The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-02-05
II A GRATED NOSE.
A Novel Experiment In Plastic Sur
gery-ths Finger Of a Man
- Growing Upon His Face.

Vi tue lelt manu- 10 Tue spot Wuere
his nose used to be, with the inten-
tion of eventually. amputating the
finger and transforming it into a
a nose. Five years ago he was ad.
mitted to the hospital suffering
from lupus. After undergoing sew
eral painful operations the germ OF
the disease was eradicated, but left
him minus nose. Soon after quit
ting the hospital he returned and
asked for employment, as he could
not bear the ridicule of the outside
world. He was given place as
servant to the young physicians,
and such was his faith in the visit
ing surgeon that he was continually
beseeching him to make him q new
nose. Such was his persistence
that it was finally determined to
try the operation. 1t may be said
that there are four operations for
new nose known to plastic surgery.
The first by cutting triangular
piece of skin and flesh from the
forehead and bringing it down over
the injured organ, leaving always a
piece of flesh connecting, so that
blood may be supplied. After this,
pieces of the cheek are placed over
all. Next comes the French meth
cd, that of placing one of the arms
upon what remains of the flesh of
the nose-both parts are then scar
ified and sewn together, and when
nature has accomplished its healing
work, nose is cut out of the arm.
The third, or Italian method, has
been SO well described in Edmund
About's publication, called, "The
Notary's Nose" that it needs no
repetition here; suffice it to say
that his description of the surgical
portion was obtained from a cele-
brated French surgeon. But the
three methods are open to serious
objections, say eminent surgeons,
as the new nose, being composed
only of flesh, fiattens down and
does not remain in shape, and in
order to tese the theory whether a
a bone disconnected would reunite
with another part, q rat was eX2er-
imented on. The tail of q rat was
inserted in the back, and after the
rat had been kept in q confined po
sition, it was found that the tail
had firmly united, and it was then
but off and both parts remained in
a healthy and normal condition.
The experiment Of grating the
finger upon the nose was then tried,
but the operation was not perfect
success, as the finger was cut off too
short, and the new nose sank down
upon the face, shapeless mass.
The visiting surgeon at Bellevue,
who does not wish his name print
ed, was determined to correct in the
first operation Of this method IN
this country the Englishman's mis-
take. On the first of last month
the nail was removed from the
middle finger of "ToWmy's' left
hand as preparatory operation.
On the 18th of December the man
was etherized. The finger was slit
open through the first two phalan
ges, so that two flaps were made.
Then an incision was made where
the uppermost part of the original
nose had joined the forehead. The
end of the finger was inserted
therein, and the finger laid out
down the face, with the flaps drawn
down and sewed to each eide of the
new nose. Then linen and canvas
soaked in plaster of Paris, was
wound round and round the mans
head, neck, shoulders, arms and
body, SO that when the plaster
dried the man would be unable TO
move the head, arms or torso
While the operation was In progress
the blood from the wound ran
down the mans throat and stopped
up the windpipe. He ceased
breathing. Such an emergency had
been foreseen. The larynx was
opened and a tube inserted, and
respiration was restored. So tight
are the bandages on the mans face
that the eyes are almost closed, and
the hand which is spread over the
face almost covers the mouth.
Soups and milk are fed Tommy by
means of tube. He is under the
influence of morphine at all hours.
He has been in this position for
something over two weeks. The
face is very pale, and the hands are
so white that TO an inexperienced
observer it would seem as if the
blood had ceased to course through
his veins. Next week one or two
arteries of the finger which is to
supply the place of a nose will be
cut, in order that the blood may
not be stopped too suddenly from
performing it's functions. Toward
the end of the month the finger will
be amputated between the knuckle
and the beginning of the second
JOINT. The second knuckle will be
used to-supply the place of what Is
generally known az the end or point
of the nose, and the balance of the
finger will be extemporized as a
septum, or the part which divides
the nostrils. After the operation is
DcTlOEmcuy u bnhli DOiblOh VI ChOh
cheek will be brought up TO the
nose and sewn securely to the flaps
on each side Of the finger.
AS is well known, when a finger
is ampuiated, a certain amount of
flesh is left to cover the part that is
to remain on the body, so that the
bone may be properly covered
Exposure to the atmosphere Is fatal
to the life of bony tissue. Now, in
this case, as may readily be seen,
both parts Of the bone that is TO be
divided viii remain on the body.
In order, therefore, to secure sum
cient flesh for the portion OF the
bone that remains on the finger, a
second amputation will have to be
made at the knuckle. Tommy 8"
cot is the first one on the right
hand side of the new ward as one
enters. Unlike those of the other
patients, it is always entirely
screened from view. About the
walls are pictures and engravings.
"Tonmy's" temperature and pulse
are watched with the greatest anxi
ety by the attendants. Tho trim,
ladylike nurses, with white aprons
and Normandy caps, regard the
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