Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-09
"Transplantlng''-A Rare and Deli.
cate Surgical Operation.

A very delicate and rare surgical
operation was yesterday performed at
the County Hospital. The operation Is
what Is known as transplantinp, ~
which is decided advance on the bet
ter-known method Of grating small bits
of skin from one person to another.
The operation was conducted In one of
the operating tents in the courtyard,
and was witnessed by small class Of
clinical students. Drs. Lee and Fenger
conducted the operation.
The subject was a little girl ten years
Of age, named Agnes Ashe. About
sixteen months ago she was playing
with her brother and some other chill
dren on the prairie, when they con-
ceived 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 extinguished she
was terribly burned from the shoulders
downward. She was taken home, re-
ceived medical attendance there for
three months or more, when she was
brought to the County Hospital. While
there she received the best attend
ance, as testified to by her father, who
| desired special acknowledgement made
| to Warden Mills and DR.. Murphy. 1t
was found that the most serious burn
was on the left thigh extendingup along
| the mates. In spite of everything that
could be done the. little ones exhaus-
tion was so complete that the burn re-
fused to heal. A fuugoid growth
| formed rapidly, and nothing could stop
| the decay of the skin and flesh. Graft
| ing little bits of flesh was of no avail,
and in this predicament it was decided
to try the method OF transplanting.
| After the matter had been thoroughly
| explained to Johnny, the twelve-year-
old brother of Agnes, he bravely de-
cided to make the sacrifice, and the re-
suit of the little fellows decision was
the operation performed yesterday.
The operation itself, as witnessed by
a Tribune reporter late yesterday after
noon, is a peculiarly delicate and inter-
esting one. The only untoward cir
cumstance 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 DIR. Murphy.
1t resembled nothing more than pair
of scissors opened out, except that one
part was about 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 during
the entire operation by the use of ether,
and two assistants constantly directed
the vapor of carbolic acid on the wounds
of both the boy and girl. The surgeons
then cut from the boyls thigh a leaf of
skin four inches wide, and five inches
long, leaving it attached 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, with
out cutting the edge which rendered it
still part of the boys feshy covering.
This was done to secure the vitality of
the boy, for the skin which is expected
to grow to be a part of his exhausted
sister. The boys wound was ugly in ap-
pearance, but the skin had been separ-
ated, or dissected, so neatly that it will be
easy to heal over by the usual process
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 was begun, which
will last for about three weeks. By
that time the success of the operation
may be known. During that length OF
time the boys vital forces will be in q
measure transferred to the assistance
of his sister, and, at the end of that
/, time, it is hoped that the transplanting
will be complete and the skin firmly
grown on the burned portion. The flaE
Is not quite 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 girl s pulse dropped
considerably toward the close of the
=, operation, but she was revived by the
4 application to the nostrils of a cloth
! dipped in brandy. The operation oi
, yesterday was success as far as II
j went, and, if Nature takes hold in the
manner expected, the brave boy car
S congratulate himself on having saved
e his sisters life. The father of the
' children was present, but could not lool
on the actual operation.
The operation consumed about two
! hours time, and required the unre
] mitting attention of the surgeons il
C charge to get the flap of flesh properly
1 dissected and placed on the girl. Tht
e result will be awaited with a great dea
Il of anxiety, as it is a most delicate op
0 Grafton, and, although this transplant
e ing has been several times tried by sur
4 geons, this is the first time it has eve
= been attempted at the County Hospital
@ - Obic10O T5.ibgine ,JiLLD 2