Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-01
esssegagutgrta Wazette.
TUESDAY EVENING. MAY 1.
AWonder in Surgery.


One NJ the most delicate and notable sur
gical operations ever performed IN the Worio
was made in Philadelphia on Saturday, 1t
being nothing less than transplantation OF a
portion OF the eye of a rabbit to the eye OF a
human being. The object of the operation
WAS to relieve the obscurity OF the eye OF 8
nstient which was caused by Inflammation,
and which produced in time an Opaque sur
face. The patient was servant girl, whose
syes had bscoms almost totally useless, SO
far as vision was concerned, by reason OF
the whitish coating, which made botn OF the
orbits Opaque, and she was 30 nearly plno
shat objects of considerable size were bareiy
,iistinguishab.e at the email distance OF nVe
feet. The operation took place under tne
Immediate direction of DIR. 5. webster FOX,
the opthalmio surgeon OF the INSTITUTION,
who witnessed one of the only two opera
tions of this nature which have oeen per-
formed in the world, in Germany last year,
it being performed by Professor Won Hip
ple, of Giessen, G rmany. Both of the two
previous operations were performed by Pro.
ie4sor Won Nipple within short period OF
time of each other, the Professor having first
devised. and having had manufactured
for the purpose, very delicate H.
st,ument, which, by means OF
clock work attachment, not only bores
into the corner of the eye, but al
80 registers the exact depth OF the
puncture. In this way very email portion
of the cornea is cut from one OF the eyes OF
rabbit, and piece corresponding IN SIZE
is taken from tho afflicted eye Of the human
patient, both taken from point directly in
front of the pupil of the orbit. Both the
rabbit and the patient are first placed under
theinhuence Of ths local aD;e 'thetlc, cocaine;
and the rabbits eye was selected by reason
of similarity to the human eye, because 1t is
distinct;vely hesbacious animal, the blood
of which is less liable 10 communicating In
huences than other animals, whose food is
composed principally of animal matter:
The operation of Saturday. while delicate
in its nature, was not a difficult one, and
while it will require from ten to fifteen days
time to develop the result expected OF IT.,
there has not been doubt of its success in
the minds of the most expert opthalmic sur
geons Of the United States. The operation,
leaving out all technical language in the de-
scription of it, is simply the ENGRAVING OF q
piece of cornea of the eye of g human SUBJ
iect, and as it is the fist operation OF the
kind ever performed in America, and the
third ever occurring in the world, the sue
cess of it has been matter of interest among
the prominent ophtsimagists of the country,
and as both of the two cases of this kiud
have been successful hey ond the most san
guins expectations of the operators, there is
but little idea OF failure in Saturdays oper.
alton.
DR.. Fox has devoted years Of study and
travel in his efforts to restore sight to the
unfortunates who have been deprived either
through disease or accident of natures kind
est gift. His success in Saturdays effort in
this direction will mark q very important
part in ophthalmology.