Evening journal., 1890-11-26
The NEW sIAMEsg TWINS.
a 10y and Dog Grown Together at New
York.

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York.
NEW York, Nov 26.-Success seems to
have crowned the remarkable surgical
operation of transplanting a bone from a
dog to a boys leg. Boy and dog are one.
Their flesh has grown together and every.
thing indicates that their bones have be.
gun to unite. Since the operation every
precaution has been taken by DR.. A. NJ.
Phelps to prevent any information about
the patients being given to the public. The
boy and the dog were placed In room by
themselves on the third floor OF the. Charity
hospital on Blackwel's island and nobody
has been admitted except Drs. Phelps and
Kelly, the house surgeons aud nurses aud
an occasional friend of DR.. Phelps.
reporter however, encountered gen.
tleman last night who is almost as we'll
informed about the case as DR. Phelps
himself, and he told all he knew about tho
bone grating operations.
u think | can safely say, 2 he said, "that
all OF the indications are largely in favor
OF success in the attempt to engraft piece
OF the dogs bone into the leg Of the boy.
Their flesh has grown together, and unless
all signs fail union has begun between
their bones
The gentleman then described the plas-
ter casts, and said that there was no truth
IN the assertion that nothing reliable could
be learned about the success or failure OF
the operation until the plaster casts thar
bind the boy and dog together have been
removed.
As matter Of fact the place Of jointure
between the bones OF Johnny Gethius and
the spaniel Zip, rechristened Charity,
have at all times since the operation been
open to the inspection Of the surgeons. IL
would have been foolhardy, my informant
assured me, to have placed a solid plaster
cast Immediately over the wound in
Johnnys : leg.
When the plaster cast was put on. com.
plcting the operation, space between
five and six inches in diameter was left
open above and surrounding the spot
where the piece Of the spaniel's bone had
been inserted into Johnny's leg. Over this
open space only linen bandages were
placed, which might be and were removed
at will
Not day has passed that DR.. Phelps
has not inspected the wound and. ii need
be, the exterior Of the connection between
boy and dog could have been dressed with
out disturbing the plaster cast on Johnny's
leg, the plaster cast on Charity, or the
plaster bands that hold their legs firmly
together
The matter Of the aluminium leg was
also made very clear by this communica-
tive gentleman. The peg is two inches in
length, and If the operation is an entire
success 1t will always remain in Johnny's
leg.
1t was through the medullary canal, or
hollow portion Of the inch of dog bone.
and extends half an inch on either side
into the ends Of Johnny's bone. DIR.
Phelps used the aluminium peg in prefer
ence 10 ivory, because he Thought il would
not excite the slightest suppuration; and
Il has not. The purpose Of this peg was 10
prevent Charity, by muscular twitching,
from pulling the bony graft from position
Probably the most certain indication OF
union between the bones, a point on which
great stress is always laid by surgeons. Is
the fact that ever since the operation the
temperature Of both the boy and the dog
have been normal. fever indicating that
union Of broken bones is not progressing
fayorably.
Not until the dogs upper forearm is cut
away from the boys leg will il be known
beyond the possibility OF doubt that the
canine bone has become amalgamated with
the boys. The fact will then be ascer-
tanned by carefully feeling the places al
which the fractures have existed. The final
operation Of separating johnny and Char
:ty is not likely 70 be made for at least Il
couple Of weeks II the dog remains in its
present good condition. In the case OF or
dinary fractures the splints are usually
kept in position for four or five weeks.