The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-09-17
SAVED BY SURGERY.
Breathing g for Two Years Through S.l-
Yer 7 ubc in His Throat

q
Drs. j. w. Maddin, sen. and jun.
and d. Il. Watkins, recently examined
a man whose existence depends on a
remarkable piece of surgery. His
name was Charles Hinton, aged about
70 years, and though his apparel did
not proclaim him wealthy, his CONVEX
Satlon Indicated the shIewdnesS of
one who has seen much of the world.
His life has OF late been interesting.
About two years ago he was injured
in a railroad accident near New
| Orleans, La. The Car in which he
was seated was thrown down an
embankment and smashed to
pieces. He was asleep at the time of
the accident, and the first thing ne
knew he was pinned down between
two seats, with blood gushing from a
terrible cut. The end of piece of
timber had struck him on the right
cheek and torn cash which extended
by way of his throat to his left ear.
But this was not the most serious in
jury. The hyoid bone, which is that
just above the protuberance in the
neck, popularly known as adams
apple" had been broken. The Yocoa
cords, which are at the top of the
windpipe, were brusied, and began to
rapidly swell over the orifice where
air is breathed. Hinton vas
removed from the wreck rs
soon as possible, and car
ried to the Charity hospital at New
Orleans. The cut was sewed up with
ease, but the broken bone was the
cause of the trouble. The swelling of
the vocal cords, it was seen, would
soon completely close up the wind-
pipe, and some Other means of breath
ing had quickly to be provided.
An oritice in the Windpipe just beS
low the cords was made, and a silver
pipe two and half inches long and a
quarter OF an 1uch in diameter was in
serted. The tube was curved in shape;
about three quarters of aD inch pros
truded out OF the neck into the air,
hange at the end preventing
it from falling back in
to the throat. Through this
tube the man inhaled the air. The
operation was common to surgery as
a temporary eXpedient, it being used
for the vocal cords when bruised to
soon resume their normal proportions
and allow the free access of air to the
windpipe. In this instance, however,
the broken bone continuously pressed
against the cords and prevented their
proper healing. To this patienj Was
presented the embarrassing alterna-
tive of either forever utilizing the tube
as breathing adjunct to the demora-
lized windpipe or shufliing off this
mortal coil.
He determined to cleVe close to his
siver pipe, and so far it has done him
natures service. True, he has to
remove it for moment or two daily to
cleanse it, and unfortunately it conveys
to his lungs more than his quota of
summer dust and winters frosty
air, thereby causing his lung to
alternate between congestion and
Inflammation; but he meets fate
bravel, and says he will live as long
as the next man. He has been
unable to work continuously, but has
eked out a living by offering his throat
for the inspection of medical colleges
and professors, who are more than
willing to pay for the knowledge of
surgery which his condition affords.
DR.. Watkins will, this fall, give to his
class at the medical department of
Vanderbilt university The benefit of
his observations on the case.