New-York tribune., 1885-03-12
DIR. ENGLISH'S TUMOR GONE.
DIFFICULT AND PAINFUL OPERATION
COCAINE DID NOT WORK THIS TIME-No ANEsTHE-
STA PRODUCED,

COCAINE DID NOT WORK THIS TIME-No ANEsrHE-
STA PRODUCED
Dr.. Thomas Dunn English. author, poet, lawyer.
physician and legislator, who Is best known tho
writer Of /" Ben Bot,' which appeared in " The New
York Mirror in 1872 is in his sixty sixth year
and lives in unpretentious style at No. 494 Washing
ton-st, Newark About year ago he began to bo
troubled by constant irritation in the throat, at
point below the root of the tongue. As it was only
annoying and did not seem TO be than q local
affection, he did not pay much attention to After
time, however, the difficulty increased to such ex-
tent to interfere with his voice which became exceed
ingy husky and frequently could moi be raised above
whisper.
Dr. English has been an nveterate user of tobacco
since he was boy. He both smoked and cbewed it.
and at night his sleep was not easy anlessa large roll
OF the weed was IN his mouth When the case OF Gen.
eral Grant brought prominently to public notice,
with the statement that the cancerous growth was
caused by smoking. Dr. English became alarmed and
convinced from the similarity of symptoms that he
had similar affection, caused by the use OF tobacco.
During the last two months his throat has been gradu
ally closing up he has suffered Intensely from pain
and been under constant mental strain from the danger
of suocaton. All this caused him to lose flesh rapidly
and left him in state of great weakness and physical
exhaustion.
On March A, the symptoms became so aggravated
that consultation held by number OF local ply
sicans, and Dr. Edgar Holden, throat specialist,
made minute examination that attended with
great difc Iy. The base Of the tongue the tonsils
and larynx intensely inamed and after the lar
yngOscope was got into proper position IN the throat
the little mirror reflected a tumor papioma, at.
tached the right side of the vocal cords uss above
the true cord 1t had grown to such an extent as to
hide the chords from view and at every inspiration
portion OF the tumOr was drawn into the wndppe and
prevented the proper amount OF air frol entering the
lungs The patient was greatly depressed in spirits,
could not sleep and had constant sensation of suoca
ton. He believed that he bad malignant cancer,
which added TO his mental depression. DIR. Holden
diagnosed the paploma, which bad not become
,pat,o An UaQ
lish put under preparatory treatment until March
10. the time set tor the removal OF the tum0r. On
of the and the chance of fatal result, calmly
went through his papers and manuscripts and directed
what disposition should be made of them. He was
thus engaged when DIR. Holden and his assistants,
Drs Smith, Young, andlSouthard came to his house.
DIR. English greeted them cordially and after making
his final estamentary arrangements sat up In his chair
| and said that be was ready. His heart was weak
that considered dangerous to administer ether,
and cocaine was distributed freely over the mucons
| membranes in the mouth and throat. After waiting
until the anRstbetc had chance to take effect the
| mouth opened and was found to be in normal
condition. Repeated applications of cocaine were
| made without producing the desired anesthetc;
finally the patient said that it produced irritation
than the disease ITSELF and its was abandoned
A two per cent solution OF cocaine was used and its
failure in ibis considered mysterious by the at
tending physicians. Ii was then decided to perform
the operation without any further attempts to induce
local inssnsbilty, the patient was becoming weak
| and irritable.
One OF the assistants seized the patients tongue,
which had been placed between layers OF towel and
drew it out of the nouth far possible. The opera-
ing surgeon then placed larygnoscope in the throat
pressing it far backward as possible so that good
view of the tumor obtained. pair OF fOrceps
specally adapted to the conformation of the mouth
and larynx was then carefully introduced into tho
mouth being shown not to touch tue tissue The
| forceps had hardly got into the iaxynx when the
throat became the seat Of violent spasmodic action,
| which closed tentirely, and the muscles were con-
traced such that they held the forceps so
that they could neither be pushed in nor taken out The
| ;,t thaa of Sndaa bia
blush black, and he struggled violently TO break the
paroxvsm just as the operating surgeon seized knife
was % SoOu1 70 sp. snd the osent
into temporary state OF collapse.
Precautions taken before the operation began to
guard against suhocation from temporary spasrn and
trachcotomy tube had been provided. An assistant
was instructed, II the spasIns could not be broken
within certain number OF seconds, to hand knife
and the tut TO the surgeon who, to the patient q
liie must within minute open the traehea stop the
hemorrhage ana insert the tube. The chances Of
saving the patients life when this part Of the operation
| became necessary were slight indeed.
After the patient bad recovered from the shock of the
splsm. being told that the danger of the operation
greatly increased, he told the surgeons to hre
away he would rather be suhocated in a second than
pass another night like the last" Time and again tho
orceps were introduced in the throat and the oper
| ton followed Immediately by spasmodc contIac
tons and progress could g made toward getting at
the tumor. The patients strength was fast going but
tated he motioned him to go ahead and he would
deavor to control the spasm ty force OF will He had
great trouble 10 breathe and had to light constantly to
prevent rufocation Once the forceps took hold OF
the but the throat closed and hid the tumor
from view and il not deemed advisable TO remove
it then because of the danger of injurng surrounding
tissue.
Finally the patient made superhumsn effort and as
the forceps inserted in the throat he controlled
the return the spasm long enough to enable the sur
geon TO get good view of the grip the forceps had
taken and a second more the tumor was torn loose
from the flesh and taken out. IL measured inch in
length by five eghths of inch in width aremarkably
large papilloma The hemorrhage that followed was
easily controlled and the patient put TO bed after
suffering the most horrible torture for two hours
Dr. English speedily recovered from the shock, is
doing remarkably WE'LL breathes naturally, is able to
take nourishment with little trouble, and gives promise
of a speedy recovery.