
ends exposed; the blood from the smaller
veins spurts in little spasmodic Jets
from the larger 1t oozes In broken gushes,
all In spite Of the pressure. The cries OF
the patient again break out as the knife
thus performs the second portion Of its
work. This time they are groans, deep
and very different from the high, piercing
shrieks heard at the first. alright little
saw lying ready is seized, and eight or
ten quick strokes are given. The cries
are not renewed there Is no feeling then
it is only saving through dead lime
phosphate, The severed member-no
longer q part Of the body physiologic-
drops. The operation Is not over; It has
but reached the critical point. The lie
OF the patient Is literally in the hands Of
the surgeon who holds that stump. One
moments relaxation Of that grasp and the
vital torrent would rush forth from its
home, taking the life with 1t. The opera.
tor is intensely active-eyes and fingers
upon the stretch, and pincers and thread
are brought into lively motion. Those
gaping mouths with their oozinp and
squirting must be tied quickly and secure.
ly. He knows where they all are. but
the ever gushing blood impedes him and
hides them from his view; II covers his
instruments and fingers, and now and
then some rebellious little vessel, as il
with malice aforethought spurts q fine
stream Unexpectedly into his face: his
white apron is terrible to behold, and the
floor is spattercd and smeared. One after
smother theVessels are caught and secure.
ly fastened. When all Is snug the grasp
may be loOseued. The smooth -fisps of
skin which was turned back Ia brought
down over the stump and Is firmly las.
tened by strips Of adhesive plaster, and
the exhausted patient Is lifted up and
born back TO his bed.
TIE rAINLEss AND BLooDI.Ess METHOD.
All this is changed by the use OF the
EsmarCh appliance. The following de-
scription, from the Chicago Post and Mai,
gives q very fair idea Of its use and Of
what it consists: ~ T
Ifa limbs 10 be amputaIed, for instance
the surgeon begins by administering an
eIthetics, as usual, and the patient being
reduced to comatose state, he takes a
long elastic bsndage, and, beginning al
the toes, wraps 1t around the limb yerv
tightly, each successive turn overlapping
the former at least one.half, until the en-.
tire limb below, and four inches above,
the place Of ampuLstion Is completely en-.
veloped. This forces all the blood in The
hmb,upward, beyond the point fincision.
When this Is accomplished, q piece Of flex,
ible rubber tube Is wound tightly around
the member just at the upper edge Of the
bandage and secured by Knots. This pre-.
vents the bloodlrom returning, and 1t only
remains necessary to remove the elastic
bandage below, in order 10 be ready for
amputation. No blood follows the knife,
and the operator can see 10 perform his
work as well as, Il, carving q round beef
steak. When the work q completed, and
all the! arteries tied, the tube Is loosened,
Tor the purpose oi'letting In the blood, in
order to discover any twig.arteries not yet
fastened. By this method the patient not
only does not lose any blood tfom above
the wound, but even that below Is re-
tanned in the veins, leaving much greater
strength In the body 10 recover from the
shock than where the usual hemmor.
rhage occurs. II Is thought that this
method may be also utilized 10 avoid the
administration of anesthetics, which are
so much, though as a rule unnecessarily,
feared. The very tight elastic bandage
several inches above the incision, 1t Is be.
lieved, deadens the nerves Of sensation
to such an extent that the operation can
pc performed without greatpSin to The
subject though not under the influence
OF ether. Professor Andrews used this
method not long since upon young wo.
man IN Mercy Hospital, by PirogofFs am.
Putauon. When the bandSge1 was re.
moved the limb had q white and slightly
snrlyeiled appearance, and the cutting
yielded only three or foif drops 81 Blood
1ttollows from this that tho usual tourni.
quet Is an unnecessary instrument, and
tina, the rubber band Is an excellent spbI
stltute therefor. llIGguBtzl lIIIEt3.''H't
A PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION AT BRt1r-
vUE. 20
Operations as performed by DR., Wood
and otherB ID Bellevue in but one par
ticulaf 4the elastic band Is notapplied at
the toes, but above the wounded or ipjur.
ed part. The subject operated upon on
Saturday Of BELLEVUE was q little boy
who had BEEN nun oyer by \ horse. car,
his right leg below the knee being badly
crushed. BE was brought to the hospital
eight days before, The large amphithea.
TIRE high upin Bellevue was densely pack.
ed with students and physicians eager
and impatient to witness Ithe, new and
much discussed bloodless amputStion.
The centre around the operating table
was kept clear, and no one could ap-
proach except the surgeon and his assis-