The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-03-28
A Great Triumph of Surgery.

NtctUJt.J
A Great Triumph of Surgery.
From the Neac York Tribune.
In the last few years surgeons have
grown more bold, and surgery has conse-
quently made great advances, particularly
in dealing with tumors situated in the alb
domen Surgeons of another age would
have tainted at the suggestion of sinking a
knife into the abdomen and removing a
tumor, yet to-day the operation is frequent
ly performed and the death rate is not more
than ten in one hundred cases. Even por-
tions of the bowels have been cut out and
the severed ends united by stitches in re-
moving tumors, and recovery has followed
in large number of cases. But the most
brilliant case yet recorded, where the newer
methods of surgery were prominently
brought into use, is an operation recently
performed at the Chambers Street Hospital
in New York. In this case precedent was
openly defed, and the attending surgeons,
with courage and boldness equalled only
by their skill and delicacy, saved human
life, in all probability, and performed an
operation of kind that never before had
been attended with success.
William McElroy, truck driver, aged
twenty-four, of No. "a Rutgers street, was
accidentally shot, on November I'd, 1884,
with 32-calibre pistol. He fell to the
floor, but remained conscious. An ambu-
lance took him to the Chambers Street
Hospital, where an examination showed
that the ball had entered the abdomen
about two inches to the left of and a little
below the navel. The external wound was
slight, and the ball had stopped at some
point within the abdominal cavity The
patient was put to bed, suffering greatly
from shock, and carefully watched. With
in few hours signs of extravasation ap-
peared His features were pinched, his
pulse feeble and tremulous. Excruciating
pains radiated from the seat of the injury
over the whole abdominal region, and were
attended with signs of collapse. The mus
cular effort of breathing was confined to
the thorax, and there was look of great
anxiety upon the face. 1t was evident that
the dreaded peritonitis would soon be fully
developed. A consultation was held, it
was determined that death would speedily
ensue unless relief was afforded in some
manner, and heroic treatment was decided
upon. Within twenty-four hours after
being shot McElroy was transferred to the
operating table. Ether was administered
and he soon became unconscious. Elabor-
ate precautions were taken to prevent the
introduction of disease germs into the
wound. A spray of vapor of carbolic acid
was played constantly into the room, which,
maintain the temperature of the body,
was kept in uniform temperature of eigh.
ty degrees. The knives, forceps, needles
and sponges that were to be used were kept
in warm solutions A incision was first
made into the external wound and it was
to found to extend into the abdominal cav
ity. Considerable hemorrhage began, but
the blood was absorbed by sponges. The
incision was then increased to about eight
inches through the abdominal wall, the
wound was opened wide, and the intestines
were exposed The flow of blood increas-
ed. and it ran into the abdominal cavity
After the hemorrhage was brought under
control the cavity was sponged out, and the
search for the ball begun. A small section
of the intestine was drawn carefully through
the opening at a time, thoroughly inspected
for decorations, and laid upon the breast
between layers of cloths that had previous
ly been wrung out of warm water. This
process was continaed until the entire in
testines were taken out of the body. Tht
bullet was found to have penetrated tht
intestines in seven places. As fast as eacl
wound was discovered further search wa
stopped until the lacerated portion wa
sewed with extremely fine silk thread. TIL,
knots made in drawing the wounded sur
faces together were left in position.
After all the wounds were closed tn
cloths were carefully removed from the in
testines and they were returned to thei
proper position within the abdominal walls
The large incision was then closed and it a
well as the bullet wound was sewed up witt
silk. The operation lasted two hours anC
the patient was kept under the influence o
ether the whole time. Measures were a
once taken to prevent peritonitis. Nor
phine was given in small doses by hypo
dermic injections. A large coil of rubber
tube was placed on the abdomen, through
which stream of ice water was constantly
kept running. For two days no nourish
ment was given through the mouth, tn
patients strength being kept up by enc
mata of beef-iuice This was done to ALLOW
the stomach and bowels to rest, and permi
the wound made by the bullet to heal. A
soon as food could he given properly, Nc
Elroy gained strength, and in a compare
lively short time was able to sit up in hi
cot, and afterward to walk about the hos
pital wards He went out of the hospita
for the first time on Christmas Day, les
than two months from the time he was in
jured, and about week afterwards he wa
discharged cured.
The only drawback in the progress o
the case to convalescene was an abscess tha
formed in the wound made by the bullet
few weeks after the operation. This
however, was finally subdued by soothin!
treatment, though the edges of the woun,
remained stubborn and would not close
This difficulty was overcome by skin-graft
ing, the skin being taken from anothe
part of the abdomen and planted over tn
open wound, and healing soon followed
The patient was advised when discharges
to abstain from heavy work, as the abdom
inal wall may not be as strong as before.
-%$
The Father of Waters.
CorTespon dence of Easton, Nd. Ledger.