Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-04-17
MAKING A NEW ARM.
A WONDERFUL OPERATION IN
A NEW YORK HOSPITAL.
Cutting Strips of Flesh From a
Mans Side and Back and Sue
ccssfully Grating Them on n
Diseased Limb.

IT1Jthe says: "A surgical operation OF
exceeding interest is being performed at
the Hahne mann hospital. 1t is one of
those cases that cannot be finished at
single sitting but which must be carried
through vari )us stlgcs in progressive
way from the beginning to the end. 1t
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 Dol, a
German, thirty one years old. He re-
ce,ved his injury accidently. lie 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. 1t smothcred a time and
burned several small holes in the sleeve,
and then it burst into a flame and the
sleeper was aroused The fire had
reached his flesh, and he tore at the burn
ing cloth mldly He rolled over on the
floor, and finally the flame was eXtin
guished. His right arm from the wrist
to the sho alder WIS terribly burned, and
it looked as if the flesh could be scraned
from the bone without trouble. The
pnin was intense, and from the nature of
the wound it appeared as if the arm
would have to be amputatcd close up to
the shoulder. Private modicll treat
me 1t was triel for time, but rs it did
not accomplish any material benefit Doll
went to a hospital He rem,incd under
constant care for two months. BY this
time the fore arm had healed, leaving
frightful scar, with the c:ca'r cial tissue
drawing in eve direction. Despite the
most persevcring trea 'mcat the upper
portion of the arm from the elbow to the
shoulder could not be hcalel. The pa
tient went to several hospitals, but could
get no relief. There was such large
surface of exposed flesh in the wound
that the pus formation was unusually
large, and the antiseptic precautions
which were taken did not prevent the
absorption of the poisonous matters into
the patients sy-t'm. Thus dangerous
condition of BIO poisoning was set up.
He grew pale an emac.atcd, LOST his
strength and courage and when he was
admitted to the IIahnen.ann hospital,
abou! two months ago, he was a Twin,
skeleton with hardly muscular power
enough left to raise his hand.
AS soon us 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 new
upper arm from the flesh Of the patients
body, and to heal up the wound by cover
ing it over with healthy tissue. At first
small pieces of flesh were taken from var
ious parts of his body and place | in differ
ent spots NJ on the raw shoulder as a
matter of experiment. to determine
whether the flesh could be successfully
grated. The experiment was success ,ful.
The little pieces of flesh and skin united
and male little cases on the diseased
shoulder. These minor operations were
performed several days apart and with
out the use of any other than local
anrstheti,. Everything had gone on
so well that about ten days ago
it was determined to b"g.n 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.
tent was first put under the influence OF
an alinsthetic. Then al the cicatricial
tissue upon the upper arm was scraped
with a knife until it bled profuscly and
was entirely raw. While the arm was
held away from the oily two incisions
were made about three inches apart run
ming upward from the small ribs for about
seven inches. At the lower end of these
missions a crosscut was made, and then
the strip of flesh was disscctcd up from
the ribs, the full length o. the incision,
making a large flap. This was left
united ut the upper end. Then the pa
TENTS am was brought close to his side
and this loose flap was laid over en- the
raw flesh on the arm and carefully
pressed and fitted into position
When tslis had been done there
was still a large section of the
upper back arm remaining IN ovcred
Two incisaons were again male similar
to the first two, runninr up and down
the upper portion of the side of the back
The flesh was thick Mt this point, and
permitted free dissection. While the
upturned flesh was ye pa pitating with
the heart influence, it wa Dut over the
bleeding surface of tue Il m and fitted
into place. Then the two flaps were Sc
curely fastened into position by long
bands of sticking plister, while larger
bands were run over the lower portion of
the arm and around the abdomen and
back, and interlaccl so that all motion
of the arm was stopped. After the whole
wound had been covered with an anti
semitic dressing, the ether cone was taken
off the patients face, and he soon rccov.
cred consciousness. He suffered little
from the shock, and the hemorrhagc
was comparatively slight.
The arm was kent securely fastened to
his side for week. and the wound was
carefully dressed every day At first it
was not thought that the flesh from the
side would adhere to the flesh on the
arm, but after two days it took n firm
hold and grew MS if it belonged there,
and little shoots of new flesh branchcd
ont in every direction Two days ago the
ends unitin" the two flaps to the body
were severed. the loose portions were
drawn around the under side of the arm,
the edges trimmed so as to make it per
feet fit, and We're then united with su-
lures. In continuing the operation it
will be necessary to alter the shape of the
flaps in some places. Only little
sloughing has taken place, and this has
mad no in iuriOuS effect The arm now nrp-