The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-02-04
RssStiOn Successfully PorfoFmsd on n Man
who was TsEEiblY stnbbad.

| $50 tNtSaSSeANA eUktSet ppGIAulu uhf
just been performed in q New York hos.
pltal. John James, a colored man, was
terribly stabbed in tue abdomen by
another colorsd man. WheA brought IA
st. VlnceRt's hospital it was found there
was a savage cut in the abdominal wall
which penetrated clear through it, and q
section OF the intestinea hung out Of the
wound and the man was virtually disem-
boTeled, There was dangerous inter
nal and external hemoIThage. The full
extent Of the injury could not be deter
mined by superficial examination, but
enough could bs seen to show that the
sharp Hhoemaker's knife with which the
cutting was done had penetrated through
the intestine and opened a gap in it about
three inches long, which caused 1t 10 COL
lapse. 1t the man was left alone II meant
certain death. From the manner in which
the intestines had been ,laceratad ii
was utterly impossible to unite 1t with
sutures so MS to afford relief, as has been
done several times successfully since DR.,
Bulls operation. There was only one
chance lett, q desperate one, indeed, and
that WAS to perform the operation OF re-.
section, which had for its recommendation
an unbroken line Of deaths, DR., Kelly
determined to take this chance Of saving
the mans 10, The patient had every
thing in his favor naturally, His body
showed strength and VigOr and the mus,
Giles were tense and hard, but his ago was
against him, DR.. Dennis, the consulting
surgeon OF the hospital Was sent for, and
alter he carefully looked over the work
10 DO done, he came to the same conclusion
as the house surgeon, that the only thing
that could bs done was to perform the
dangerous operation Of reseCtion.
AT aobut two O'clock in the morning the
operating room was liz up 40 brightly as
possible, the necessary assistance aud
nurses were called from their beds, aud III
lees than two hours after the patient was
admitted to the hospital, a prolonged sigh
and a convulsivs upheayal OF the abdo-
men indicated INT the patient was under
the influence OF an anmsthetiC, and the
surgeon stood over his body with his knife,
ready to give the COlored man his only
chance OF lie. While steady stream Of the
vaporof biChloride OF mercury was directed
from an irrigator upon the wound In the
abdomen, the surgeon enlarged the in
CislOn, which was ABOUT two inches 10 the
left Of the median line, until he had in
creased its length about three inches.
This gave him plenty room 10 work In,
AS the body had already been drained to
large extent by the wound little hem
orrhage followed the extension Of the
wound. In the abdominal cavity there
was q large amount OF blood found which
had become Clotted and adhered to tbs
neighbOriug- organs. This was Csreiully
taken out. The ileum, or small bowel,
which the vicious lunge Of Thomas had
laCerated, was found to adhere to the ab.
domlnal wall aud 1t was deliCately sepa.
rated so that 1t could DO readily moved.
Then the ileun was drawn slowly and
carefully out OF the body. Hot cloths
being in readiness the intestine was
wrapped up in them 60 as to exclude II
from the air, except that portion which
had been laCerated. A careful txaminR,
ton showed that there were two wounds
In 1t, one being an irCh long and the other
three inches, Alter the exposed mites.
tines had been thoroughly saturated with
biChloride Of mercury, IN sRslatant sub.
mitted 1t to gentle tension. The surgeon
then carefully drew bio knife straight
across the bowel, making clean smooth
cut at the edge Of the wound. This opera.
ton was repeated Mt the other end OF the
wound, and piece ofintestines about hva
inches long was cut clear OF the body and
thrown into dish.
Then followed the most delicate feature
Of tho operation. The ends Of the bowel
were brought tcg3ther aud we're trimmed
go evenly as 10 make perfect ~. Being
In collapsed state, 1t was difficult TO
handle them at all. But they were finally
got together perfectly and held in position
by o suture Of fine catgUt. With great skill
and deliGaGy the two ends were then
united firmly by q number oi stitches, 10
arranged and interlaCed that II would ha
well nigh impossible for them to be sepa.
rated, and to keep all irritating fluids out
Of tho abdominal cavity. This paIt OF the
intestine being joined as strongly, II rot
was made for further injuries. The entire
lntestineg were taken out OF the body and
examined. After they were wrapped up
in antiseptic coverings they were
laid at one side and tho ex.
ploratlpn was continued. The stom.
ach was carefully gone over, and the liver,
kidneys and other organs were taken up
in turn, and submitted TO rigid scrutiny
But no other injury could DO found. The
intestlues were put back into the body
and q laas look was takOp at the sur.
geon's work. The patient OF this point
began to show signs Of the great shock In
cident to the operation and stimulants
were freely given hypodermiCally In the
shoulder, with an occasional infection OF
morphine. Everything being arranged in
the body properly, the incision In the alb.
domep was closed, the peritoneum being
frat united with catglt sutHTes and the
thick wall with heavy sutgres Of silver
wire. Iodoiorm having been sprlnkled
upon the wound, heavy aptiseptiG dress.
ings were wrapped around the a6domeH
and the patient was taken TO his COT
For three or four days he hung between
life and death. He was carefully watched
all tho time and kept In u SeiatSOomatose
state. Then he began to rally and In q
week from the time Of the operation, when
the bandage was lrst removed, the wound
was found to 10 healing naturally. His
strength was kept up by stimulants and
liquid food, 1ntwo weeks all danger was
considerable be over, and the wound had
entirely healed. In three weeks ho was
told 10 90 homo 10 bis family, a well man,
aud he goes about bis bpplness now in
grocery store without any Inconvenience.