The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-09-12
A Wonderful Operation.


the staff of Bellevue Hospital recently
performed successfully m operation
whereby he removed a large piece of
skin from the body of suicide and
transplanted it upon the arms of pa
tient whose flesh had been denuded of
its covering. The operation conflicts
with the present theories which main
tain that the fluids of the tissues be-
comes poisonous after death. and when
placed in contact with the fluids OF the
living body produce pyemia. or blood
poisoning, which is generally fatal.
The causes that led to the operation
are as wonderful as the successful is
sue itself. Charlie johnson q little
boy. during the summer of 1888 was
struck by lightning, the electric cur
rent passed through his body. tearing
of the clothing. The boy, who was
sitting by an open window. was thrown
to the floor, where he remained uncon-
scious for several hours. He was SUBJ
sequently removed to the hospital,
where it was found that the greatest
injury was done to the brain. Con-
trary to all expectations he had recov.
cred and regained the full possession
of his faculties. 1t was noticed, how
ever, upon his admission that the skin
on his left shoulder and arm to the Oh
bow had peculiar dark purple hue
suggestive of gangrene. The applica-
ton of stimulating lotions failed to re-
store the activity of the blood vessels.
Gradually the parts died and dropped
of, leaving the muscles exposed, with
ragged edges that bled under the
slightest provocation.
DIR. Gerdner, under whose attention
the sufferer came, resolved TO try the
experiment of transplanting a large
piece of skin at one time. As living
prisoners were not willing to part with
that useful part of tlfir anatomy, DIR.
Gerdner was obliged to look about for
some other means. 1t is q well-known
fact that the skin is one of the tissues
of the body that will not reproduce If
once its functions are destroyed. To
avoid the evil results of pressing CT
catrix the doctor hit upon the idea of
using the skin of some body as soon
after death as possible. An opportu-
nifty presented itself few days after,
when the body of young German SUI
icide was brought into the morgue
about three hours after life was ex-
tinct and while still warm. DR.. Gerd-
ner regarded this as the most favorable
time for his operation, and he prepared
his patient for the experiment. A few
clever strokes from the scalpel blocked
out piece of skin slightly larger than
the area to be covered on the boys
arm, to allow for the shrinkage of the
integument, which is very elastic, and
in few minutes more the piece was
dissected off clear down to its muscu-
lar attachments.
The boys arm was cleaned of the
scars and excoriations and the piece,
about foot square, cut up into small
sections, about one-quarter of an iuch
square, was placed upon the arm. The
work occupied about two hours, at the
end of which the arm was completely
covered with the new skin, ranged like
tiles upon a hall floor. Bandages were
applied and stimulating lotions spread
over it The little vessels from the
muscles penetrated the new tissues and
set up healthy circulation and the
now skin took upon itself all the func-
tons of the original integument Two
of the little pieces refused to attach
and died, sloughing away
without doing damage to the surround
ing parts. Nerves appeared, and sem
sation in the new covering became al
most perfect about a month afterward.
The operation, in the face of an ar
ticle which lately appeared in Ger
man medical paper. which describes .
similar case, proves that the work of
the American surgeon antedated the
German operation.-New York World.