The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1889-01-16

nal wall was hardly thlcten than pa
per, and so tender that it tore under
the slightest pressure. This faulty
tissure did not promise we'll for the
outcome of the operation, aid in or>
der to remove the strain the incision
was extended several inches. A por.
tion of The intestines were taken out
and wrapped in hot flannel. They
were very small and very trauspar
cut, ana the network of arteries was
beautifully shown when held in the
light--a very rare sight, indeed. The
surgeon finally found the stomach
and drew it for forward through the
opening in the abdomen. 1t was
very dark in color and had the ape
pearance of parchment. 1t Was dry
and hard and cancerou', and with
out a single element of
A HEALTHY STOMACH.
The surgeon mads a careful exam.
ina Ion of the adhensions, and found
tnat the pancreas was not extensive.
ly involved. He freed the stomach
from them, and was then able get
a good view Of it. Instead If there
being trouble only in the pylOric re.
gion, as had been supposed, here was
paesented case in which the whole
organ was involved. IL was an un.
pleasant position for surgeon to be
in. To go ahead was very dangerous,
and to stop after the stomach had
been so much irritated was fullj as
liable to prove disastrous. DR.. ia.
cobus has plenty Of nerve, and he
only hesitated moment before de.
Gliding to go on.
In m king up his mini be was in
Adenced by an experiment which be
had about :. mcath ago tried upon
Frdo, the well-knOwn dog, at the
College of Physicians and Surgeons,
which has done SO much for the bene.
ct of mankind, and seems to bear q
charmed life. Al that time he re-
moved the entire stomach from Fido,
and the dog still lives without maHi-
Testing any Inconvenience from the
operation which cost him the loss Of
this useful organ. Fido was a dog
and healthy, aud the question that
presented itself was whether such an
operation could be performed upon a
weak human being with diseased
organ. DR. JacObus thought that it
would make no difference, aud that
there was as good chance for one as
for the other. In either case the
chance was hardly one in one lun>
dred. After a ligature had been tied
around the duodenum aid the esop.
hagus they were cut with a blunt
scissors rs near to the stomach as
possible, care being taken to go be-
yond the diseased tissue, and
THE STOMACH WAS REM WE'D.
The arteri,s were all enlarged and
the stomach would have bled fright
fully il it had been cut. After the
abdominal space had been thorough.
lly cleaned q union was made by
drawing the cordia and the pylorus
together.
Il required great ingenuity to unite
them. as the canals were Of different
thickness and did n It tit well togeth
er. Tne other swelling was found To
be q fluid pouch in the esophagus
and as IL was not Of a malignant
ch lracter it was not touched.
The abdominal would have lust
been closed when DR.. Jacobus wa.
called murderer, as before related
DR. Jac ,bus did not prove q murder.
er. In fact, he saved a life. The
patient remained nnc IN sciOus fjr sev.
eral days aud then rallied. Her body
was rubbed With oil. and food wa:
; gwen her, per rectum, and che gained
strength rapidly. At the end Of twC
weeks she was given food through
the mouth without any bad effect
Digestion went on in q perfectly na
tur4l manner, and from this il would
T seem that the stomach has beer
thought TO play q more important
part in digestion than II really doe.
The patent will be kept at the hos
, pital for several months, so that the
history Of the case can be carefull,
noted. Photographs were t,ken o
the stomach aud The abdominal spac,
after the canals we're united, and
complete record will appear mex
. month in the Medical Journal.