Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-03-24
A sInguIar Story.

WE learn some curious circumstances
connected with the amputation of the leg
of William Solon, an account of the seri-
Gus accident to whom on the Virginia IL
Truckee Railroad was published in the
Enterprise few days since. The bones
of his foot and ankle were so badly crushed
that it was found necessary to ampumte
the leg at point few inches below the
knee. The operation was performed by
Drs. S. a. McMeans and Il. B. Harris, ut
this city, After the operation DIR. Nc
Means took the foot, with few inches of
the leg attached, to his Office, for the pur-
pose of dssccting il and ascertaining the
exact nature of the fractures. The doctor
diSsected the foot, and was engaged in
opening the ankle when boy arrived at
his office and said that he had come for
the foot-that AIr. Solon wanted it. The
doctor hastily rolled the foot in a piece of
cloth anil gave it to the boy, who carried
it to Mr.. SOlon's room, and by his direc-
tions placed it in the drawer of the bureau
that stood AT the foot of the bed. 1t was
not long before Mr.. 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 off, Mr. Solon's friends
sent for DR.. Harris. When the doctor ar
rived he examined the stump and found
it in perfect order. He told Solon that
the leg was in as good shape as it could
possibly be made, and he could see no
reason for its giving him so much pain.
Mr.. Solon then entered into more par
ticular account of his suiferings. He said
the feeling was as though his toes were
doubled under his feet and he was
Standing with his whole weight on the
foot; also, that there seemed to be knife
sticking in his leg, the pain from which
was very severe. Dr. Harris then asked
where the foot was, though he probably
knew that DIR. McMeans had taken IT, He
was told that Mr.. Solon had taken no.
lion to have it, and that il had been
brought from the Office of DR. McAIeans
and placed in the bureau drawer. Dr.
Harris went TO the bureau drawer and, q,
unrolling the cloth, found that the toes
were doubled back under the foot, and
further found, sticking to the skin of the
calf OF the leg, tenaculum, which is an
instrument in the shape of n hook, with a
fine, sharp point, used in taking up arte-
ries. In hastily wrapping up the foot to
send it back, DIR. McMeans had forgotten
10 remove his hook, which he had been
using in holding back the skin while dis
secting the crushed ankle. DR., Harris re-
moved the Instrument and placed the foot
in an easy and natural position, when Mr..
Solon declared that he was free from pain
and felt quite easy; indeed he fell asleep
in a few minutes, and slept we'll and
soundly. DIR. Harris says that lac has
heard of similar cases, but this is the first
l. I'M ~ a ind hat Iaa haa a
with in his practice. Neither DIR. Harris
nor DR. McMeans can offer any explana-
tion of the phenomenon. DR.. McMeans
is of the opinion that 1t may be owing TO
the two parts of the limb being connected
for time by some subtle fluid, some
thing like electricity, the exact nature of
which renains TO bedscoyered, As IL is
thing about which nothing is now known,
each reader is at liberty to provide his
own explanation. VirginiG OHy (Nep.l
ERterpriSe. :