Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-06
SKIN GRATING.
Wonderful Treatment.
From Chambers Journal, I


The patient, pretty little girl of eight,
was admitted into the Wellington ward of
st. Georges hospital with the history that,
two years previously, her dress had caught
fire, burning both legs from the hips to
the knees severely. After a years treat
ment the left thigh had healed up; but the
a terrible ulcer, extending all down the
outer side. She was bright, intelligent
little thing, and her sad condition excited
much sympathetic interest. For four
months she lay there without any signs of
improvement. Though nourishing food,
with wine and strengthening medicines,
was freely administered, and all manner
of local remedies applied, particularly that
most excellent dressing carded oakum, all
was in vain; and when, on the 5th of May.
the child was brought into the operating
theater, and placed under the influence of
chloroform, it certainly appeared to us to
be as unlikely case to afford fair critic
rion of new treatment as could we'll be
imagined. Two small pieces of skin were
then shipped from the back with pair of
sharp-pointed scissors, and imbedded-
planted, in fact-in the granulations or
''proud flesh" of the wound-two tiny
atoms, scarcely bigger than pins head,
and consisting of little more than the cut
icle or outer skin which we raise in blisters
by rowing or exposure to hot sun. Five
days later no change was visible; and by
and-by the operation was considered to
have failed, since the pieces Of skin had
disappeared, instead of growing, as had
been expected. But twelve days after the
operation two little white cicatrices ap-
peared where the seeds had been. sown;
and in my notes find that week later
these were big enough to be dignifed as
ISLANDS of new tissue" The most won
derful part of it is that, not only did these
islands grow and increase rapidly in cir
conference, but the fact of their presence
seemed to stimulate the ulcer itself, which
forthwith took on healing action around
its margin. Several more gratis were i'm
planted subsequently, including morsels
from Mr.. Pollock's arm, from my own,and
from the shoulder of negro; the last pro-
ducing white scar-tissue like the rest.
In two months the wound was healed, and
the little patient was discharged cured.
Skin-grafting is now PERFORMED daily in
surgical practice, and special instru-
ment-a combination of knife and scissors
has been invented for the purpose. It
is impossible to estimate the immense BEN
eft of this discovery to mankind in many
different aspects. Poor people, hitherto in
capacitated from labor by 'incurable'
ulcers, and for years burden on their
parish, or inmates Of warehouses; and
asylums, will now again resume their place
in the great toiling hive, from whose daily
work is distilled the prosperity Of nation.
Won CRATES operation of irideotomy,
whereby hundreds Of people, who were
formerly considered irredeemabiy blind,
are now restored to sight BY simple pro-
ceeding, is said to have exercised very
appreciable effect on the poor-rates Of the
country. As an instance Of true trans
plantation, John Hunters celebrated ex-
pertinent causing human tooth to grow
in the comb of cock is q weIl-known
instance. Dentists nowadays often re-
move teeth, and having excised diseased
portions, replant them in their sockets
with frequent, though not invariable, sue
cess; and cruel plastic operations have
been performed on rats, by which they
have been Joined like Siamese twins, or
their tails caused to grow from their