The Red Cloud chief., 1888-04-06
TRACHEOTOMY B

! An EnGlishmaE Who Has Worn One 70
Fully tx Years.
4 case in which the operation of tracheOt
chy proved strlbingly successful has jus,
co.;.e under our notice, says the Pail Ma!
Gazette. 1t is that of Il man, formerly a sol
dier, who had the incisiOn into the wind
3lpe made SIX yefrs ago, and who wears
the tracheotomy tube at the present mo.
hlent. he was q private in the Royal En-
S'heers. and took part in the Egyptian cam
paign OF ISL. being present at Telel-Nebir.
tile III Egypt he drank some bad water,
and this induced a blood poisoning, which
ultimately took the form of deepsea.cd alb
sccsses in the neck. He returned from
Egypt. arriving in this country some time
IN October. 1867, and 1t once became q pa-
tent at the Royal Military Hospital. South
amptcn. The nan describes the operation
as being only a little painful. The previous
dlff!culty IN breathing had been so great
that II the lEcision into the windpipc had
caused much pain that pain was over
Wheines by the great relief which followed
the operation. He remained in the hospi-
tai fof some months, but finally left quite
cured.
he finds but little discomfort or incon-
venience ID wearing the tracheo.omy tube.
He can NOT speak without first putting hls
inner to his neck to close the OFFICE of the
tube. The reason for this is obvious. Voice
Is Caused bs the vibration Of the vocal
chords III the EirynX. and to set them vibra-
ting a current of air from the lungs is re-
qulred. The ini'isiOn of tracheo:Omy being
made in the Windpipe below the larynx.
enough air to vibrate the vocal chords can
not be obtained until the orifice is closed.
The Closing is, in most tracheotomy tubes.
effected by an automatic valve, but the
soldier now in question viii have none of !
them. He wore the automatic valve for n
short time. IT is true. but when he was COM
ing down Regent street one day it few of
and was lost. and he has done very well |
without at since. He can also talk b. put
ting his head down. in which case the Oriice
Is closed by his chin instead of by his finger.
he possesses a duplicate tube for use in case
of accident.
A brief description Of the tube may be
found interesting. IL is made of silver. that
being the metal least likely to be acted upon
by any fluids to be found in the windpipe OF
the condensed aqueous vapOr Of the
breath. 1t is in reality no more than the
implies-that is, tube. 1t is bent into
the form Of a quadrant, and the outer nor.
tion has . shield, which presses against the
of the neck. To the shield arc attached I
tapes. which pass around the neck and are
tied. These serve to keep the tube securely
position. The instrument is further sup .
phca with y smaller inner tube and guide.
The former can easily be removed and rj@
placed for the purpose Of cleanipg, which
however, is not necessary more than once . h
lay, unless the weather be very fogxy. But 4
he inner tube is not an essential, and the :,
'oldier OF whom we write never wears it. !
ae removes the tube itself, the tissues 0
lround it having become 20 hardened that q
or . short time they answered. the purposes =
the tracheotomy tube itself. The person Il
vho is compelled to use a tracheotomy tube Il
generally wears q high collar, and Ill that i
ee1 Is . small hole.