The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-07
MAKING A NEW ARM.
A WONDERFUL OPERATION IN
A NEW YORK HOSPITAL. . :.
Cutting Strips Of Flesh From .
Mans Side and Back and Sue
cessfully Grating Them on a
Diseased Limb.

a EeCeHC ISSUE OF Iuc I've" 4Olh
Tribune says: A surgical operation Of
exceeding interest is being performed at
! the Hahnemann hospital. 1t is one OF
those cases that cannot he finished at q
single sitting but which must be carried
through various stages in progressive
way from the beginning to the end. It
was begun about three weeks ago, and
from the present indications there is
| little doubt that the result desired will
be attained.
The patient is Christopher Doll, 8
German, thirty-one years old. He re-.
ceived his injury accidently. He was
extremely fond of smoking pipe. One
evening about nine months ago he was
enjoying quiet smoke in his room and
/ while reading fell asleep. In some way
, the pipe which he still held in his mouth,
was overturned, and the hot ashes fell
, from the bowl upon his shirt sleeve and
set it on fire. It smothered time and
burned several small holes in the sleeve,
and then it burst into flame and the
sleeper was aroused. The fire had
reached his flesh, and he tore at the burn
ing cloth madly. He rolled over on the
floor. and finally the fame was extin-'
guished. His right arm from the wrist
to the shoulder was terribly burned, and
it looked as if the flesh could be scraped2
from the bone without trouble. The
pain was intense, and from the nature OF
the wound it appeared as if the arm
would have to be amputated close up to,
the shoulder. Private medical treat
ment was tried for time, but as 1t did
not accomplish any material benefit Doh
went to hospital. He remained under
constant care for two months. By this
time the forearm had healed, leaving 8
frightful scar, with the cicstricinl tissue
drawing in every direction. Despite tho
most persevering treatment the upper
portion of the arm from the elbow to the
shoulder could not be healed. The pa
tient went to several hospitals, but could
get no relief. There was suoh large
surface of exposed flesh in the wound
that the pus formation was unusually
large, aud the antiseptic precautions
which were taken did not prevent the
absorption Of the poisonous matters into
the patients system. Thus dangerous
condition of blood poisoning was set mp.
He grew pale AMI emaciated, lost his
strength and courage, and when he was
admitted to the Hahnenann hospital,
about two months ago, he was living
skeleton with hardly muscular power
enough left to raise his hand. ~.
As soon as he was admitted measures
were taken to stamp out the blood con-
tamlnation, which were eventually sue
cessful. and the patient began to recover
strength. When he got strong enough
and his body was sufficiently free from
the incidental disease, it was determined
by the attending surgeon to make q new
upper arm from the flesh of the patients
body, and to heal up the wound by cover
ing it over with healthy tissue. Al first
small pieces of flesh were taken from var.
ious parts of his body and placed in differ.
ent spots upon the raw shoulder as 9
matter of experiment, to determine
whether the flesh could be successfully
grated. The experiment was successful.
The little pieces Of flesh and skin united:
and made little oases on the diseased
shoulder. These minor operations were
performed several days apart and with
out the use of any other than a local
anasthetic. Everything had gone on
so we'll that about ten days ago
it was determined to begin the more i'm
portant part of the operation, which con.
sisted in covering up large portion OF
the arm at one time with flesh. The pa
tient was first put under the influence OF
an anesthetic. Then all the cicatriciaL
tissue upon the upper arm was scraped
with knife until it bled profusely and
was entirely raw. While the arm was
held away from the body two inclslons
were made about three inches apart run.
ming upward from the small ribs for about
seven inches. At the lower end of these
incisions a crosscut was made, and then
the strip of flesh was dissscted up from
the ribs, the full length OF the incision,
making a large flap. This was left
united at the upper end. Then the pa
TENTS arm was brought clo~e to his side
and this loose flap was laid over on the
raw flesh on the arm and carefully
pressed and fitted into position.
when this had been done there
was still a large section OF the
upper back arm remaining IN 'ovsred.
Two incisions were again made similar
to the first two, running up and down
the upper portion of the side of the back:
The flesh was thick at this point, and
permitted free disscct on. While the
i,pturned flesh was We. pa pitating with
tie heart influence, it wax put over the
bleeding surface of the III and fitted
into place. Then the two flaps were se-
curely fastened into position by long
bands of sticking plaster, while larger
bands were run over the lower portion OF
the arm and around the abdomen and
back, and interlaccd so that all motion
of the arm was stopped. After the whole
wound had been covered with an anti
semitic dressing, the ether conc was taken
off the patients face, AMI he soon recov'
cred consciousness. He suffered little
from the shock, and the hemorrhage,
was comparatively slight. 49,
The arm was kept securely fastened to
his side for week, and the wound was
carefully dressed every day: At tirst 1t
was not thought that the flesh from the
side would adhere to the flesh on the
arm, but after two days it took firm
hold and grew as if it belonged there,
and little Shoots Of new flesh branched
out in every direction. Two days ago the
ends uniting the two flaps to the body
were severed, the loose portions were
5r,,rn around tho nnGcr side of the arm,
the edges trimmed so as to make it per-
feet ft, and were then united with su-
tnres In continuing the operation it