The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-04-11
= Misffna''n
The Pain q Man Suffered from an
Ampufatpd Foot.


Virginia City Nevada Eaterprise.]
We learn some curious circumstances
connected with the amputation of the
leg OF William S1lpn, an account of the
serious accident to whom on the Virgin
iaa1d Truckee Railroad was published
in the Enterprise few days since. The
bones Of his foot and ankle were so
badly crushed that il was found neces.
sary 10 ampnste the leg at few inches
below The knee The operation was
performed by Drs. 5 A. McMeans, and
+ B Harris, of this city Alter the
operation, DIR McMeans took the foot,
with a,few inches Of the.leg attached, to
hissofiicr, for The purpose Of di,secting
Il and ascertaining the exact nature OF
the fracture. The doctor. dissected the
foot, aud was engaged in opening the
ankle when boy arrived and said that
he,had come Tor the foot-thate Mr.. So
lon wanted it. The doctor hastily rolled
the foot in piece of Goth and gave it
to the boy, who carried it 10 Mr. Solon's
room. and BY his directions. placed it in
Sic drawer of d bureau that stood at
the footof bis bed: I, Was not long
beblelM 4 Solon became very uneasy,
and finally suffered SO much pain that
all the opiates the attendants dared to
give him did no good Thinking some
thing was wrong at the point where the
leg had been cut of, Mr. Solon's friends
sent for DR. Harris When the doc
tor arrived he examined the stump .,and
found it in perfect order. He told Solon
that the.leglwas in as good a shape as
it could possibly be made, and be could
see no reason for It giving aim 80 much
pain. Mr.. Solon then entered into q
more particular account OF his suffer-
ings. He said that the feeling was as
though his toes were doubled under his
fo6t and he was standing with his Whols
weight ON that foot; also that there
seemed p De 3 knife sticking III bis leg.
the pain from which was very severe
Dr.Harris than asked where the foot
wae thosgh hs probably knew that Mr..
McMeans had taken It. He was told
that Mr.. Scion had taken q notion to
have it, and tfat 1t had been brought
from the Office of DR.. McMeans. aud
placed in the bureau drawer. DR.. Har-
ris went to the drawer, and unrolling
the cloth, found that the. EtoesE we're
donbled back under the foot, and fnf-
ther, found sticking in the skin of the
calf of the leg . tenaeulum, which il in
an instrument IN the shape Of q hook,
with tlne, sharp point, used in taking
up arteries. In hastily wrapping up the
foot to send it bach, ,-Dr. McMeans had
forgotten 10 remove this hook, which he
had been using in holding back. the skin
while dissecting the crushed ankle. DR..
Harris removed the instrument and
placed the foot Ia an easy and natural
position, when Mr.. Scion declared that
he was free from pain and felt quite
easy; indeed, be fell asleep in . few min.
utes, and slept well and soundly. DIR.
Harris says that he has heard of similar
cases, but this is the fret of the kind
that he has ever met with in his practice.
Neither DR.. Harris nor DR.. McMeans
can offer any explanation of the phe-
nomenon. DR.. McMeans is of the opin-
ion 'thAtit may be owing to the two
parts OF the limb being connected for q
time by some subtle luid, something
like electricity, the exact nature Of which
remains to be discovered. As it is Q
thing about which nothing is now
known, each resder is at liberty to pro
vide his own explanation.