Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-02-05
NO. 1925
REMOVAL OF A TUMOR

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The New York Tribune gives a.
lengthy and interesting description of
the removal, by DR. Clarence C. Rice.
of New York, of a tuInor from the
nasa! passage of Newark school
teacher, who had been reduced almost
to nervous wreck by the trouble.
Formerly this operation was very diff
cult and generally fatal. The account
proceeds:
The school teacher came again to the
surgeons office, and was placed in an
operating chair, and his head was
pressed as far backward as ease and
comfort would permit The mucous
membrane of the mouth. throat.
tongue, nostrils, and rear nasal passage
was painted with small caners hair
brush, that had been saturated in a 4
per cent. solution of the hydro-chlorate
OF cocoaine. This was kept up for
about ten minutes, and the parts were
found to be in a state of perfect an;ps-
thesia. An elastic probe, to the end
OF which was fastened piece of whip
cord, was gently forced through the
left nostril until it appeared in the
throat The cord was then seized with
a pair of forceps, and drawn through
the mouth, one end being left sus-
pended from the nose To this end a.
fine piece of platinum wire, bent in
the form OF loop, was attached, and
slowly drawn through the nostril until
it was seen glistening through the
patients throat The tumor was then
drawn as far into the mouth as posi-
bic, and the platinum loop was forced
upward aroundit, being pulled through
the nostril at the same time, until it
reached the point where the tumor
was suspended. That portion of the
wire which ran from the tumor through
the nose was insulated with two small
tubes that had been heavily wound
with silk thread, so that the only por-
ton of it that was exposed was that
which touched the tumor The two
ends of the wire, which hung about six
inches from the nostril were then at
tached to a peculiarly constructed
handle that was coupled to a galvano-
cautery battery. BY turning a wheel
and ratchet attachment the platinum
loop was drawn tightly around the
neck of the tumor.
Everything being in readiness, an
electric current was sent through the
wire. In an instant the insulated
section became white hot and smoke
from the burning flesh poured out of
the mouth. The current was shut off
in twelve seconds, and after waiting
until the wire cooled little, the wheel
and racket was worked and the loop
was drawn through the baked flesh,
until the patient indicated pain by
contracting the forehead. The pro-
cess of heating, cooling and tightening
the loop was repeated and continued,
until finally, by pulling gently with a
pair of forceps, which, as precaution
had been fastened to the tumor
through the mouth to prevent it from
falling into the windpipe, the neck OF
the tumor was severed close to the
point of union. 1t was pear-shaped,
two inches long, and one and a half
inches in diameter. Five minutes
had elapsed from the time the electric
current was turned on, to the end of
the operation. Not q drop of blood
escaped.
The relief of the patient was immedi-
ate. His mouth closed naturally, and
for the first time in many months he
was able to breathe through his nose.
There was little exhaustion from the
shock and in two hours the patient
was on his way home Three days
afterward he was attending 10 his
duties, Il we'll man.
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