New-York tribune., 1885-02-11
FORMING A NEW WRIST.
A TRIUMPH OF SURGICAL SKILL.
TAKING FLAPS FROM THE BODY OF BOY ASD
PUTTING THEM on HIS ARM.

/
An uncOmmOnly interesting experiment IN
surgery is under way at the Mount Sinai Hospital In
this city The patient is bright little italian boy
named Natalia Tero, fourteen years OF age He has
striking and almost beautiful face with black curly hair
and large black eyes that have startled expression
when he Is spoken to disturbed About two years ago
kerosene lamp exploded him. and he was severely
burned on the chest aud both He was taken to
the Presbyterian Hospital. His condition remained
critical for tme but he finally rallied and passed the
line Of danger He suffered excrucatng pain tut bore
his agonies with wonderful and without COM
| plant.
The wonnd in the right entirely healed but
as 1t gradually closed 1t produced a6 intense muscular
contraction that bent the hand inward until 1t was az
nearly right angle with the wrist and drew the little
finger and thumb toward the palm in o claw-shaped
manner, making horrible aud painful deforinity. the
power OF motion in three of the fingers was limited and
In the thumb and small finger there was none ut all
An operation performed to sraighen the hand ana
fingers The cicatcia that held them was cut IN
the forearm sufficient surface TO destroy all uI-
natural tension, and the aud hand were then put
into spnt and kept there for several months When
the spn removed the hand aud fingers returned 10
their original state OF conoron the only benefit noticed
being an improved OF the hand. The boy remained
In this hospital for than year and was hnaiiy
discharged improved but not cured.
On December H. 1884, he admitted to Mount Sinai
Hospital. His general health and had been good Tor
a number OF months. The deformty In the hand ana
marked than before and caused consider
able pain. The whole arm ccatricial ana through
the thin skin could be the outlines OF distorted
muscles The fingers drawn inward, so that their
tips nearly touched palm and the hand was bent so
far inward that the neshy bunch under the thumb was
held In position TO the under side OF the wfist
The thumb stood vertically mp from the hand There
\ portion OF the wrist still unheaed About Two
inches from hand the cicatrical tissue
had united in peculiarly contracted shape IL could DC
compared bant shout inch vide. and result OF
this strange formation that this band was gradually
being contracted and In time would stop e circulation
OF the blood and perform natural anpn'auoh vi 'no
hand This natures remedy 10 cure the deiofhy'
II would have been efsctua II continued, but wopiu
have left useless stump consultation was heiu ny
the house and consulting surgeons, and AN OPERATION
having for its object the formation OF new wrist ana
| the saving OF the hand determined upon. On
December 10 the boy was taken to the operatibg r"o
fIs face expressed anxiety ana he tremoed when his
oyes fell uron the long operating table ana the caonet
OF surgical Instruments His fears were quieted ana ne
was lati upon the table. cone containing ether was
placed over his mouth aud Alter LIE hal taken a
lew long inspirations Ills eyes became fixed and CLASSY,
n prolonged snore was heard and the boy was dncon-
scous The surgeon then took long thI-bladed kne
with a razor edge ani skilfuly removed the intgu-
ment covering the wrist and portion OF the PAIN OF the
| hand Care taken not To sink tue knife too deepy
| Into Tie tissue, HS lue hILo VI tHc hH "'' ''''
than the natural and the aesh removed was hln-Ae
| I'm texture. as hut little could be spared.
Then AN sstant surgeon took charge OF the arm. and
srape the grnulons OF the ulcer on the under
side OF the wrist. wnerc the wound mad never healed
Mile rbs was eur done tue operating surgeon at
work ON Nataias abdomen. rhe skin being put under
slight tension. knife was Inserted ~ poina "Do m e
incn above the navel drawn carefully upward III q
.in,i,,g ,trrcton making "a superficial nelson about
uye Inches la length. Two inches from ms ahotheI
,ucsupn was made Ia the direction ana length as
tEa first
lrsh between dissected mp So that couu uc
fro,u The surrouniing parts making lap about hVe
,ncs ,s and two inches In wiitn and three eghths o.
an inch tuck. II left atiaclird ~ pom ehus 80
rh 49, anJ skn we're then stripped from the little
I'm GER aud left hanging from the hand ana the entro
All M, pr,.iminares being complete the abdominal
nap wa, elevated AMI the patents hand SUPP sd .,
meath N and placed that tile Ir covered the raw SUI
nrc ON tie wrist In order keep the Hap In conlac
,ith the hes. few sc1rs OF nae ,lA wes M nsI,
around the ed1rs The redundant skn ,t,n. a us ~,
nngrr was atened .pread over ana . asp ~
Part o. 4 ,s san raw nn. ,hs adascd upon the
and wrist wounds aud the arm was hela In l'Suou y,
long stripe OF adhesive plaster that were stuck 10 sh
boys side -.,....,.,,. ,ro., ,,,,..,
frny lurug the latter part of The OperatOn tbohBh h'
speedily from shock after ne was TAKEN h
lie was kspt perfectly que, n ml,i ,io ,na f
amlued The hap had contracted considerably anh tL'
sntnes were IRE rcip "rn good aud gentle strain ben.
unt on dap. found 10 pe unlte 10 the MIis'
ON Drcembcr 20. tue Hap cut loose from Tho
ahdo,neu AMI the arm released from Its confinement
Ths dlsorted hand nh assumed more natural shape
The Abdominal flesh took kindly 10 its new huliie ahu
wrl'i ,, or at d.e eSsii psr' o Ol'' :"
Alter liyug the boy time Ia recuptfite on JduHHS
the secOuh step la the experiment was udeTiahcu
object being form the other hasf OI tue wtst ~,
ratlent being eherLed the eh u-ei par vi u' W. @
N. made rnw by scraping. ndp vas dl'sroed up OF
ae ptsr aide Of right thgh abOnt iour lchrS iou
| nnd one aud "A half inches wide, The ends Delig lei
united a. Ia ths abdominal Hap. lhs hihd was then h
tr,,duced b-u.ath aud turned so tat the DhcA oi
came nm contact with the leg. The under side ot h'
wrist was then sutured to the mar ana the manu- anu ~
strapped to body. The patient bore ths opstaoi
much better than the nTst , , ,,,
ON January "a the bandages were removed hu Wv Wv
.,T,,on VA, delighted To lind that the wrist aud ihSl
.rr, united, The ends Of tue Hap were cut ana le ai
released The ends then tfinned 40 ~ 20 w .n'
wrst aud after thoy hal been placed III contact WIN vi
piece OF abdominal nesh Inc "Olid WAS c"'oio" WV
| antiseptic gauZr aud bandag"d , =. l.. ,,,t,od .,
ON February the flaps were iOnnd 10 oe uitcu u
each other and the wrist, and the c'rcua'ioh wa
gnod The only portion that hal sl0ighed Was "hel'
fbe uesh from the ttio finger was put "n MS INV
yer dld NOT offer any material inter etence U he hha
ncces, ia effect retard ,he hralhS pro
c.as The diameter of the new wrist was hIou ho.''.
than that Of the surrounding parts, put phWo "i' ~
late mi, by absorption and when tue wOOuu h'acu "'
will bc iiie only trac" oi lhr olti""' -, ,t ,yr
and more iensve movement o. the hhstIs aIi M
4, possible, the are waiting IoI tuo pa. :.
| his when aDOtscr, "
the final operation Will be performed lhs wiz '
the strengthening OF the nnSers anu thoie'V'""' Wv ~
10 lts natural shape. 49,, l. ,,, a., ho,
Little MT" a. hls attendants call hlin N hcpt III &c
| all the time and trom q raised pillow WATCHES WIN
fI eyes his rOnyaesceDt companions pa, W. ~ M
The ward, In "a while tear steals "o"u ns V'o.
and he turns his head away ro the ronpihS oo'o "h
falls aseep In his sorrow.
N III.