Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-05-22
EXClSl0N OF THE STOMACH.
The First Attempt at This Operation
i'll the United States.
A Desperate Remedy for Canccr-An Iowa
Farmer Under the surgeons Knife-Tln
Disease Too Far Advanced for
Success.

desperate Kennedy Tor thnccf-An Iowa
Farmer Under the surgeons Knife-Tln
Disease Too Far Advanced for
Success.
With a CHEEKY "All right, Doctor,
I'm ready for YOU" the patient
stepped in from an adjoining room,
where he had stripped to his red llan-
mel undcrclothing and his thick yarn
stockings. He walked over to the
operating table firmly and stopped Il
moment to nod with Il pleasant smile
as he was introduced to the three or
four assistants. Then he stretched
himself out, adjusting his head and
asking in voice without Il trcmor
how he should adjust his feet, but add
ing before the question was answered,
"You can fix me any way you like
when you get ready to 90 ahead -
The form barred was that of mid
dlc-agcd man. EmaciatiOn had made
some progress with the muscles, but
there were evidences of much strength
remaining. The face was bronzcd and
the eye clear lie had led the regular,
healthy life Of Il farmer, and it was
hard to believe at Il glance that Il fatal
disease was doing its work on his
yitals
THE PATIENT.
\ few weeks ago Il wcll-tu-dO far
mcr named French, living near Des
MOineS, la., came to the city to find
better medical advice than the country
practitioners could give him He had
been suffering for year with trouble
located in the stomach, which had
grown gradually worse. Vomiting
set in the beginning of December, and
not day passed without three or four
spells of this kind. His case balllrd
one physician after another. The
failure to retain nouriShmcnt meant
slow starvation. When he came to
st. Louis the most skilled members of
the profession examined him and were
divided in their opinions On one
diagnosis the ailmcnt was pronounced
cancer Of the stomach. The next ply
Scian would declare his firm belief.
after close examination, that there was
no tumOr. DR.. A. G.. BcrnayS held To
the opinion that il was case Of can
Ger. No more grit was ever incorpor-
ated into liyc-fcct.Scycn Of humanity
than This Iowa farmer had. lie faced
the problem Of life or death without
llinching. Suppose he had cancer Of
the stomach? Was there no remedy?
Nincty-ninc doctors out Of n hundred
would have shaken their heads and
told the patient nothing could be- done
for him but to reduce the suffering Of
few months remaining to him to Il
minimum. From DR.. BcrnayS the sui
fcrcr learned that surgery is growing
holdcr in the treatment Of cancer. If
the growth can be totally removed
there is Il possibility of recovery. Sur
gconS have taken out the brain, the
Kidneys and even the womb and other
organs, and recovery had followed.
But these operations are attended with
great risks.
EXCISION OF THE STOMACH.
The last organ which the knife has
dared to touch is the stomach. Since
1881 cNciSion of this vital part for the
removal Of cancer has been attempted
by eminent foreign surgeons, such us
Billroth of Vienna, and Pcau of Paris.
But the percentage of mortality shows
what desperate chances are taken. Of
twCnty-Cight eases recorded six pa
tientS were restored to health. In the
twenty-five death came, but no les
certain than it would have been had
the operation remained unpcrformcd.
The Iowa farmer asked question af-
ter question until he had exhausted
the surgeons stock of information on
cancer Of the stomach, and then went
home, The other day he presented
himself ut the institute on Choutcau
avenue and told DR.. BcrnayS he had
come to have the operation performed.
There was no waycring, no nervous
ness. He had put his worldly affairs
in order. His wife had come with
him. Here he was, ready to place
himself under the knife and to take
the terrible chances. Three days ago
Il thorough examination was made and
the presence of the cancer was cStab-
lishcd. Yesterday afternoon doctors
buggics were strungall along the north
side of Chouteau avenue between Ninth
and Tenth streets, while upstairs about
the operating table were gathered the
leading surgeons of st. Louis.
HIS LAST THOUGHTS.
As the influence of the chlorOfOrm
came upon him the patient told what
was uppcrmoSt in his mind as he lost
consciousness. "DO with me Just rs
YOU please, Doctor he saId in min
ute more YOU can cut me from head to
foot and shan't know anything about
it,"
"Wc'll do the best we can for you,
Mr.. French, Keep as quiet as you
can said DR.. Bernays.
Il know it, Doctor, | know it. If
get through all right, I'll 60 nome tc
my children; il don't, let my wife
have my body and then he passed of
into Inconsistencies.
DIR. Bcrnays looked at his watch II
was l:lj p. M. He sent messenger
down stairs to summon the waiting
surgeons and then stripped off his coat
His assistants followed his example
and took their positions as he directed
Dr. Summa administered the chloro'
form. Dr. Borck stood opposite DR.
Bernays to assist in the immediate de
tails of the operation. DR.. McCand
less and the elder Bernays took charge
of the array of instruments, the
spongcs and ligatures. The other'
made themselves useful as the occasion
called for. DR.. Thomas O'Reilly helC
the hand of the patient and watched
he pul e beats, giving an occaslona
suggestion rs to the an@sthetic. DIR
Louis Baur held the ligatures in read
mess. Grouped about the table were
DR., ID. V, Dean, of the City Hospital
DR.. L NJ. Powers, DIR. ii. Wichman
DR.. Leslie, DR.. A. S. Barnes, DIR. Clos,
of Smmerfeld, DR.. Horn of Ho
Springs, DIR. Bird of Quincy, DR.. Ros,
of Sandusky, and DR.. Holmes of in
diana.
THE OPERATION.
, There were few greetings broker
by DR.. Bernays, who suddenly said
Lets to business, gentlemen. TIL
chloroforming had reached stag
when the patient was in readiness TO
, the operation. Across the stomach tn
tnifn xvoe drn,vn Thnrn vag M tol