Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-04

the specialisis on throat diseases sub
stantiallv agree that the malady from
which the royal patient is suffering Is
perichondritis of the larynx, or in popn-
lar language. mn inflammation and con-
seduent thickening Of the cartilages OF
the larynx. In speaking OF the case.
tho doctor TO whom nllusion has been
made said: al do not believe that
the pnblic realizes how setious must
have heen the condition of the
Crown Prince before resort was made to
tho operation OF tracheotomy. 10
il not an operation directed locally
10 the cure of the d;sease, but intended
simnlv a. last resort for tho relief Of
the sufferer. The employment OF this
means shows that the Crown Prince was
ut the point Of sunocation from tue
closing of the larynX that his breathing
was lnhored aud painful to the last de
gree that he was suffering torture and
in the fear Of death. IL also implies
that constant care must be exercised for
long tune, and that though the patient
may. and probably will rally. the disease
is IN no way cured by tho success OF the
operation.
RARE DISEASE,
"If tho disease is in reality pcriohon-
Drifts Of the iarynX, then the case winch
/ treated must pe closely analogous. ii
is rare disease and the cause cannot he
definitely stated. in the case OF the
Crown Prince, pcuchondritis. ii pres,
cnt. is a new complication, The ol|lnai
malady. 30 We over here understand IT..
made itself visible in the shane OF II
swelling upon one Of the vocal chords,
when resulted in hOarsencss ms
growth was removed By Or. Mackenzie.
Ii cannot be said that perichoudnus re-
suited from the affection TO which atten-
ton was first directed. The connection
between them, ii any, Is matter OF
hypothesis. Gecently tue symptoms
which point to perchondritis have ap-
peared. and the Tapidity OF development
indicates a fatal termination.
CHOW Tor the case which | treated.
The patient came to me because be sui
fered from hOarsoness. His general
health WIS good. An examination Of the
throat showed swelling OF the l3rynx
internally upon ono side. His breathing
bad begun to be somewhat obstructed.
Without following the case too much ~
detail will say that treated him with
the result of relieving his distress.
Later he was persuaded by friend TO
give up my treatment and WAS pracu-
callv without medical advice for some
months
4 sUCCEssFtL OPERATION.
Then was suddenly called TO attend
him. / found him walking back aud
forth across the floor OF his room evl-
IDENTIFY N tho greatest distress. His
breathing was l8bored TO such degree
that J cannot dcscrlbe It 20 one unta-
miliar with such a Gaze. He was endu-
ring the pangs OF suflocation. An
anuiicatiOn OF cocaine reduced the
| Inflammation in his larynX, which was
nearly closed. and gave him relief. The
next dav he was removed 10 the New
York Eye. Ear and Throat hospital on
| Second avenue. His condition hecame
worse. and consultation OF physicians
resulted in tie decision that trachootomy
was absolutely Necessary. lhe opera
ton was performed successfully. end IN
about two weeks the patient had rallied
| sufficiently 20 be about. II must not be
supposed that any progress had been
made against the disease. We had
simply secured the patient breathing
| space. The malady still continued 10
| advance, nut for a time 1t WAS not sui
! Gcieut TO overcome him. When | had
! first seen him there had been a swelling
/ of the larvnx upon one side only. II
! bad gradually spread, ana similar milan
nation hal appeared elsewhere upon the
larynx. until the aperture was merel = a
thin slit. To the best OF my belief there
was nothing cancerous in the atiec-
ton. A month or more after the
operation Of ;racheotomy was performed
the patient was able to 90 to work, Still
wearing his tube. This tube, by the
way, was inserted in an incision made
exactly in the middle Of the throat, IL
front. An outer tube, which curves
downward, is put in and is fastened by d
band Of tape passing around the neck.
An inner tube is then inserted. 81
first this has to be removed every
few hours and cleaned. The outer
tube also has TO be taken out al
longer intervals. For some weeks
after the operation | was present when
The out pipe was cleaned, but later the
PATIENTS wife learned to do it safely
The strain upon her nerves and those Of
the patient must have been intense al
such times. There he Jay gasping with
fear lest something should prevent tilI
return of his tube, and she who had
never seen the simplest surgical operation
before was obliged to cleanse and replace
the instrument A hole In mans throat
is not pleasant thing to look ut, and
often wondered at the little woman
nerve. But she learned to do it with the
most consummate skill.
THE sTEALTHY MALADY.
"For about ten months the condition
of the patien. was in sense favorable
although | had no hope OF an ultimate
cure. Still, the advance of the disease
did not appear to be rapid nor WAS tht
patient obliged to give up to 1t. AT tina
time. however. more srrious symphonic
began to develop. and 1t was evident tina
the degeneration and destruction O.
tissue was progressing The suitre
was obliged TO keep bis room, and FINAL!
to remain in his chair, as nc could no
breathe when living down. On'
day was called to see him
and found that he had been suffer
inc from n closure OF the passage
below the tube. in despair he la,
seized soft catheter or tube, which
had left in his room, and pressed 1t int
the metal tube which be wore IN hi
throat Relief he'd been instantaneous
and thereafter he used frequently to re
sort to this means when he could no
breathe without it. The spectacle of th'
unfortuDate man sitting in his char an,
holding the end of a catheter, lest i
should be drawn entirely into BIZ throat
was one OF the most pathetic imaginable
1t was a hopeless struggle sgalns; death
Seventeen months after the operation o
tracheOtOmy was performed the patlen