The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-10
A CASE WITHOUT PRECEDENT.
A Delicate and Dangerous Operation, and the
Strange Result Of the Surgeons Work.

CHICAGO, juno Gone Of the most remarka-
BILE surgical operations ever performed in the
history of medical science was successfully ac-
complished in Chicago yesterday morning. The
case is without parallel, and is the first of the
kind ever recorded. Thirteen years ago Mrs. l..
j. Putnam, widow of the late A. NJ. Putnam and
now residing at No. 476 La Sale avenue, be-
came enceinte, and when tho full period had
nearly passed she ventured out in the rain and
caught cold. Immediately after this she began
to experience peculiar sensation which she
could not understand and from that time on she
was continually sick, and what was supposed to
be tumor commenced forming. After many
vain consultations with physicians she sent for a
prominent doctor in ST. Louis, who told her that
it was utterly impossible as well as impractical,
BILE to remove the supposed tumor by surgical
operation-that it could only be done at the cost
Of the patients life.
He advised her to 60 to st. Louis and take
medical treatment instead.
Accordingly, in the fail of 1872 she proceeded
to St Louis and remained under his care for
several months, but she received no benefit from
his efforts and returned home From that time
up to 1873, although under the hands OF various
physicians she obtained no relief.
In 1881 che commenced having spasms, which
physicians generally agreed were epileptic fits.
The commissions have been increasing In number
until she has been having AS high as six per day
These spasms were accompanied by no pain, and
always came on without the slightest warning,
oftentimes while she was on the street. and were
varied in length from five minutes TO an hour
and half. Under these circumstances she be-
came fearful of going outside the house She
also at length began to lose her reasoning power,
her mind being materially affected During all
these years she has been under constant treat
ment from the best physicians in Chicago, they
all believing that the tumor could be absorbed,
or that it would eventually disappear.
About month ago she consulted Dr. j. Is.
McFatrich asking him to give her a treatment
for its removal with medicine but was told by
him that no medicine would ever cure her, and
that nothing could save her but a surgical oper
alton which might, very likely, be attended by
Der Of leading physicians it was decided that the
tumor could not be renewed without its proving
fatal to the patient during the operation. The
patient was informed of this consultation, and,
after several more attempts to effect a relief
with medicine, she at last decided to allow the
operation to be performed Yesterday morning
DR.. j. b. McFatrich. assisted by Drs Milton Jay
and A. Il. Clark, met at the house, and after an
affecting farewell between the patient and her
family and friends, she submitted to the ordeal
from which she expected never again to arise
She was kept under the influence of ether for an
hour, an incision was made and the abdomen,
and the supposed tumor removed through it.;
when, instead of tumor, the surgeons were
astounded to find perfectly formed child, fully
developed, which was inclosed in a sac. The
incision was then sewed up, the patient success
fully surviving the operation. The result of the
operation is something of a revelation to medical
scientists.
DR.. A. L. Clark Of Eigin. who assisted in the
operation was communicated with last night
and verified the above statement. He said that
it was most unusual case, but that the medical
journals recorded some instances where a child
had been retained for thirty years, although not
so fully developed as in this case