The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-10-27
THROUGH A TUBE.
A GREAT SURGICAL OPERATION.


Albert Austin, the l2-year-old son Of
Tax Collector r. S. Austin, OF Walling-
ford, Connecticut, while in the act OF
blowing pin through tin tube, on
September 7, laughed and drew the pin
| from the tube into his throat. He inn
mediately began to cough violently, and
| IT WIS feared that he would choke TO
death before the arrival of a physician.
| When the physician came he made an
attempt TO remove the pin with iorceps,
but IN so doing II was forced or passed
through the windpipe into the brOn-
chiSl tubes. The boy had frequent fits
Of coughing in consequence OF the
| Efforts Of nature to remove the for.
| eign substance, eSpectOrated mucus
continually, vomiting after taking food,
and upon one occasion threw up small
quantity of blood. lie did not spit any
| blood, however, which was cons dered y
| favorable sign The boy was i'm fair
| health, well nOurished, aud complained
only of - constant, irritating cough,
which, however, was without pain. His
appetite remained good, but the stom-
ach rejected all food. A consultation of
all tho local physicians was held, and a
| further attempt was made 10 remove the
| pin, without success, and il was finally
| gical operation to extract it, and the boy
was taken from his home TO tho Mount
Sinai hospital in New York city, for
| treatment.
Upon his arrival at the hospital an OK
animation was made. Respiration was
found to be weak and his voice greatly
diminished in tone. There were sibilant
and SOnorOus rales and slight dullness
IN the left lung, which would disappear
NJ frequent intervals and appear with
the same intensity in the right lung. A
peculiar hOarse, whistling noise was
discovered in the right lung, over the
middle lobe, in front, and after a minute
examination of tho boys throat with "A
laryngoscOpo IL was concluded that the
pin had passed into the right lung and
lodged in the middle lobe. on Septem-
Der Is the boy was taken to tire Oper-
Htlng room and ChlOrOlOrined.
In the presence of a mum
Der of physicians, the attending physi-
clan, after tho boys head had been
placed in position fully to expose the
throat, made an incisiOn ON the line of
the windpipo, IN close to the breast
bone as was consistent with safety,
about an inch and half long, and the
skin, muscles and fatty substance di.
yided. Tho operation was considerably
delayed and the danger increased by the
TACT that the trachea was unusually
deep and situated TO tho left of tho me.
dian line. The knife was sparingly used
and great precautiOn taken, not to sever
veins unnecessarily, as there il ALWAYS
danger, as soon as tho windpipe liz cut,
that the blood will rush through the
opening into the lungs and sutlUcate the
patient.
After the flesh had been carefully
removed from tho trachea, and the
bleeding had been stopped, an incision
was made with u quick stroke of the
knife trough the windpipe, and direct
passage opened into tho lungs, Instru-
ments of different sizes and shapes were
repeatedly passed into the tubes of the
right lung, with tho nope Of seizing the
pin, but IL could not bo found II was
then determined, after consultation, that
the operation be discontinued until an
instrument adapted To this particular
case, q drawing of which WAS submitted
by the att 'nding physician, could be
made. A silk thread was then stitched
to each OF tho trachcal rings and
intoguments ON either side of
tho passage, aud left Of suf-
hcient length 10 afford q means of
opening the tracheal Incisiuu when nee.
essary. Catgut stitches were also taken
IN the skin, aud baudagos Of gtuze were
also applied to the wound. The upprn
ton lasted about one hour and "a half
The patient speedily recovered from the
shock, and suffered only from "a slight
stomach trouble. The trachoal wound
was kept open by repeatedly stuniug 10
with gau2e. The only signs in the lung
were sOnOrous, sibildnt rales ON both
sides.
On September ~, the boy was AGAIN
chlorOlormod. double tube, ono
ittng closely inside the other, su as 10
allow the inner ono to bo removed and
amy mucus that might accumulate
10 be taken out, was introduced
through the opening into the wiudpipc,
90 afford greater facility for breathing.
The tube fitted the opening exactly, So
as to prevent all foreign matter from
passing into the lungs, Shortly after
the tube WAS inserted the boy was seized
with violent nc OF spasmOdlc cough
ing, during which the lark seemed to
close entirely, the patient got black I'm
re face aud was In danger of sunoca
ton, the lubO was quickly removed
aud the hoy turned over upon his right
side, lie was soon lied with another
M of coughing, aud during an extra vi
ulout spasmuuic EFFORT the pin WAS C1-
yelled with considerable force through
the larynx aud Out OF the mouth The
wound In the throat was then closed
aud dressed with specially prepared
iodiio~m cause, The hoy recovered
with remarkable rapidity, and two days
later was discharged cured and sent