Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-09
A SURGICAL OPERATION
Performed Today for the Relief Of
Maurice Adler.

DRs. AoNEw AND LINooLN-sPLISTKRs OF THE
SPINAL coLUnN REMOVED, RxLfEvTSo THE
PArIEsT-Hx THINKS THE BALL WAS EXTRACTED.
There was . great aggregation Of surgical
talent around the bedside Of Maurice Adler this
morning, and it would have been hard indeed
for any mortal to have shuf1ed Oh his coil
while SO many skilled physicians were present
to keep the breath Of life in his nostrils.
As predicted in TIE STAB yesterday the doc
tors had decided to perform an operation for
the purpose Of relieving Adler of certain dan
gerous symptoms which have appeared within
the past three days and which were becoming
more pronounced
The operation was q success, although the
wounded mans condition for the past twenty
four hours did not give promise Of any thing
but collapse.
A BAD NIGHT.
Adler had very restless time Of II all through
last night His weakness increased steadily
and his pulse went up to LAG, while his respira-
tions also became more numerous, going a.
nlgh as ~. The temperature, which has for
sometime past lowered around in the
immediate vicinity Of normal, had an upward
tendency, standing ut 102 degrees This morn
ing the temperature was at the same altitude,
but the respiration had gone up two points
WIND INC putse cropped to lao.
ARRIVAL OF PHYSICIANS.
The first physician to arrive-excepting DR..
Wagner, who is there all the time-was DR.. J.
Ford Thompson, who came shortly after 1890
He was followed in little while by DIR. ]. W.
Bayne and DR.. c. r. Luce, and within @ few
minutes after their arrival DR.. MS. Lincoln and
DR.. McBlair put in an appearance. A number Of
preparations had to be made before the actual
operating. began. What happened is told in
the following official statement made by DIR. j.
w. Bayne to reporter for The STAR end in
which the doctor reviews the causes which led
up to
THE NECESSITY FOR SURGICAL INTERVENTION.
ION Tuesday last" said DR.. Bayne, "when
we held q consultation on Adler's case symp-
toms had Just made their appearance which
had not existed previously; they indicated
Enthusiastically that there was pressure
upon the spinal cord. These symptoms
consisted Of marked rightly of the muscles of
the arms and legs with contraction in the
hands and feet, accompanied by muscular
tremors throughout the entire system. At the
consultation on Tuesday the question of an
operation for the relief Of this pressure was
considered, but we determined before proceed
ing further to call in that eminent physician,
DR.. N. 8. Lincoln, and to ask his counsel in the
matter. DR.. Lincoln agreed with us en-
tirely as TO the propriety Of the course which we
had adopted heretofore. and he also conquered
in our opinion that there was now a necessity
which demanded an operation. We then de-
termined to communicate with DR.. Agnew.
wrote to him acquainting him with the later
history Of the case, and he telegraphed in re-
ply, Under present circumstances operate
without delay on Adler This we had fully
determined to do before We received DR.. Ag-
news telegram.
TIE OPERATION.
"The operation was performed in very skill
full manner by DR.. J. Ford Thompson in the
presence Of and assisted by Drs. N. 8. Lincoln,
myself CBayne), McBlair, Wagner and Luce.
The patient was placed under the influence of
chlorofsrm by DR.. Luce, who was selected for
that duty because Of his very wide experience
in the administration of anesthetics and
an incision about inches long was made by
DR.. Thompson down to the vertebr@ over the
course of the wound, which was found to be
entirely healed. On cutting down upon the
spine it was found that the spinous process Of
the fourth cervicai vertebra was fractured and
had been
DRIVEN AGAINST THE SPINAL CORD,
which 1t was pressing upon and had lacerated
to the extent of three-fourths Of an inch The
spinous process and lamina were removed and
the pressure was thus taken from off the cord.
1t was found that the ball after striking the
fourth cervical vertebra had glanced of, but in
IL.
location Is unknown. Wewere satisfied, though,
that to search for it further would have sub
jected the patient to unnecessary danger with
out corresponding promise of benefit.
'THE PATIENT BORE THE OPERATION WELL,
and was in a better condition to withstand the
strain that at any time since the in
jury. What will be the outcome of
the operation il something we cannot
now predict, but we feel thst every thing pos
sibls has been done to relieve Adler's suffer
ings. From the symptoms and history
been JUSTIFIED until the conditions Of
the pressure upon the spinal cord
developed themselves early this week.
The actual length Of time consumed in the
operation was o little less than half an hour"
"Do you anticipate that this operation will
place Adler q little nearer the highway to
health?" asked the reporter
Il cannot say that it does" replied the doc
tor. ut removes the cause of much of his suf-
fering as far as 1t is in our power to remove it,
and while it gives him slight chance Of recov-
cry yet the prognosis is extremely unfavora
The operation itself cannot, however be other
wise than beneficial"
EASIER AFTER THE OPERATION.
As soon as the operation was over and the in
cision had been carefully attended to Adler re-
covered from the influence of the chloroform,
He was at once given stimuiant and few
minutes later fell asleep. His pulse was then
100, but in a little while it dropped to I46,
where it now is. After sleeping for about an
hour Adler awoke. His first remark was a
question in which he was very much inter-
ested.
"Have they got the ball2'' he asked.
HE THINKS THE BALL Is OUT.
It would not do to shock him by saving no.
so the attendants assured him that the bali was
out and that he was getting along
splendidly. Then he asked for
drink of milk, which was given
him, and he semed to be much easier than he
has been for some time. By and by he will ask
to see that ball and then everybody will have to
join in chorus of white lies as to
what became Of it, and many fanciful story
will be told of how that deadly missile mys-
teriously lost itself after its imaginary extrac-
ton.
POSSIBLE CHANCE FOR RECOVERY.
DR.. Wagner, who has been and still il a most
faithful attendant at the wounded mans bed
side, is by no means hopeful as to the future.
1.-THE operation" said he to STAR reporter,
"has done no harm, and 1t gives Adler a
chance-a possible show-for recovery.
~ am very much afraid, however. that he
will never get up. 1t would not surprise me il
within the next twenty-four hours he travels to
the borderland, fingers awhile, and then goes
over"
M Z p1o,,f ;r<ir,o%a friarS ~ H.