The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-26
Sutelligemeer.
WHAT PUZZLES THE DOCTORS.
a Man with Ills Hear. on his Right Side.

tercsted in very singular case which
has lately come under their care for treat
ment. The immedi9te object of their
endeavors is to restore to lis natural place
in the left side the heart Of Lathrop G.
Warford, which for two years has been
doing inadequate duty in his right side.
Although they deemed it scarcely worth
while to attempt to correct this freak of
disease when their skill was first invoked,
the vital organs of the patient were found
to be SO sturdily constituted that great re.
lief has already hecn experienced Dy i.io
sufferer, and strong hopes are entertained
OF his permanent cure ultimately.
The history of the case is as follows
In the winter of 1877, Warford, then
cashier in French's Hotel, contracted a
severe cold which never, to his kDowl.
edge, took the shape of active pleurisy,
although its consequences indicate that
pleuritic inflammation must have existed.
lie was an active and strong fellow Of %,
and this seizure was his first attack Of
acute disease. Despite remedies the cold
progressed, and his first medical adviser
was OF the opinion that he was going into
rapid decline, and that his life was worth
at most only few months purchase.
The treatment prescribed looked only
toward mitigating his sufferings. Late
in the spring of II he had become so
weak that he was forced to give business,
and he went back to Troy, his native
place, 20 spend his few remaining days.
Dr. Waldo. of West Troy, who became
his medical attendant, was much puzzled
to account for the absence of many of
the symptoms that invariably accompany
consumption. He sounded his patient 3
chest, and found that the left lung was
A. fa1x ntr I'll 4
duty whatever.
Pursuing his Investigations he was
dumb-founded to find the Young mans
heart beating in his right side. Warford
himself was unconscious of the shifting
OF the organ. lie had never, during his
life suffered any discomfort from it, but
always theratofOre, when he had occasion
to notice it, he had always found it on
the left side where other folks hearts
hang. No such change of position hsd
been reported in the medical experiences
of physicians, and DR.. Waldo was greatly
puzzled to account for it. Dropsy of the
chest was suspected, but there again the
physician was put in doubt by the alb
sence Of many characteristic symptoms.
The patient was able to lie in any posi-
ton, whereas, in other dropsical cases,
only particular positions are found toler-
bic by the afflicted. The disease also
manifested itself in bloated sac under
the eyes, in swelling of the extremities
and in peculiar Opaque palloI, and all
these symptoms were absent in Warford's
case. DIR. Mclean Of West Troy, one of
the most eminent practitioners in Central
New York, was called in cons l'tation.
Warford had then become q, enfeebled
that the physicians thought his tenure of
lie worth the risk of an operation to
disclose The source Of diaeaee. They.
with one consent, agreed that tho chances
were largely in favor of his dying under
the knife: Very unexpectedly his sstrength
recovered somewhat within the next few
"A days, and they decided to risk the opera
s@tion: BY this time the doctors had
reached the conclusion that he was suf-
fering from Pyo-hydrothorax, or purulent
dropsy of the thorax. A large sue of nus
and serous fluid had completely ,.surncd
the place of the vital organs in the left
side, squeezing the left lung until it col
iiapsed and withered, and driving the
men nehrt TO Its new home on the right side.
They had also been able to locate the
Immediate seat of the disease. Just two
years ago Drs. Mclean and Waldo per.
formed the first operation. Warford was
80 feeble at the time that they were afraid
10 administer anesthetics, SO after forti-
Tying. him with sundry doses of brandy.
they began to cut.
TAe primary inc;sion was made be-
tween the fifth and sixth ribs. about
eight inches from the spine, on the left
side. A rubber tube, ending in an az.
haustible receiver, was inserted, and
through this nearly eight pin.s of puru-
lent serous matter were discharged. The
patient was almost instantly relieved of
the oppressed, labored respiration, and
within twenty-four hours was up and
around the house, weak, but hopeful.
10 gcthered strength rapidly, and the
phy'!ciaHs came to the conclusion that,
despite the double labor thrown upon his
right lung, he was free from active dis.
ease in those organs. The heart. how.
ever, showed no disposition to return to
its natural place.
Within = few weekssn Warford grew
worse again, and it became apparent that
there was another effusion OF dropsical
matter upon the thorax They suffered
it to proceed until his respiration became
seriously interfered with again when they
renewed the tapping process. In the six
weeks since the first tapping nearly seven
pints of the purulent fluid had collected
and were elected. From that second
tapping until new Warford's general
health has been improving. His system
has responded with Increasing activity to
the remedies used, and the necessity for
tapping has decreased in frequency. He
mas undergone six tappinss, ell told, the
last of which was done In March. AL
together, thiTty-nine pints OF the drop-
sical fluid have been drawn from him.
The improvement may be seen in the
circumstance that only four and half
pints ~ere drawn Off by the two last op-
erations, although they were made three
months apart.
The patient has returned to this city
and is about engaging again in active
business. Drs, Bowling and Helmuth,
who have assumed charge of his case,
say that they discover indications of air
forcing itself into the atrophied lung
again, and are hopeful that it may be
encouraged to resume duty. If it does
So, the heart may be induced to swing
back to its natural place. They are
about persuaded of the propriety of in.
Producing some inhammatory agent into
the seat Of the disease at the next tapp-
ing. hoping that. by bringing about active
inflammation, they viii be able To perm
anently cure the diseased part. This
done, they profess to sec no reason WHY
Warford may not again be sound man.
with two lungs doing active duty, and a
heart in its right place. Tho only simi-
lar case in the medical records is that of