New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-02
A RARE SURGICAL SUGGEST
REMOVING A DANGEROUS TUMoR.
CENTRALLY FATAL OPERATION PERF0RMEl
wITHOvYT ~ rsTyc m TIT

GENERALLY FATAL OPERATION PERFORMED
WITHOUT CAUSING DEATH.
Ann Curry, age fifty, entered Charity Hospital On
Blackwells Island, as q patient about three months
ago. She had been sick for two years previous. bus
being poor and without sufficient to obtain med
ca treatment, nothing done to relieve her. She
slowly wasted away, and finally fell into such feeble
condition that her friends had her taken to the hos
pital for treatment. She assigned to Ward D, n
the genealogical department. where the nature Of
her disease diagnosed as malignant cancerous
tumor It was located in the abdominal region, and
could be plainly felt externally ct the time Of her
admission, being at least five inches in diameter 10
continued to grow rapidly and as 1t developed and the
process of nfltration spread the cancerous poison
among the neghborng glands and tissue. her suffer-
ines increased At times the pain was so intense thas
she onged for death to bring her relief Her disease
was beyond the power of medicine to cure, and tho
only other recourse a surgical operation The REQ.
ords showed that when operation had been resored
to similar cases. the result in nearly every instance
was eeatb. In fact of recovery so few
and scattered long time that the operation
was looked upon necessarily fatal.
Mrs Curry. in the agony of her sufferings begged
that something be done for her. Dr. Thomas II. Allcr,
who Is one tho consulting surgeons ct the Charity
Hospital had charge of the case, and told the poor
woman that she was beyond hope from medicine, and
that the only chance she had OF being relieved to
submit to an almost certainly fatal operation She
replied: q" WE'LL will take that chance, doctor.
have the courage to meet DEATH and l would rather
die than live another day under such rble suffer
ingn An operation was dec ded upon and yesterday
was appointed as the time to remove the tumor.
at 2 d. m. the windows of the small amphitheatre In
tho TOP story the hospital having been closed ana
the atmosphere saturated with an antiseptc yapor,
Mrs. Curry was brought into the room by nurse:
m fooa dtnO Ov nall
the the pile of bandages. sponges and gisen-
ing knives in frightened manner. She had hidden
farewell in an outer room 10 the women nurses who
had looked after her during her suierngs, gazing as
their sympathizng faces as IL imporng them to take
her away Then she closed her eyes ana WIN Urn
ance OF the nurses laid herself prostrate upon her
back round canvas cone, filed with sponges sat
urated with ether placed over her mouth and nose
and she was soon unconscious The patients pulss
was felt constantly by one of the attending phycisss.
and her eyed was turned upward every few moments
tor the purpose of detecting any indication OK
anaesthesa.
At 23O O'clock taking up sharp short bladed
knife, Dr. Allen made an incisen SIX nehes long 40 no
abdominal WALL which was unusually thick. AFTER
the intestinal membrane had been reacned orectpr
was used in conjunction with the knife to prevent any
laceraton the ntes;ines As soon az the aodomnai
cavity was opened spray of caboc acid directed
into it, and after The huids that had fonowed inc
Of the knife had been absorbed oy ,nS
and the tumor plainly visible Great care ana
delcacy OF manipulation were used by the surgeon ~
tolI deyeopment of the tumer. The tdmor on its
right side adhered to the intestnes and IL was feared
that In loosenIng the connections portion Oh sne
nowels might be removed which would make dsn-
gerous complication BY skill and patience however,
the adhesive surface was separated without causing
any injury and the tumor could then oe rased 20 ~
70 show the point of its attachment to the underlying
tissue The most dangerous part OF the operation Wa
to follow and the surgeon directed that number ?.
Iigat,res be placed close at hand. Then everything
beino In readiness and the connecting appendages OF
the tumor having been severed it was drawn as far
upward through the opening 10 the aodomeh as poss
warm cloths the surgeon seized pair OF scissors and
cut the tumor out close to Us point OF growth AZ
was expected, artery was severed, ana the nooo
| spurted with every heartbeat.
At this uncure, while the surgeon was trying 10 pex
ND the lacerated artery one OF the atehdants' sno
was holding an atomizer near lighted lamp, care
lsssly swung the lamp open can OF ether anc
slight explosion followed. The ether ignted aha IA
second the patients face ana ehest were "A h :;
The attendants dropped the atonner ana tue can OF
ether upou the floor and the burning mud spread IN
every direction. Several OF the physicans Tno ws, ~
near by had their clothing set on hire, and threw on
their coats and wrapped them around their trousers
while others speedily got out OF the way Dr. Allen
with rare presence of mind, while the flames were
dancing about him. continued his search for the bleed.
inc artery with hand and sohered the Name upon
the patients chest with the other Ihe young doctot
who held the canvas was burned on the hands,
but did not desert his post of duty Amer blowing ous
the fire In the cone he instantly covered the pauent
mouth and with the cone, 40 tnat sne e1u,u nos
breathe the fame and threw towel upon her iace.
some one threw upon the blazing ether on tn9
oor causing it to spread bnt the nre was
ont with blankets before any damage was done
While this was being done DIR. Allen bad found the
artery and held Ii until the excitement had quieteo
Then physician brought hgature aud ued IT, sev-
esal other smaller arteries were tied ana tne aouon
NAL cavity was washed out with warm antisepoo
solution. On careful examination no other bleeding
vessels were found and chicken bone duet was IN
trodured into the wound to act conduct for what
ever accumulation of secretions might ensue The cavity
was then closed and fastened by silver ana eatgui
sutures. ,, A.. .,o-a,.o. ~
becn remarkably strong. fell rapidly after the wound
was closed, and the fatal collapse that nearly swsys
comes In these cases expected Injections Of
brandy and morphine immediately admnisteres
with q favorable result. The patients neart-oes1
onickened and the pulse grew stronger; The woaoo
was bandaged in antseptic gau1e and the njectioni
of brandy were continued al intervals The pauens
scon opeped her eyes and looked vaeanty at the nufs
The operation lasted hour and a half, aud vAe
s,ccs ssu in that tue patient did not die while II v
being carried on. This is long strde In the advance
ot surgery The tumor was at least six inehes N
diameter and was mass Of cancer cells. Several other
neoes of tissue that had become affected by the desse
wers also removed Of course the danger oil ne
nstient diving from the effect of shock following the
operation cannot yet be said to be passed.