The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-09-25
TWO OF a KIND.


A Singular aarcomatous Coincidence "A
Young Man Afflicted With and Operated
Upon For . Tumor identical in Charac.
ter and Location With Ono Which Caused
the Death Of HE Anianced.
NEW YORK, September 15.-Francis
Joseph Gunner, aged twenty. the son Of
Police Captain John Gunner, OF 1862 E.
Sixty ninth street, was the subject of
delicate and interesting surgical opera
tion performed on Wednesday last by
DR.. Post, of 29l Madison avenue, and
w. A. Halves, of 745 Lexington avenue,
for the removal of a sarcoma, a species OF
tumor. The inception and development
of this tumor was exceedingly peculiar.
and either presents the features of re.
markab.e coincidence or demonstration
of the fact that tumors are contagious, .
thing that has heretofore been most en-
phatically denied by the medical profess
sion. Young Mr.. Gunner was REGULAR
attendant of St. Thomas Episcopal
Chapel, on Sixty-sixth, between Second
and third avenues, and held the OfAoe
of Assistant Librarian In the Seminary
School connected with the church.
About year ago Miss Bella Sargent,
a charming young woman OF about the
same age as Mr.. Gunner, Joined the
church and became q teacher in the Sun
day.school. Gunner and Miss Sargent
were thrown much tog .ther in the Sun
day.school work and formed pleasant
acquaintance that in time ripcncd into
love, and 1t was announced last spring
that they were engaged to be married,
but it was not to be. Miss Sargent died
in the Roosevelt Hospital last July and
was buried on Declaration Day. About
three months before her death an appar.
emily innocent swelling appeared in the
gum on the inside of the right cheek.
Nothing was thought of it for time,
and it was attributed to cold and
a harmless Inflammation. But
it grew larger, slowly at first,
but with an alarming rapidity as it be-
came developed, and She as well as her
friends became alarmed and sought med.
ical advice. Her ailmcnt was pronounced
a sarcoma of the malignant type, and she
went to the Roosevelt Hospital for
treatment. Soon after she was admitted
a consultation was held in her case by
the consulting surgeons and the house
staff, and it was agreed that her only
chance of being benefited lay in the re-
moval of the tumor. She cOnsenting, an
operation was performed by DIR. Sands
in the presence OF DR.. Shrady
and several other physicians. The
tumOr was taken out, but
it had involved the jaw-bone to Il consid-
cradle extent AMI q section OF it was also
removed. Miss Sargent rallied from the
shock and hopes were entertained of her
recovery, bu: within q few days Sec
ondary hcmorrhage set in and resulted
in her death. The grief of Gunner over
his loss was inconsoiable aud he brood
ed over the death of Miss Sargent day
aud night. There was to him a special
horror in he manner of her death. While
yet marveiing at the strangeness of Miss
Sargcnt's death, abOnt 4 month ago
he was startled when slight
swelling appeared in his mouth in
the gum under the left cheek.
He at once consulted DR.. Hawes,
rs he suspected that the fate of Miss
Sargent awaited him. There WIS roth
ing, however, in the early appearance Of
the swelling to Indicate that it was any
thing serious, and it was pronounced u
gumboil. 1t grew slowly, aud present.
ing what appeared to be an accumulation
of pus, it was lanced and discharged
colorless liquid. There was no improve.
ment or relief following this simple
remedy and the clinical history of the
case soon established that it was a
sarcoma similar in character to that
which had cost Miss Sargent her life,
but not as far advanced. DIR. Post was
called in consultation and speedy
extirpation of the tumor was ad.
vised. At two o'clock p. m. on Wednes-
dav, the young man was put under the
influence of ether. A knife was inserted
BY the surgeon at the left check bone
and an incssion was made under the left
eye 10 the nose, down the side of the
nose, and beneath it to The center of the
upper lip, which was split in two. Then
the left cheek was dissected up from the
bone and turned back and the tumor was
exposed to view. 1t was attached to the
iawbone firmly, and WAS larger than IL
appeared to be externally. 1t was re-
moved by quick cut of the knife, and
the entire bone in the neighbOrhOod OF
the tumor was thoroughly scraped by 4
spoon-shaped instrument to remove such
affected membranes as might be attached.
HAfter the surgeons were satisfied that
every trace of the tupOr was obliterated,
the cheek flp was returned to position,
and deliberately stitched to the adjOin.
ing tissue. The operation lasted two
hours, and was prolonged for the rea-
son that either could not he given con.
tinuously, as the cone holding it, when
held over the nose and .lnouth of the pa
tient, interfered with the movements Of
the surgeon, and he had to stop entirely
while the ether was being admins cred.
Gunner rallied rapidly from the shock
of the operation, and was in a comfort.
able condition yesterday. The tumor,
after it was secured, was placed in alco-
hoi and was submitted to a microscope
cal examination to determine its charac-
ter, whether benign or malignant. If it
proves to be benign it is said the opera
ton will be the last OF it. But ii 1t
shows malignant elements similar to
that in the case of Miss Sargent, the
probabilities are that it will grow again
and begin to grow where the surgeons
knife lett of.
No Evidence Of Foul Play.
BosroN, Mass, September 15.-The
.oc.rf If tho iuouaSf IN the ~ so IF JnO