Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-30
SKIN GRATING.
Wonderful Treatment.

From Chambers Journal.
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 years treatment the left thigh
had healed up; but the right hand never got
better, and presented a terrible ulcer, ex-
tending all down the outer side. She was a
bright intelligent little thing, and her sad con-
dtiOn excited much sympathetic interest For
four months she lay there without any signs of
Improvement. Though ndurishng food, with
wine and strengthening medicines was freely ad-
miniStered. and all manner of local remedies APP
piled. 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 influ-
ence OF chlOrOform, it certainly appeared to US
to be as unlikely case to afford fair criterion
of new treatment as could well be imagined.
Two small pieces of skin were then shipped
from the back with a pair of sharp-pointed scis-
sors. and imbedded-planted in fact-in the
granufations or proud flesh of the wound
two tiny. atoms, scarcely bigger than pins
head, and consisting of little more than the cutl-
Gle or outer skin which we raise in blisters by
no change was visible; and by-and-by the opera
ton was considered to have failed, since the
pieces of skin had disappeared, instead of grow
ing, as had been expected But IL days after
the operation two little white cicatrices appear
ed where the seeds had been sOwn; and in nv
notes find that week later these were big
enough to be dignitied as islands of new It's
sue" The most wonderful part of it is that.
not only did these islands grow and increase
rapidly In circumference, but the fact of their
presence seemed to stimulate the ulcer itself,
which forthwith took On healing action around
its margin. Several more gratis We're imDlant-
ed subsequently, including morsels from Mr.
Pollock S arm, from my own, and from the shOul-
der OF negro; the last producing q 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 sur
gical practice. and special Instruments COM
bination OF knife and scissors--has been invented
for the purpose, 1t is impossible to estimate the
immense benefit of this discovery to mankind in
many different aspects. Poor people, hitherto
incapacitated from labor by favourable" ulcers,
and for years burden on their parish or in
mates of warehouses and asylums, will now
again resume their place in the great toiling
hive. from whose daily wopksis distilled the
prosperity OF nation. Won aGEafes operation
OF irideOtomy, whereby hundreds of people who
were formerly considered irremediably blind,
are now restored to sight by simple pro-
ceedlng, Is said to have exercised very appreci-
able effect on the pOorrat of the country. As an
instance of true transportation, John Hunters
celebrated experiment causing human tooth to
take root and grow in the comb Of a cock is q
well-known instance. Dentists nowadays often
remove teeth, and having excised diseased por-
tons, replant them in their sockets with fire.
quent. though not invariable. success; 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
shoulders. or between their eyes. The late Mr.
Frank Buckland in his Cdriosities of Natural
History. action.
at-law brought by NJ. Tnguel. French natur-
afist, against q z0uave who had sold him what
was termed '.trumpet-rat'' for 100 francs; the
said trumpet-rat proving to'be an ordinary war
mint, with the tip of another rats tail planted
In its nose, and growing there.