The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-28
A San Francisco Printers Obstinate
Humor Developes Great
Surgical Surprise.
Two DiRitals, Severed Ia Twain
by Q Paper Gutter, Are
Reunited.


SAN FAANc1soo, Nov. N.-While the preea
dispatches are every day telling Of the WON
derful doinRs of physicians and surgeons
IN the east. 1t seems not amiss to give IN
account OF minor surgical operation that
was recently performed In this city, which
in it's very success turns topsy turvy all the
preconceived notions Of the limits OF sur-
Rioal science. The subject Of the operation
y James =. Shean. foreman Of tho litho-
graphing department Of the Bosqui En-
craving and Printing company. To . re-
porter he related the following remarkable
facts yesterday:
"You see that big Gutter over there"
pointing to large paper Gutter With 4
spring blade. well, il was about two
months or more ago that got the second
and third fingers Of my loft hand under
that knife along with several sheets Of
paper. Some one spoke TO me Just a. was
about to bring down the blade. turned.
absent-mindediy leaving my fingers under
the blade. With my right hand / pushed
down the lever. felt sudden pain, and
looking around. saw the ends Of my f,rr-
era lying on the paper had lust cut, They
we're chopped of as neatly q the paper
itself just in front of the drst Joint. The
boys bandaged up my hand, Wrapped up
the severed fingers in piece Of paper for
me. and started over to Or. Blake's office,
which which Is as fully mile from hers. Il was
accident when reached the doctor.
told him wanted the ends OF my.
ulRlts sewed on again. He laughed az nv
ignorance OF surgery, and at drst positively
refused TO annex them. He said the only
snlng 20 DO was to take the bone out at the
N0Vr x.nAp~ .~RA n
gers, and he warned me that / would be
lucky 1t the stumps healed mp all right and
gave me no further trouble. Wss In an
obstinate humor just then. had consider.
able pain, and it made me Just cranky
enoeu8nn .ae ~ 20 p's asys ny own way. whether q
nave known each other for some time. We
had never quarreled before that nor aimee.
told HIM then, though, and in no aentla
tones. that il he didn't want to sew the fin-
gers on would 70 to some other doctor
VINO would do for me what wanted.
when ne saw that was dead ret on Il
AZ consented. He bathed the hand and the
severed fingers In hot water, and then caro-
fully stitched them together. Yen ~ thaA
ha1d nowa veil mo where the inaera we're
Joined. and I'll treat. 80 's.s,
After examining the fingers very closely
the reporter vas oompellstt to admit that
parlnR the fingers with those on the right
hand no difference could be seen. aays m
the inRer nailt, which, ON the fingers that
were severed, are better formed and Of a
p'nfr' rhnss fsssh a4a sppeaSrsnes; .Ss es;,a ,, ~.
grown on those fingers since the operation.
The first died and fell OF. The second
were soft and finally came off. These nails
nave been on now for month and are a.
hard and sound as any ON my hands, am
not sorry now that was obstinate the dav
when went to DR.. Blake's Office. II he
Ind had his way would have mad con-
pie OF stumps now instead OF these two
good useful fingers.
DR.. j. w. Blake was found at his Office.
and was not long in corroboratino nj.
Shean's story. "Yes," said he, ut Il ali
true as he has told you. I certainly did
think it was ridiculous notice Of his to
nave the fingers sewed on, but as he was an
old friend did it to humor him, fully ex.
pectinR the annexed parts Of the fingers to
become ganRrenous and decay before MANY
days. That the operation has proved suc-
cesstul regard as nothing short Of wonder.
ful. had read of one or two rare in.
stances of this kind, hut they have Qcner-
ally been discredited By the profession, and
could never bring myself to believe such
q thing possible. You zee 1t ia far differ Mt
from the now prevalent operation Of graft.
ing live flesh and bone. In this case the
attnched parts were dead seemingly and
had been 30 for nearly an hour before the
operation. Seeing is believing. / ahaiI
know what to do the next time have such
n