The morning call., 1890-11-01
REMARKABLE SURGERY.
The Operation at a New York Clint
Graphically Described.

The Operation at New York Clinic
Graphically Described.
After climbing eight pairs of stairs at the
New York Hospital the writer found him
self on the top floor of the building and
turning to the left they entered door on
which plate bore the name "Amphithea-
ter" A crowd of doctors and students
entered with them, and were coming and 60
| ing constantly.
Every known scientific appliance was at
hand for the use of the operating surgeons,
Drs. Bull and Weir, who soon entered, but
the patient as yet was not fully etheriZed,
and they stood around the arena, robed like
priests in white surplice-llke gowns that
covered them from their necks to their
shoes. They were fne-looking men, both
handsome, neither of them beyond lies
| prime. Soon the patient was ready. and the
! two male nurses brought him in on a
| stretcher.
The surgeon in charge, DR.. Weir. now an
| nOunceS that the case was one Of diseased
| kidney, in which, all other means of treat
ment having failed, he had determined, after
| consultation with his colleagues, to cut down
! Oh and remove the organ.
| An inciSion was now made in the right
| side of the center of the abdomen. The
| kidney was then sought for behind the
| stomach and other organs, and, being greatly
"
| After all its connections were dissected out,
| a platinum wire was passed around its
pedicle and heated TO white heat by cleo
| tricitY to burn away the connection. AS it
| slowly burned through the tissues frying
| sound could be heard, and thick, greasy
>moke came out OF the abdominal incision.
| Meanwhile the surgeons with the utmost
| care controlled the amount of heat. AT last
| the operation was finished and the removed
| organ was taken from the abdomen. 1t was
| as large as child's head and weighed sew
eral pounds with tie pus and water with
| which its various abSceSs cavities were filled.
After the removal of the organ consider
| able hemorrhage took place. Vessel after
| vessel was tied, and bleeding points were
| touched with the red-hot end Of the thermo-
| cautery iron; but for long time it was i'm
| possible to check the flow of blood. and in
| the midst Of this the ether worked badly !;
| the patient became so pale and blue that it
| had to be stopped. Great beads of rerspira-
| ton stood on the brow of the anxious sur
| geon as, with the aid of small portable cleo
| trio light placed within the abdominal cavity,
| he CROPPED around, trying to find the chief
| point from which the hemorrhage came.
Every eye In the auditorium was strained to
| catch a view of the least success. The surgeon
| and his assistants that had entered in such
| White apparel, presented the appearance of
but hers-they were spotted and spattered
| with blood from head to foot At last the
bleeding artery that had occasioned most of
| the trouble was found. To seize it with
| pair of artery f0rceps was but the work of
| an Instant. In a few minutes more the YES
| sci was securely tied and the bleeding was
under control. Meanwhile. the ether having
been discontinued, the patients condition
improved rapidly The wounded surfaces
were then treated, tho abdomen closed and
the patient sent to the ward. Afler the
operation the surgeon seemed utterly tired
out.-St. Louis Post-DiSpatch.