Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-11-20
A SURGICAL FEAT.
How a New York Doctor Per.
formed a Dangerous Operation.
A Wonderful Recovery From What was
Believed to He Almost Certain Death
"A Malignant Ca1cerous Tu-
NOR Removed.
IN. Y. Tribune.l


Ann Curry, aged fifty. entered the
Charity Hospital, on BIackwslps Island,
as patient about three months ago. She
had been sick for two years revious, but,
being p9or and without sufficient means
TO ob ain medical treatment, nothin was
done to relieve her. She slowly wasted
away, aud haally fell into such feeble
condition that her friends had her taken
to the hospital for treatment Her dis
case was diagnosed as q malignant can
Ger )us tumor. IL was located in'the abb
dominal region, and could be plainly felt
externally at the time of her admission.
being at least i've inches in diameter. 1t
continued to grow rapidly, aud as it
developed and the pro yress Of infiltration
spread the cancerous poison among the
neig hboring glands and tissue her suffer-
ings increas ID. At times the pain was so
intense that she longed for death to bring
her relisf. Her disease was beyond the
power Of medicine to care, aud the only
other recOurcs was a sureic operation.
The records showed that when an opera
ton had been resorted to in simi' ar cases
the result in nearly every instance was
death. In fact. the cases OF recovery
were so few aud scattered ov so long a
time hat the operation was looked upon
as ncce sarily fatal.
Mrs. Curry, in the agony OF b IT saffer-
ings begged that something be done for
her. Oae of the consulting surgeons who
had charge OF tn case tol the poor wo-
man that she was beyond hope from med
cine, and that the only chance she had of
being relieved was to sub nit t. al almost
certainly fatal operation. She replied:
well, will take the chance doctor. I
have the courage to meet death, and l
would rather die than 1--we anoihar day
under such terrible suff ring" An opera
ton was dec ID u pon, and Tues lay was
appointed as the time to ren)ve the
tumor.
A 2 p III the windows of the small
amphi heater in tn, too story OF the hos
pltal having been close II an the atm 1s
where saturated with an antis optic vapor,
Mrs. Curry was brou hit into the room by
a nurse. Her face was excee liugly pale,
and she looked around the room at the
pile o. bandages, sponoes, and glistening
knives in a frightened manner. Sh, had
hidden farewell in an outer room to the
women nurses who had looked after her
during her s fl srings, gazing at their
sympath ziny faces as il imploring them
to axe her away. Then she closed her
eyes, aud with firm stop walked to the
surgical table. and with the assistanc, of
the nursas, laid hers slf prostrate upon her
back. A round ca vas cone, fillei with
sponges saturated with ether, was placed
over her mouth aud nose, and she was
on unconscious. The pa ient's p lIse
W IS felt cDastalily 10y ono of the attend
ing phys clans, and her eysIid was turned
upwar1 every few moments for the pur-
pose of tscting any Indication OF ana s.
thesia.
A. 2:3) o.. lock, taking up sharp,
short-blaled knife, thu attending sur
geon made an incisio1 six inches long
in the alb loninal wall which was uu-
usually thick. After the Intestinal mem
trane had b,sn reached a diroct II was
used in co1juncS Slon with the knife to
prevent any aceration O. the iutes ines.
As soon as the abdominal cavity was
opened a snrIY OF clrbo oic acid was
directed / Ito it. and aftsr thS fluids that
had followed the course OF the knife
had boen absorbed by sponges the 81 les
q the oDening that had been made
were distea1eI, an1 the tumor was
plainly visible. Great care aud delicacy
OF manipulation were used by the sur
geon in locating the extent of the can
cercus liberation aud the full develop
ment OF the tumor. The tumor on | Is
right side adhered TO the iutestines,
and 1t was feared that in loosening the
connections a portion OF the bowels
might be removed, which would make
q dangerous complication. BY skill and
patience, however, the adhesive surface
was separated without causing any in
jury, and the tumor could then BE- raised
SO as to show tho point OF its attachment
to the underlying tissue The most IN.
gerous part OF the operation was to fol-
low, and the surgeon directed that a
number of ligaiures be placed close at
hand. Then, every thing bsing in readi-
ness and the connecting appendages of
the tumor having been severed, it was
drawn as far upward throug IN the OPEN
ing in the abdomen as possible, and
the intestines being hell out OF the way
by warm cloths, tho surgeon se;z ID a pair
of scissors and cut the tumor out close to
its point OF growth. AS was expected,
an artery was severed and the b,ood
spurtej with every heart b,at
DR.. Allen found the artery and
lgature and tied IL. Several
other smaller arteries were tied, Gnl
the abdominal cavity was WASHED out
with a warm antiseptic solution. On a
careful examination no other bleeding
vessels were found, and chicken bone
duct YVES introduced into the wound,
TO act as a conduit for whatever accumu-
lation OF cretions might nsue. The cav
ity was then closed and fastened by silver
and ca.-gut suiures.
The patients pulse. which during the
operation had teen remarkably strony ?,
ell rapidly after the wound was closed,
and the fatal collapse that nearly always
comes in these cases was expected. Iu-
jecsions of brandy and morphine were inn
mediately admins rered with favorable
result. The patents heart-beats quick
ened and the pulse grew stronger. The
wound was bandaged in antiseptic auze,
and the injections of brandy were con-
tinued at intervals The pat ent soon
opened her eyes and looked vacantly at
the nurses
The operation lasted an hour and half,
and was successful in that the patient did
not die while it was being carried on.
This 10 q long stride in the advances of
surgery. Tue tumor was at least six inch
es n diameter, and was a mass OF cancer
cells. Several other pieces o: tissue that
bad be some affected by tho disease were
also removed.
"No. SIR" he said to the Captain. az