The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-09-23
A LIFE FOR A LIFE.

ALLIE FOR ALIFE.
"A Portion Of the skin Of a Living
Lamb Transferred to the Back OF a
Dying Girl.
Chicago Times.)
The operation Of transplanting the
skin of a sheep to that Of a patient at the
county hospital was performed recent
ly. This is an experiment which may or
may not prove successful and it will be
some days before the success of the oper-
alton will be determined. The patient
was the little girl Agnes Sheehy, who
was so seriously burned over two years
ago and who has chung to life since
with tenacity entirely unexpected.
The physicians who have the case in
charge are now very positive in belief
that the present operation will prove a
success, but if it should not they will
at once set about to repeat it, profting
in the new attempt by the experience
already acquired.
1t is not necessary to say that ply
sicians claim to be unwilling to receive
credit in a public manner for their SER
vices to humanity, on the ground that
it savors OF a desire to seek notoriety.
When q reporter of the Times appear
ed at the county hospital, and asked
permission to witness the interesting
operation about to take place, and re-
port the facts for the benefit of the
public, they earnestly requested that
their names should not be published;
| aside from that they would willingly
furnish any information, and afford op-
portunity for witnessing the operation
1t had been appointed that at three
o'clock that day the operation would
be performed, and cards announcing
that fact had been sent to all the men,
bers Of the hospital medical board. It
| was not until nearly o'clock that
everything was in readiness, and only a
few of the physicians expected we're
present. The little girl, who Was to
pass through the apparently trying
ordeal, lay on a cot under a tent in the
open court between the wards of the
hospital. Presently two attendants ap-
preached with a framework,
inclosing lamb about five months
old, no part Of which was free to move
except its head. When put in the frame,
one side Of the lamb had been embed
ed in plaster Of Paris. On one side of
the animal two flaps of skin were OBJ
served which had previously undergone
preparation This consisted in shaving
| the wool from the skin and removing
the skin in large flaps, except that they
were allowed to hang from the upper
side. This operation was performed
about ten days ago. The flaps were
| about six inches apart and half the
size Of lady's hand.
The first thing to be done on yester-
day was to cut away the inner and low
er side of the flaps, reducing them in
! thickness, and preparing the edges for
| contact with the skin Of the patient. It
was found impossible to remove the
granulations entirely. hence the flaps,
when prepared, seemed like the tough
skin of the sole of foot rather than
the soft and tender skin of a young
sheep, or that of the girl to whom it
was intended to transfer it. A new flap
was cut between the other two. about
two inches wide and three and half
inches long. This was left attached at
the upper end in the same manner in
which the others were Notwithstand.
ing the process was simply that of skim
ming alive the patient lamb was more
than lamb-like during the operation, and
did not utter a single bleat
The lamb ready, attention was turned
to the girl. When the sheet was drawn
down very frail and wasted form was
exposed. The patient lay flat on her
chest, as she has lain for nearly two
years. A ''raw" sore nearly ten inch
es in length, and from two to four wide,
extended from above her hip down her
left leg. Nature had healed a portion
of much greater sore, but had refused
to go any further. The line of the new
growth of skin was clearly marked,
and inside of that the muscles of the
hip and leg were simply without the
skin covering. If science could step in
and produce an artificial growth and
cover this, the patient would recover;
otherwise, the patient must sooner or
later yield to exhaustion and die This
was what it was attempted to do on yes
terday. An aniesthetic, composed of
equal parts of chloroform and alcohol,
was applied to the patient and she was
soon reduced to state of unconscious
ness. The lamb was placed at the side
of the bed, and the framework inclos-
ing it was securely fastened to the bed.
The patient was laid close to the edge
of the bed and the flaps of the skin
were drawn over the wound. Incisions
were made in the skin of the patient
on the upper or further side and the
ends of the flap were sewed fast. One
of the flaps, the largest, lay across the
hip and almost entirely covered the up
per end of the wound; the other two
were attached to the leg, covering
about half of the remaining portion
of the ski1aloss fash II Is ox