St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-06

ssatsNSASSSA.f QG@EAx this, and which
Iks - 81 affords grea tie 7
9fXfezH-1=NIS opportunity f or
\N&MSiI future develop
All MJT@Y NV ment. 1t is only
,,lE NS 1 sass&ad, within the last
ahGtS4l,ssR -as#H'."- few years that in
Y ~jH a&S teStinal ObStruc-
LIS tons have recelv-
y ed the serious at
se tention of sur
geOns. This peculiar condition in the
human being has always been looked
upon with the greatest dread, and for
most excellent reason. 1t was beyond
the power of the physician to success
fully cope with it. 1t ran through its
course with but little variation i'll every
case, and the end was always death.
The astute physician, with an eye to
his fees, would not throw a case of i'll
festival obstruction over his shoulder, as
the disease might continue for months
and be very profitable, but no physician
ever had an idea that he was earning
his money in these cases until recently.
The remedies given never did any
good, and were only kept up as a
matter of form, while the patients
strength WIS slowly Slapped by the
disease until the end came. No attempt
was ever made to ascertain the cause of
the obstruction, and the man who would
have suggested Sach a thing would have
certainly been condemned by his broth
er practitioners, and been sent to
AN INSANE ASYLUM.
Once in great while nature would
free an intestinal obstruction and effect
cure unaided. This was all that
surgeon ever hoped for until Prof.
CZerny swept away the delusioD and
false ideas concerning this disease and
demonstrated that surgical interference
was justifiable, aye, imperative, and
that thousands of people had died from
this cause whose lives might have been
saved by the treatment which the sur
geOn would not hesitate second to give
to-day.
For some reason, the nature of which
battles the most expert Investigator,
there has been 4 large and sudden in
crease in the number of recorded cases
of intestinal obstruction during the
past five years; but it is exceedingly graf
flying to know that the great develop
ment of abdominal surgery has taken the
keen edge of fatality from the malady.
and removed i'll a large measure the
dread of the physician who has to look
after such a case, as well as the fear of
the person afflicted. 1t has been said
that this increase III disease is due to
the increase in the beer habit, but this
lacks contrmatory evidence.
There was a case of intestinal ObStruc-
ton at the New York hospital recently
that far surpasses any thing of the
kind ever seen in this city. and the
patient can be extremely thankful that
he was not afflicted five or even three
years ago, for he would then GER
tainly have died, as nothing could have
hoap Inna fur him HE nona ic Chorlac
Corrigan, and he is about forty years
old. He is machinist, and says he
never drank beer or Intoxicating fluid
in any form. His first symptoms were
diarrhea and dislike for food. The
diarrhea kept up more OF less about four
months, during which period there
was a noticeable enlargement of the
abdomen. The constant drain upon
his system and the small amount of
food taken resulted in great emaciatiOn
and weakness. He was treated for dys-
pepsia and took large amount of
drugs. A most annoying symptom ap-
peared after he had been ill for about
three months, and that was that after
eating or drinking clicking sound
like that produced by water run
ming from bottle, was heard
in the abdomen. 1t was accom-
panied with pain. After the diarrhea
came constipation of a most obstinate
kind. Medicines had no effect upon the
intestinal canal, and the patient went
for eight months without a movement of
the bowels. The legs swelled to such
an enormous size that the patient was
unable to walk. Openings were kept i'm
the flesh near the feet from which
WATER CONSTANTLY OoZED.
The hearts action was very feeble,
frequently going down twenty beats
minute. The abdomen was distended
tached to the trOad, and the patient
suffered terribly from flatulancy. He
might have been relieved in the early
part of the disease, but he had such a
horror of being cut that he could not
make up his mind to submit to an OPP
Grafton. He finally got to the point in
his sufferings when he would undergo
anything for relief.
The first thing tried was cOlOpunc-
ture. The trOcar and cannula were
thrust into the middle of the transverse
colon. No ether was given. The gas
escaped in a perfect blast like a little
cyclone for several minutes, and the
pressure on the abdomen was reduced.
All the gas was not liberated, and
after the cannula was removed
the intestines quickly filled again.
AS this operation was unsuccessful,
some experiments were tried to locate
the obstruction in the bowel, aud then
an artificial anus was made in the pa
TENTS side. An enormous quantity Of
eXcrement was removed through the ar
tifcial opening, which was kept closed
with an ivory plug instated in hard
certainly of benefit, but it was only tenn
porary, and as last resort abdominal
section was determined upon.
To undergo this ether had to be given,
and the chances were that from the
weakness of the heart the ether would
prove more dangerous than
THE OPERATION.
DR.. Dennis used the instruments. An
inciSion was made in the abdomen,
which was distended to such an extent
that the wall was not much thicker
than heavy paper. The intestines
were enormously enlarged, and pressed
so hard upon the wall that after it
was cut they burst through and en-
larged the incisiOn for several inches
before clamps could be put On tostop it.
The patint for moment stood an excel
lent chance of being split open from
testine was Immediately punctured to
liberate the gas. The bowels were
discolored and CLASSY, and looked,
as they tumbled around, like
the twisting of an enormous
snake. An opening was made into the
intestine without delay, and the surgeon
worked with the greatest speed, as the
patient seemed constantly on the verge
of collapsing. A large amount of i'm
pacted faces were dug out. 1t was not
a pleasant task even to a man in
love with science. The incision
in the intestine was fully seven
inches 1t length, and it took long time
with the most careful manipulation to