The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-05-25

Of the Duke of Albany, and granddaugh-
ter of King James II. Burke ignores the
marriage of the present Lord Drummond
RECONSTRUCTING 4 FACE.
Extraordinary Success in the Trans.
plantation of FIesh---A Girls Pa
tience.
Bertha Kistler, who, for eighteen
months, has been under treatment by
DIR. George F. Shrady, visiting surgeon
of the Presbyterian Hospital, says the
New York Herald, left the institution
yesterday a living, grateful monument
of surgical ingenuity and skill. Bertha
Kistler IS now about twenty years old,
and fifteen years ago she was treated by
an unskilful surgeon in Germany for a
supposed cancerous growth in the left
cheek. The ailment proved to be Of an
other character, but the operation de-
stroyed all symmetry of the child's face,
leaving a large hole in the cheek, and
the mouth and nose frightfully distorted
Eighteen months ago the girl called on
DR.. Shrady to discover if anything could
be done to remedy her deformity
She was only poor working-girl, but
begged to go to the hospital and pay for
treatment by work. DR.. Shrady held out
little encouragement to her, but at last
consented to undertake the task of build
ing up VIRTUALLY a new countenance.
Soon after the first operation was per-
formed, and in the course Of a year, it
was followed by sixteen others. Most of
the face was made over by transplanta-
ton of flesh from adjacent parts.
The most important step in the treat
ment of the case was the filling up of the
hole in the face. For this purpose a large
skin flap was wanted. 1t was obtained
by Dr. Shrady in the following manner;
A rectangular section of skin was par
above the elbow. An incisiOn was made
in the side of the forefnger Of the right
hand, extending from the first Joint
around to the thumb. The hand was
then brought over to the left arm, and
the detached edge of the skin flap was
sewed into the incision in the finger with
fine silver wire. The hand and arm
were kept immovable by plastic band
ages. In about week the skin flap be-
came united to the hand, but the Aap
was principally nOurished from the arm.
To change the current of nutrition the
flap was gradually cut from the arm, and
when it had been nearly severed the fin
ger, and not the arm, kept the skin flap
alive, When this became apparent the
entire skin flap was amputated from the
arm. The hand, with the ingrown flap,
was then brought up to the face, the
SCARED skin on the left cheek was raised
and the flap was inserted underneath.
The hand was kept in position by plastic
bandages and plastic cap. In three
weeks the flap became attached to the
face; the current of nourishment was
changed by gradual amputation from the
finger, and, finally, when entirely sepa-
rated from the hand, the skin flap taken
| from the arm became the foundation of
a new cheek.
| With a natural anxiety DIR. Shrady
watched the growth of the flesh, and at
last had the satisfaction of demonstrate
ing Individually the feasibility of trans,
plantation OF flesh from one part of the
body to another by using the handk as 6
medium. New difficulties then I Yrose
The surface of the face was rehabilttateC
but the girls mouth was drawn cit OF
shape to such an extent that the ts,rnel
was almost directly under the nose8
To restore the mouth Or. Shrady de
cided to enlarge it on one side and sew i
up ON the other, and after this was don,
the lips We're cut into the true and prope
shape and all traces Of distortion had dis
appeared. With the success of this las
operation, which made twenty in all. tn
labor was ended, and nothing was lef
but to await the healing Of the incisions
These have at last become satisfactor7
and the girls face is shapely once more
but, VI Oeu4eo, SLSntiy ulsnSuFeu D.
scars, Most of these, however, are from
straight. clean cuts, and it is expecte,
that even they will eventually becom
} imperceptihle.
From the first moment of her long MAJ
tyrdom the girl has not faltered for a,
instant, but has ever been impatient fo
the next step. Sometimes the docto
would try to persuade her to forego for
time the operation, but she persisted i
her desire sinc1llar featllra of th