The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-11-15
WONDERFUL SURGERY.


The San Antonio correspondent of the |
Galveston Ne,cS tells the following story of |
wonderful surgical operation recently per-
formed in the former city: DIR. +. Herff has |
long been a resident of San Antonio, and is
justly considered one of the best physicians |
and surgeons in Texas. San Antonio con-
tains wonder, the like of which cannot be
found in the United States. 1t is nothing |
more nor less than child, seven years old, |
that, instead of masticatins its food in the
usual manner is fed through an aperture i'll
the stomach made for that purpose. The
child is gaining strength, can walk and |
play, and bids fair to soon be as stout and |
healthy rs any other child. On Saturday |
last determined to go and see the child for |
myself. The facts are as follows: About |
two years ago Mr.. s. 7. Lumley, at that |
time living in Pennsylvania, had the mis-
fortune to have his little daughter Jessie
drink solution of lye which negro woman
had carelessly left on the table. A large
quantity of the corrosive liquid was swal
lowed. Death is the certain result in such |
cases. There have been quite number Of
cases in San Antonio where children drank
concentrated lye, and none have survived
except in this instance. The I've destroyed |
the mucous membrane, and structure of
the esophagus is formed, which means that
the throat, or, at least, the channel through |
which the food goes into the stomach is
drawn together or contracted to such a de-
th,to ,lr rnf Of
them can pass through. If the child does
not die at once, it fingers for year or SO
and then goes into 4 consumptive condition
and perishes of slow starvation. 1t is i'm
possible for a human being to live exclu-
sivcy on liquid nourishlnent; but where
concentrated I've has been taken, there are
times, particularly in cold, damp weather,
when the sufferer cannot even swallow milk.
All attempts to pen the closed up esophagus
are futile hence tie sufferer slowly starves
to death.
Such was the condition Of the little girl |
Jessie Lumley when she was brought to
San Antonio for treatment. The child was
very much emaciated-could not swallow |
even liquid food for days at time. AS it
was the only possible chance she had for
life, her parents consented that the opera
ton of making an opening in the stomach
should be attempted. The operation has |
been performed in England but this is be-
lieved to be the first time it has been at |
tempted in the United States Your CORE |
spondent cannot give the technical terns
but can make the nlodus operandi intelligi- |
bic to the general reader An incision four
inches long was made few inches to the
left of the pit Of the stomach, ut the begin
ming of the short ribs. much stitching being
| required. Through this incision the stom
ach is reached. The next part of the opera
ton requires the most delicate handling
| imaginable 1t consists in sewing the stom
ach to the walls of the abdomen, but the
| greatest care has to be taken not to pene-
| trate the stomach itself The needle and
stitches only penetrate the skin of the stom-
ach The result is that the stomach, as the
wound gradually heals, grows to the walls
of the abdomen.
The patient was put under the influence
| of chloroform, and the operation success
fully performed by DIR. +. Herft, assisted by
his son, DIR. John Hertf, and DR.. Amos
Graves, all of this city. Unfortunately, the
child had an attack of chills and fever,
which had to be cured, which gave it a set
back. The operation described took place
three weeks ago. The stomach has grown
| on to the sides Of the abdomen, and eight
days ago the final operation Of making
small incision in the stomach, through which
the food was to pass, was performed, and
twice day during the past week beef
steak cut up fine has been passed with the
| forccps into the stomach, and the child is
steadily gaining strength.
On SATURDAY. last l visited the child, in
company with DIR. Herff, and saw it fed.
We halted in front of a small one-story
house, which we entered. a little girl, with
light hair and blue eyes, was sitting up in
bed surrounded by play-things. Her moth
err a young woman of about thirty years of
age, was busy in the room.
"Don't you want your supper, Jessie ~
said the Doctor.
81 want steak. I don't want any bread,
cos it hurts" said the little girl, whose thin
features and pale complexion showed the
result of her long fast.
The mother brought in 4 rare beefSteak,
which the Doctor proceeded to cut up into
small pieces, crumbling up some bread at
the same time. The food being prepared,
the child lay back ON the bed and the open
ing in the side was exposed. 1t was only
an inch in length, and presented the appear
ance of a badly-healed cut. 1t was little
inhamed. 1 stood by and saw the Doctor
take one piece after another and carefully