Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-09-17
A LIFE FOR 4 LIFE.
4 Portion or the skin Of "A Living
Lamb Transferred TO the Back Of Il
Dying Girl.
Chicago Times.


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 he determined. The patient
was the little girl Agnes Sheehv who, Sho
was so seriously burned over two wears
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 II
success, but if it should not they will
at once set about to repeat it, profiting
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 public manner for their ser
vices to humanity, on the ground that
it savors ofa desire to seek notorietv.
When a reporter of the Times appear
ed ut 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their names should not be published j;
aside from that they would willingly
furnish any information, and afford op-
portunlty 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 mem
bcrs Of the hospital medical board. 1t
| 1,,,4;1 70, = ,'11,.I- a
everything was in readiness, and only ii
few Of the physicians expected were
present. The little girl, who WAS to
pass through tho apparently trying
ordeal, lay on n cot undcra tent in the
open court between the wards of the
hospital. Presently two attendants APP
preached with II framework,
inclosing II 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 Oh
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 i lady's hand
The first thing to be done on vestcr-
day was to cut away the inner and low
er side Of the flaps, reducing them III
thickness, and preparing the edges for
contact with the skin of the patient 1t
was found impossible to remove the
examinations entirely, hence the flaps,
when prepared, seemed like the tough
skin of the sole of II foot rather than
| the soft and tender skin of II Young
sheep, or that Of the girl to whom it
/ was intended to transfer it. 4 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 III the same manner IN
which the others were. Notwithstand.
ing the process was simply that of skin
ming alive the patient lamb was more
than lamb-like during the operation, and
did not utter Il single blcat.
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, us She has lain for nearly two
years. 4 raw sore nearly ten inch
S III length, and from two to four wide,
extended from above her hip down her
left leg. Nature had healed portion
of much greater sore, but had refused
to 60 amy further. The line Of the new
growth IF 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 i was attempted to do on yes
tcrday. An anasthetic, 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 imclos-
| 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. lnCisions
were made in the skin of the patient
on the upper or further side and the
ends Of tho flap were sewcd fast One
Of the flaps, the largest, lazy 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 skinless flesh 1t is ex-
pcetcd that the blood circulation
III the sheep and patient thus
brought together will cause the flaps to
become attached 10 the child Should
this result favorably, il Still remains to
perform delicate part Of the opera
ton. The flaps must then he detached
from the sheep and induced to continue
! their growth over the wound. 1t is on
pceted that enough more of the skin Of
the sheep may he cut away to cover the
remaining portions of the wound. Ii is
likely that ole Of the flaps will live, but
that one or both of the others viii die.
In this case il will be necessary to re-
peat the same operation with another
sheep; indeed, il the experiment wholly
fails, il will Be Immediately repeated, If
II, ,, II - th. ,,at,1,,t ,,.;G ,,J,,,4