The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-11-14
QUEER MEDICAL CASE.
A Woman Whose Left Leg Was
Larger Than Her Body.

One Of the most remarkable cases
that has taxed the ingenuity of New
York surgeons ina long time is at pres
ent under treatment at the College of
physicians and Surgeons, writes a New
York correspondent of the st. Louis
Giobe-Democrat. The disease is known
us elephantiasis Arabum. The patient
is colored girl, aged eighteen years.
She had, at the same time she applied
for treatment a leg which measured as
follows: Around the thigh, at its
largest part, thirty-slx inches; around
the calf of the. leg, twenty-seven
inches. The other leg, not affected
was measured for sake Of comparison,
at the same places as the diseased
limb. 1t measured: Thigh. twenty
three inches; calf of leg, nineteen and
a half inches. This will show the
great size of the limb, which
will Ee still better appreciated
when it is remarked that at the
waist the girls body measured only
twenty-eight inches. The disease had
been going on for two years and half
or more. The first symptoms were
fever and what was at the time
thought to be dropsy or edematous af-
fection of the limb. AS the disease ad-
vanced the skin over the limb, from
the abdomen down to the ankle, be-
came red, greatly thickened, and of
dull, putty-like feel to the hand. The
size rapidly increased for a few
months, then remained stationary for
some time. There was another febrile
attack and fresh growth commenced.
The leg now grew to what was then
thought enormous proportions and its
true nature became evident. The skin
covering the limbs looked almost pre-
cisely like the hide of the famous Jum-
bo. 1t was concluded that the growth
could be reduced by tying ligature
around the main az tsSG7y that supplies
blood to the limb.
Ether was administered to the pa
tient, and, unlike most patients, she
seemed scarcely affected until she had
taken half a small can of the anasthe-
tic. Subsequently it was discovered
she was woman of Incorporate habits,
which accounted for her great tolerance
of the ether. When well under the
anasthetic she was first thoroughly
washed with soap and watar, per-
formance she resisted before taking the
ether. She was very filthy, and the
scrubbing made her copper-colored skin
at least three shades lighter. AL
things being in readiness, the surgeon
selected sharp scalpel and made ar
incision along the course of the femoral
artery from midway between the hiI
and groin to point four inches below
the place the large blood vessel emerg
es from beneath Pouparts ligament
This incision was carried directly dowr
to the artery, which is the largest il
the leg. The artery was then laid il
full view by the aid of a pair of retrac
tors-instruments that are put into ;
wound, one from each side, to draw i
apart so that its deeper parts can be
seen. The artery was seen lying
along the border of the sartorlu'
muscle, but was quite deel
in the. greatly hypertrophied tissue
It's outer fibrous sheath was cautiously
opened with a sharp pair of scissors
and an aneurism needle carrying heavy
black carbonized surgical silk was
passed beneath the vessel, and the
silk tied firmly about it. The artery
had become greatly enlarged; it wa
} several inches in circumference. The
1 bleeding from the wound was consid
L. cradle, but at last all points from
which blood came were stopped, an(
the wound washed out with d bichlo-
ride of mercury solution, one part mer
curry to one thousand parts water
| The edges of the wound were theI
:, brought together and sutured, apropel
= dressing was applied, and the patien
: sent to bed. She recovered well from
r the effects of the ether, and her liml
rapidly decreased in size. No un
pleasant symptoms presented them
selves. Five weeks after the operation
g the leg was reduced to almost its nor
;, NAL size, when attack of fever tool
: place and the leg commenced to in
t crease rapidly in size, but the increas'
Q was not long continued, and after two
t weeks it again began to diminish and
t kept on Diminishing to the present
time. The patient has now left tn
q hospital and comes only to see the sur
o geon twice weekly, and is regarded a
= cured.