The Opelousas courier., 1888-01-21
A WONDERFUL CASE.
A Man Supplied With Artificial
Vocal Organs.
An Ingenious Substitute for a
Lost Larynx.

It1OIS III lliC liz toly VI S"iSSiJ " "N'
being performed at the New York hos
pital by DR.. Bull, one of Americas most
noted surgeons. He has removed a
mans larynx and vocal organs, and is
now perfecting a machine whereby the
patient will be able to articulate in a
loud voice.
About six months ago William Will
som, an engineer of Newburgh, N. Y,
who is undergoing this painful but
heroic operation, experienced a diff
Guilty in breathing. He thought at first
that it was some throat affection caused
by a cold, Lut the trouble increased at
such a rate that he felt it expedie1t to
come to New York and consult DIR. Bull.
| It is fortunate that he did, for had he
delayed two days he would have been a
dead man. AS it was, he was in danger
of suffocation.
DIR. Bull thought that Mr.. Wilsonawas
suffering from a papillary growth in the
| larynx, the same disease that the crown
prince of Germany was under treatment
in England for. The operation of ira
cheotomyswas performed by cutting an
oriice in his windpipc and passing a
silver tube into the lungs, thus allowing
the man to breathe through this me-
! dunn. SWhen it was necessary to feed
him, this opening was plugged up with
a rubber cork. The larynx was also
opened at this time, scraped out and
cauterized. o
Mr.. Wilson went home apparently in
good health and experiencing no diff
Guilty with his new breathing machinery.
He did not enjoy his freedom from pain
very long, however, for he returned In
three weeks with his throat in a worse
condition than at first. The wound was
opened and a piece of the capillary
growth examined under a microscope.
1t was learned that Mr.. Wilson was suf-
fering from cancer of the larynx. DR..
Bull then decided to remove the whole
larynx, and with the assistance of DR..
Weir five weeks ago performed a most
successful operation. MI. Wilson, who
is a man sixty-two years of age, stood
the ordeal bravely, but it was decided
to put him under the influence of eth r.
The surgeon cut an incision down
the median line of the neck ~perpendicu-
larly over what is known as Adams APP
pie. The wound beingCwell sppnged,
the delicate task of removing kp inches
of the mans larynx was xtaen under
taken. 1t was cut off just above the
trachea and below the epiglottis, and
the piece removed. 1t resembles in al
cohol a piece Of macaroni half as large
as a mans thumb, and about as long.
The wound was packed with an anti
septic dressing that stopped the flow of
blood and tended to heal the cut. Food
was then administered to him by means
of a hard rubber tube passing into the
mouth, through the esophagus and into
the stomach. Two weeks ago a tube
was attached to the tracheal tube on the
inside of the oriice in his throat. This
tube passed upward into the back part
of the mouth, partly filling the cavity
that was formerly occupied by the
larynx.
After this tube was put into his mouth
MIR. Wilson could talk with his tongue
and lips, but his articulation was very
faint. Then after this tube was inserted
it was necessary to put a plug in the
upper end of the tube whenever he
wished to eat; for without a plug his
food, instead of following the natural
channel to the stomach, would lodge in
the tube. DR.. Bull thereupon inserted a
rubber ball that closely fitted the orifce.
This accomplished the desired result in
that direction. Then the plug was with
drawn from the other, or tracheal tube,
thereby allowing the man to breathe and
eat at the same time.
Having performed these astonishing
operations SO successfully, DR.. Bull
thought he would go further and pro-
vide the man with a talking apparatus,
seeing that he had cut away all his vocal
organs. He is accomplishing his purpose
in a wonderfully clever manner, mas
much as he has made a hollow plug to fit
the tube that runs into the mouth. In
this hollow plug Agreed identical to the
little tongue of metal that yibrates in q
harmonica is placed and fastened with
great care in such a manner that it will
vibrate and cause a distinct tone when
the outer orifiee is closed and the all
drawn into the mouth, through the two
jeinted tubes into the lungs, and from
the lungs expelled in the same manner.
The doctor is experiencing some
trouble IN fitting this reed, but thinks
that in q weeks time Mr.. Wilson car
talk as well as he ever could, though his
tone will be changed, that, of course,
taking the tone and pitch Of the reed.
MI. Wilson will not have to learn t.
talk again, but doubtless will surprise
himself when his new voice gets init
good working order. New reeds can 81
put in at any time that Mr.. Wilson,
~ fZ6Z eM4%a 49,