The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-06-21

Removal OF An Enlarged Spleen.

An extremely interesting surgical OPP
Grafton, and an almost unexampled one,
at least 80 far as this country is con-
cerned, was recently performed at the
Alexian Brothers Hospital, in Chicago,
the following account of which we CLEAN
| from a local paper A German, named
Becker, 38 years of age, was the patient,
and, if he should manage to pull
through this time Mr.. Becker, will be
living monument to the skill of Chicago
surgeons. His disease was enlargement
of the spleen, and the morbid growth
had attained to such a size that there
was no hope of his living more than
week or two unless the spleen was re-
moved. He begged of the attendant
surgeons to perform the operation, and,
after much solicitation, they consented.
1t was recognized by all that the oper-
alton was one of the most delicate char
acter, and the officiating surgeon said
that if they ever got the man off the
table alive they would be ahead of what
he expected. AS it was believed that
the enlarged spleen adhered to the stom-
ach, an abdominal incision was made
three or four inches long, and the result
was that the worst fears of the surgeon
were realized. However, DIR. Baxter
decided to go on with the operation, for
the poor fellow under treatment had but
one chance in 10000 of recovery, and
that one depended upon the removal of
the morbid growth. The result was
that the spleen was removed in its en-
tirety. In a healthy, full grown man
this organ Gf such it can be properly
called) weighs from seven to twelve
ounces. The one removed weighed
eight pounds, and the srterial and
venous blood which ran from it weighed
about three pounds more. The pulse of
the patient remained steady and full
during the entire operation, and when
the surgeons left they entertained hopes
that there was yet chance of his re-
covery.
Enlargement of the spleen is fortu-
nately not common disease, and cures
are even rarer. 1t isreported in medical
circles that only nine operations involv-
ing the total removal of the spleen are
recorded, and of these six proved fatal.
Nothing of the kind has ever been at
tempted in the West until now. Besides
this, in every case set down in the
books, the spleen was " floating ;" that
is, non-adherent. In this instance it
adhered in several places, and the
greatest difficulty met with by the sur
geons was in finding peduncle to which
a hgature could be applied. The spleen
has been removed from the lower ami
mails without danger to life, and the
only result has been that the animal has
taken on fat. But the removal in man
has always been ticklish piece of bust
ness, requiring the incest care, and
even then 70 per cent. of those treated
have snccumbed, either from the shock,
hemorrhages, or inflammation. In this
case the great danger apprehended is
from the terrible shock to the system.
No man knows the functions of the
spleen, but it is supposed to be sort of
reservoir, or perhaps filter would be the
better word. 1t is generally believed
that it serves as an organ for the relief
of the portal circulation, and it is GER
tainly in sympathy with the liver. Per-
sons who have been afflicted with inter
mittent fever are peculiarly liable to
suffer from enlargement of the spleen,
but in this case the patient had not, 80
Var as known, been affected in this way.