The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-03-26
An Important Surgical Discovery.

The Cincinnati VolkSbldH contains an
account of recent very remarkable
surgical operation performed in Vienna.
The story is taken from the Vienna
Medical WochenSchrJt. The operation
was performed by Prof. Billroth and his
students. He wrote the report of it
himself, so gratified was he at his sue
cess.
The thing done was no less than the
successful rem wal of a cancer from the
stomach. Prof. Blllroth calls the pro-
cess ''stomach resection." 1t involved
opening the stomach, cutting out the
cancer, uniting the edges again, and
then watching for the result as only
those watch who understand what such
a thrilling experiment means.
1t had never before been performed in
the history of the world, and it was sue
cessful. Cancer of the stomach is classed
among incurable diseases. Sufferers
from this terrible ailment are found in
all classes of life. If hereafter, then,
they are to be relieved and cured, what
8 discovery is this that Prof. Billroth has
madetoey r
Preliminary to describing the case,
the Professor refers to previous expert
ments in this direction, which have
gradually led up to the climax. He
mentions that seventy years ago young
:. German physician, Karl Theodore Mer-
rem, performed an interesting series OF
experiments on dogs. He showed that
the lower orifce OF the stomach could be
cut away and the stomach united direct
ly to the intestine, and recovery take
place after the operation. Ofthree dogs
treated in this manner, two survived and
recovered. Even then DR.. Merrem ven
tured to state his conviction that can
Ger could be successfully removed from
the lower opening of the human stomach
in this manner. At that time, though,
the very close similarity between human
bodies and those of other animals was
not so well understood as it is now.
Neither had operative surgery pro-
crossed so far as it has since; and so the
experiments and the prediction of the
daring young doctor fell dead upon his
generation. The significance of his
work was not understood. taAi
So the matter rested for full sixty
years. In 1871 DIR. Billroth himself tool
up the subject again, beginning his prac
tice on dogs. doctors seem to have &
spite at dogs.) On different occasion.
he cut out pieces from the alimentarJ
canal of large dogs, drew the edges O
the hole together, and had the pleasur,
of seeing it heal over successfully
The canal was somewhat smaller after
ward at the place where the piece haC
heen removed, but still it was easily dis
tended. g A'f JOB Az ~
The Professor himself, however, wa
not the first to apply the process to
human being, DR.. Czerny had tina
honor. He operated success fully on tn
iarynx. A few years later DR.. Billrotl
removed some cancerous growths whicl
had filled a human larynx. Other sur
geons made yet other minor expert
mcnts. "This for the satisfaction O
those who are of the opinion that m
operation was only crafty venture
some experiment on mankind" say
Prof. Billroth.
The Professor and his students pre-
pared for their great operation yer
carefully. Surgeons who had pei
formed similar operations on animal
aad arrived at this fixed conclusion