The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-07-16
A TRiUMPH or SURGERY.
A Singular Case OF Woman who
Could Not Breathe-An Instance
in Which Cocaine Was Used
to Good Purpose

Removing tllmor was one of the
bloodiest operations IN the science of
surgery, and frequently the hemorrh-
age got beyond the surgeons control,
and the death of the patient was re-
corded, writes New York correspond
ent of The Cincinnati Enquirer. But
with the new lights that are almost
daily being thrown into the dark, mys-
terious byways of surgery, methods
have been discovered that in many in
stances make an easy operation out of
one that had always been regarded as
difficult; and the following is one that
has excited considerable interest Mar
garet Forster, middle-aged and
comely woman, is the patient. and
Bellevue hospital is the place that she
left last Sunday. feeling so much reliev-
ed that everything she looked upon in
the bright, sunshiny world had a new
interest for her. She passed most of
her life at Newburgh on the Hudson,
and until about a year ago had never
known what it was to be sick, and then
she discovered that she was unable to
breathe with freedom through her nose.
The difficulty was increased when living
down, and this prevented her from get
ting he accustomed sleep. After trying
all the remedies that are usually given
in the household from the store-house
of old women who have certain cures
for everything, and getting no relief,
she called in the regular family physi-
clan. 1t took only glance from his
all-wise eye to discover that Margaret
was suffering from an aggravated ca
tarrhal inflammation, deep seated and
of long standing, and vigorous meas
ures were employed to set things
right in the nose. But this organ
had a mind of its own, and laughed at
the efforts that were made to bring it
to terms, although sometimes its mer-
riment was tinged with tears as the ir-
ritating washes that were injected at
regular intervals went gliding over the
infamed membranes. The only effect
of the treatment given was to make life
more uncomfortable for the sufferer,
and change of physicians was tried.
This was about as good as the first at
tempt with the single exception that the
drugs given were of particularly
nauseating character, and the woman S
stomach was Knocked endwise. and got
into such an electric condition that the
moment food touched bottom it was
sent back again like shot from
howitzer Another physician was tried,
and he diagnosed the case as a spinal
difficulty exercising reflex action on
the organs of respiration. Perfect rest
the patient must have, and she was
kept in bed, where all the symptoms
were aggravated tenfold, until she
fingered on the border of insanity, and
thought of suicide as remedy that
would bring relief
She got worse all the time. The
difficulty in breathing increased, and
finally became SO pronounced that not
a particle of air could be drawn through
the nostrils, and the poor woman went
around with her mouth wide open,
gaping for breath. The physical
strain, as well as mental worry. re-
duced the woman's weight and vitality
to great extent. and as she could not
take nourishment with any certainty of
it doing good there was only one end
to her maladY, and this was a question
of tiIae.
She came to this city, and was recon-
mended to distinguished throat spe-
cialist at Bellevue. She got there on
Saturday morning, and it was after
noon before she could be examined.
Then the surgeon put a speculum into
her nose. and found with no trouble
the cause of all her suffering. The diff
ficulty was not catarrhal, but hanging
from the top of the nasal space down
into the back passage was a tumor. 1t
could be felt from the mouth easily,
and there was only one thing that
could be done, and that was to take it
out. In the old surgery this was a
serious undertaking. After the patient
had been an@sthetized, the throat and
mouth were packed with layers of cot
ton. and then the windpipe was split
open and a tube inserted, so tEat
breathing could be carried on inde-
pendent OF the mouth. Then the cheek
was opened, the bone sawed through,
and the tumor torn out with forceps.
The blood would squirt out in every
direction, and, in consequence OF the
confined space the surgeon had to work
in, the bleeding points could not be
picked up except BY chance, and there
were many recorded cases OF death.
The blood was kept out OF the lungs by
the cotton, and when this became
saturated it would stream out OF the
patients mouth.
But this was all changed, and in an
hour after the patient came 10 the hos
pital she was in the operating-room.
While her mouth was held open as wide
as possible, the palate, tonslls and
neiohboring parts were thoroughly
painted at intervals with cocaine, the
4 per cent. solution. The liquid was al
So injected mp the rear nasal passage
.,,,l iufa the nose. Tests were made al