The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-26
9ahersun gutelligsaeer.
WHAT PUZZLES THE DOCTORS.
a Man with his Heart on his Right sid'

-
ical College in this city is very much in
terested in very singular case which
has lately come under their care for treat
ment. The immediate object of their
endeavors is to restore to its 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 been experienced by the
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 knowl-
edge, took the shape of active pleurisy,
although its consequences indicate that
pleuritic inflammation must have existed.
He 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 suherings. Late
in the spring of III he had become so
weak that he was forced to give business,
and he went back to Troy, his native
place, to 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 patients
chest, and found that the left lung was
completely atrophied and was doing no
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. He had never, during his
life suffered any discomfort from it, but
always Heretofore, 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 had
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 ab-
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-
BILE by the afflicted. The disease also
manifested itself in bloated sac under
the eyes,. in swelling of the extremities
andiin peculiar Opaque pallor, 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 consultation.
Warford had then become so enfeebled
that the physicians thought his tenure of
life worth the risk of an operation to
disclose the source of disease. They,
, with one consent, agreed that the chances
were largely in favor of his dying under
the knife. Very Unexpectedly hisstrength
recovered somewhat within the next few
n days, and they decided to risk the opera
Ption. 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 sac of pus
An6! serous fluid had completely usurped
the place of the vital organs in the left
side, squeezing the left lung until it COL
lapsed and withered, and driving the
heart 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
SO feeble at the time that they were afraid
to administer anesthetics, so after forti-
flying him with sundry doses of brandy,
they began to cut.
The primary incision 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 ex-
haustible receiver, was inserted, and
through this nearly eight pints 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.
He gathered strength rapidly, and the
physicians 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 weekssa 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 now 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
has undergone six tappings, all told, the
last of which was done in March. AL
together, thirty-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 were 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 HelmuIh,
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 infammatory agent into
the seat Of the disease at the next tapp-
ing, hoping that, by bringing about active
Inflammation, they will be able to perm
anently cure the diseased part This
done, they profess to see no reason why
Warford may not again be a sound man,
with two lungs doing active duty, and
heart in its right place. The onlv simi-