The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-01-17
NO. 40.
Wonderful Surgery.

Galveston Neus tells the f1ilowinp story
of a wonderful surgical operation recently
performed in the former city. DR.. f.
Herf has long been a resident of San
Antonio, and is justly considered one of
the best physicians and surgeons in Texas.
San Antonio contains a wonder, the
like of which cannot be found in the
United States. 1t is nothing more nor
less than child, seven years old, that,
instead of masLicating and swallowing its
food in the usual manner, is fed through
an aperture in the stomach made for that
purpose. The child is gaining strength,
can walk and plsy, and bids fair to soon
be as stout and healthy as any other
child. On Saturday last / determined to
go and see the child for myself The facts
are as follows:
About two years ago Mr.. S. T. Lumley
at that time living in Pennsylvania. had
the misfortune to have his little daughter
Jessie drink solution of lye, which a
negro woman had carelessly left on the
table. A large quantity of the corrosive
liquid was swallowed. Death is the GER
tain result in such cases. There have
been quite a number of cases in San An
tonic, where children drank concentrated
lye, and none have survived EXCEPT in
this instance. The lye destroyed the
mucous membrane, and structure of the
esophagus is formed, which means that
the throat, or, at least, the channel
through which the food goes into the
stomach, is drawn together or contracted
to such a degree that only liquids, and
not much of them can pass through. IF
the child does not die at once, it fingers
for year or so, and then goes into con-
sumptiye condition and perishes of slow
starvation. 1t is impossible for human
being to live exclusively on LIQUID nour-
ishment; but where concentrated I've has
been taken there are times, particularly
in cold damp weather, when the sufferer
cannot even swallow milk. All attempts
to open the closed up esophagus are fu-
tile, hence the sufferer slowly starves to
death.
Sucti was the condition of the little
girl, Jessie Lumley, when she was brought
to San Antonio for treatment. The child
WAS very much emaciated, and could not
swallow even liquid food for days at a
time. As it was the only possible chance
she had for life, her parents consented
that the operation of making an opening
in the stomach should be attempted. The
operation has been performed in Eng
land, but this is believed to be the first
time it has ever been attempted in the
United States. Your correspondent can.
not give the technical terms, but can
max the modas operandi inteliigible to the
general reader. An incision four inches
long was made few inches to the left of
the pit of the stomach, at the beginning
OF the short ribs. much stitching being
required Through this incision the
stomach is reached. The next part of the
operation requires the most delicate
n II line ltxa0 ~ 4
ing the stomach to the walls of the abdo-
men. but the greatest care has to be taken
not to penetrate the stomach itself. The
needle and stitches only penetrate the
skin of the stomach The result is that
the stomach, as the wound gradually
heals, grows to the walls of the abdomen.
The patient was put under the infiu-
ence of chloroform. and the operation
successfully performed by DR.. f. Herff.
assisted by his son, DIR. John Herff. and
DR.. Amos Graves, all of this city. Unfor.
tunately the child had an attack of the
chills and fever, which had to be cured.
which gave it set back. The operation
described took place three weeks ago.
The stomach had grown on to the sides
of the abdomen, and eight days ago the
hnai operation OF making small incision
INTO the stomach. through which the food
was to pass, was performed, and twice a
day during the past week beefsteak, cut
up fine, has been passed with the forceps |
into the stomach, and the child is steadily |
gaming strength.
On Saturday last / visited the child, in |
company with Dr. Herff, aud saw it fed. |
We halted in trout of a one story house. |
which we entered. A little girl with light |
hair and blue eyes. was sitting up in bed,
surrounded by playthings. Her mother, |
a young woman of about thirty years of |
age, was busy in the room.
Don't you want your supper, Jessie ?n
said the doctor,
II want steak. don't want any bread,
COS It hurts" said the little girl, whose
thin features and pale complexion showed
the result of her long fast.
The mother Drought in rare beef
steak, which the doctor proceeded to cut
up in small pieces, erumbling up some
bread at the same time. The food being
prepared, the child lay back on the bed
and the opening in the side was exposed.
1t was only an inch in length, and pre-
sented the appearance of badly healed
cut. 1t was little infiamed l stood by
and saw the doctor take one piece after
another and carefully Introduce 1t with
the forceps into the stomach, until the
plate was nearly empty. The child com
pialheu little at times, but did not ap-
pear TO suffer any. She finally said, 'sMy
stomach is full, and as there was no more
steak, the doctor desisted. Finally some
cotton was placed in the opening, band
age put on, and she sat up and was soon
fondiIng her playthings.
The following additional facts may be
of interest to the medical fraternity and
others interested. No particle of solid
food has passed through the child's throat
since the accident grain of rice nearly
strangles her. Milk is also injected into
the stomach through the opening. The
only possible danger is from the wound
closing up, hence it is kept open with
cotton. At first plug Of expansive cot
ton was used. There is no reason why
the child should not become stout and
healthy. The food tligests readily, Just
the same as if chewed and swallowed.
To the inquiry if this mode of taking
nourishment would have to be kept up
through life, no definite answer was
given, as it depends on the possibility of
reducing the structure of the throat DIR.
Herf proposes to have, as soon as the
opening heals up completely, an instru.
ment introduced into the stomach.