Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-01
SOME VERY QUEER CASES.
Remarkable Experiments An Aneu-
rism - DisiOcated JaWs-A Serpent's
Venom, Etc.
BY A SURGEON.

,
does not effect its extraction is bound to give it
an onward impulse.
Thus it often happens that medical rracti-
toner can find no trace of the needle. when his
assistance is sought, the patient having already
pushed it completely in in his efforts to with
draw it, and it may become matter of doubt
whether such thing is really underneath the
skin or not. To cut open the flesh on mere
chance of finding it would be obviously I'M
justiiiable: examination of the part by pressure
and squeezing is nearly as bad from the risk of
making matters worse; so an ingenious plan has
been devised for ascertaining whether portion
be really impacted or not 4 powerful magnet
is held upon that part of the body for quarter
of an hour, so as to influence the fragment: then
finely-hung polarzed needle is suspended
over it, when, If any iron be present, detection
will ensue.
In Italy kind of ivory probe traversed by
two wires has been used for the detection of
foreign bodies of this nature in deep wound
it being connected with an electric battery in
such way that directly the probe comes in con-
tact with anything metallic the circuit is COM
pleted, and Its presence announced by the ring
ing of a bell
REMARKABLE EXPERIMENT.
Not many years ago a remarkable experiment
was tried at the Hospital Los LaZaros, Sac
ChristovaO. near Rio de JaneirO. A I}razilia;l
physician pretended to have discovered that
"beriberi," the mysterious and deadly malady
of that country, half drOpsy, half leprOsy. was
identical with the true E!epltdntiasis Grecorun..
which the ancient opponents of the healing art
used to cure by incubation of snake venom
An inmate of the hospital, knowing his state to
be hopeless as it stood, consented to allow the
trial to be made on his body. SO vigorous
rattlesnake was accordingly brought to his bed
side and made to bite his swollen and hypertrO-
phled hand in the presence of a large number
of doctors, both native and foreign. 1t was
noted at the time that the reptile displayed
great apparent reluctance to use its fangs. and
it was not until after much irritation that it
could be induced to strike. The punctures
were inflicted near the base of the little finger,
but the patient was not aware that he had been
bitten till the bystanders told him, so lifeless
was the part. For some hours no results were
apparent. The characteristic evidences of blood
poisoning nevertheless set in. and before night
the man was q corpse.
The case excited great deal of interest at
the time: but the experiment has never been
repeated. nor is there any reason why it should
be. The reception Of the venom into mass of
fDrOid and degenerate tissue such as would
compose a leprous limb. would retard and
might altogether prevent, its absorption into
the current of circulation. while it was pure
fancy to attribute the snakes hesitation in bit
ing to anything connected with the disease.
Many poisonous reptiles Will bear much annoy
ance. and even ill-treatment. before they can be
persuaded to use their fangs. and the case in
question really presents no anomalies whatever
beyond those to be readily accounted for by the
existing circumstances.
But what a marvellous thing the venom of a
serpent is, In the whole range of pathology
probably nothing presents such an instance Of
small causes producing great effects. An infini-
tesimal quantity of clear, apparently harmless
fluid, introduced by puncture no bigger than
the prick of pin, and with awful rap.dity-a
few minutes, 1t may be-a strong man with the
theWs and sneWs of a bull becomes lifeless CLAW
already far on its way to decomposition. Per-
hapS the ''gcrmS'-if such really eXist-Of
deadly feyers and other maladies might be found
to be Just as insignificant in amount could they
be Isolated: nut it must be borne in mind that
there is a certain period of latency or ''incuba-
ton" after their reception into the system. and
that neither they nor almost any other known
poison take effect with the same fearful CELEBRITY
as the worst snake yenOms.
The accidents. fortunate and unfortunate,
that have occurred within the practice Ct cele-
brated surgeons. about whose skill there can be
no two opinions. would fill a volume Dupuy-
tren plunged knife into mans brain AMI re-
Heyed him OF an abscess in that situation.
snatching him from the very jaws Of death; vet
he Killed patient whose shoulder blade he had
set by lancinS an aneurism in mistake for a
simple gathering. And for every such accident
which has happened probably hundred might
be found. were the truth known. that have been
prevented by what we are accustomed profanely
to term sheer LUCK" or chance
AN ANEURIsM.
l was once clinical pupil of a great London
surgeon one who even then was quoted uni
versally as the greatest authority on the d is
ease of which the case am going to relate was
an instance. and whose public appointments
had long testified to the general recognition
of his talents In one ward of the hospital
he had patient who, he told u.s. was suffering
from an abscess in the region of the hip,
carefully demonstrating this to u.s. as he was
wont to do. and explaining how such q disOr-
der was to be diagnosed from other things
with which want of due precautiOn might
cause it to be cOnfOunded. He then ordered me
to get ready his instruments and chlOrOform by
the bedside, as he proposed to incse the swell
ling when he had finished his round of visits in
the hospital and proceeded on his way; but be-
fore he returned the man suddenly and mys-
terlousiy died, without a movement or grOan.
There was pOst-mOrtem examination of
course; and it was then found that what had
been mistaken for an abscess was in reality an
aneurism. which had burst itself internally, and
caused instant death by loss of blood
An aneursm is localized dilatiOn of an ar
terry. which goes on increasing in size quite out
of proportion to the blOOd-yessel itself. so that
the sac may be as big as an Orange-as it was in
this case-or even larger, upon an artery no
bigger than gOOse-quill. The chief danger i'm
such tumOr is the possibility of its bursting at
any time and to lance it would of course, be
almost necessarily Immediately fatal.
Gentlemen. said our professor, as the mys-
terry was revealed, and the terrible position from
parent. 1.-The French have a prOyerb that there
is a special Providence for drunkards and chill
dren. l say there is a special Providence for
surgeons"
Nature is wonderful surgeon; she COM
mences a conservative process of repair directly
after an injury. Never too late to mend is
her motto. An old man. of the enormous age of
ore hundred and two. came undermy notice with
broken hip-that commOnest of fractures
among elderly people. whose bones are dry and
brittle, often caused by accidents so slight as
tripping the foot in loose fold of carpet No
active treatment could be adopted mechanical
appliances would have caused modification of
the skin in subject enfeebled by seniie decay:
so he was placed on water-bed and kept
wholly at rest. He lay there for twelve months.
suffering but little pain. and then peacefully
passed away. having ended his long life ir COM
paratlve comfort. After death it was found
That the fracture had actually healed, though
naturally in a false position.
n dlsasreeable little cOntreten,ps happens
sometimes to young practitioners who are called
upon Tor the first time to set disocated law.
III rarely happens twice to the same operator.
When the jaw is put out the hands. to effect
It's reduction, must grasp it over the teeth as
iar back as possible. so as to exert force in the
necessary direction on the angle. IL is often No
easy matter: but when IL docs slim in ~ 80,