Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-16
'TRANSPLANTING"-A SURGICAL
OPERATION.


A very delicate and rare surgical oper-
alton was yesterday performed at the
County Hospital. The operation is what
is known as "transplanting," which is a
decided advance on the better-knOwn
method ofgrafting small bits of skin from
one person to another. The operation
was conducted in one Of the operating
tents in the court yard, and was witness
ed by a small class of clinical students
Drs. Lee and Fengcr conducted the opera
tion.
The subject was little girl ten years of
age, named Agnes Ashe. About sixteen
months ago she was playing with her
brother and some other children on the
prairie, when they conceived the idea Of
setting the grass on fire. The little girls
clothes caught on fire, and before she was
aware of It She was in blaze. Running
wildly across the prairie she famed the
flames, and before they could be extin-
guished she was terribly burned from the
shoulders downward. She was taken
home received medical attendance there
for three months or more, when she was
brought to the County Hospital While
there she received the best attendance, as
testified TO by her father, who desired
special acknowledgment made to War
den Mills and DIR. Murphy. 1t was found
that the most serious burn was on the left
thigh extending up along the mates In
spite of everything that could be done the
little ones exhaustion was so complete
that the burn refused TO heal. A fungoid
growth formed rapidly, and nothing could
stop the decay Of the skin and flesh.
Grating little biiS of flesh was of no
avail, and in this prediCament il was de
cided TO try the method of tTansplanting.
After the matter had thoroughly been eX-
planned TO Johnny, the twelve-year-Old
brother of Agnes, he bravely- decided to
make the sacrifice, and the result of the
| little fellows decision was the operation
| performed yesterday.
The operation itself, as witnessed by "a
Tribune reporter late yesterday afternoon,
is peculiarly delicate and interesting
one The only untoward circumstances
was the heavy rain which, as the patients
were in a tent in the open air, may have
had some i'll effects.
A curious box had been constructed
under the supervision of DR.. Murphy. 1t
resembled nothing more than pair of
| scissors opened out, except. that one part
was four inches higher than the other.
On one face of the cross the little girl was
laid face downwards. On the other the
| boy lay on his side so that his leg crossed
his sister, the part of the thigh from which
the skin was TO be taken being just over
the burn on the girl. The children were
kept unconscious duNing the entire oper-
alton by the use of ether, and two assis-
tants constantly directed the vapor of car
bOlic acit on the wounds of both the boy
and girl. The surgeons then cut from the
boys thigh n leaf of skin four inches
| Iy4rifI Ia RNro Of
tached by the under side. The wound of
the girl was then cleared of its decaying
matter. The flap of the boys skin was
then laid on the wound and stitched to
the outer edge of the skin about the
wound, without cutting the edge which
rendered it still part Of the boys fleshy
covering. This was done to secure the
| vitality of the boy, for the skin which is
expected to grow to be part of his ex-
hausted sister The boys wound was ug-
| ly in appearance, but the skin had been
separated or dissected, so neatly that it
will be easy 10 heal over by the usual pro
cess of grating. The children as they
lay in this position, were SO bandaged
that they cannot possibly tear the flap of
skin or move from their position. Thus
their dual existence has begun, which will
last about three weeks. BY that time the
buCCtSh Vi lub ODtGullOU may DC huOWn'
During that length of time the boys vital
forces will be in measure transferred to
the assistance of his sister, and, at the end
of that time it is hoped that the trans
plenting will be complete and the skin
firmly grown on the burned portion. The
flap is not quito large enough, and before
the skin is finally severed from the boy, a
still further portion will be dissected and
applied TO the remainder of the wound.
The little girls pulse dropped considera-
bly, toward the close of the operation, but
she was revived by the application to the
nostrils of cloth dipped in brandy. The
operation of yesterday was II success as
far as it went, and If nature takes hold in
the manner expected the brave by can
congratulate himself on having saved his
sisters life. The father of the children
was present but could not look on the
actual operation.
The operation consumed about two
hours time, and required the unremitting
attention of the surgeons in charge to get
the flap of flesh properly disseCted and
placed on the girl. The result win be
awaited with great deal Of anxiety, as 1t
is a delicate operation, and although this
transplanting has been several times tried
by surgeons, this is the first time II has
ever been attempted at the County Hospi-
tal.-ChicdgO Tribune June 2.