The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-06
A NOVELTY In SURGERY.
An AbnOrmally Large Pair Of Ears Re-
duCed to a PFeSGntable Size.

PHILADELPHIA, April 5.-Two photo
graphs have been hung in the Jefferson
Medical College. They are portraits
without faces They show the back
Of one mans head. The hair and the con-
formation prove that the two pictures rep
resent the same individual and yet there is
a striking difference, for in one case the
ears are normal, while in the other they
stand out disfiguringiy from the sides of the
head. The students of this orthodox old
college are having fun over these photo
graphs, and one Of their whims is
to decide by vote who among them
selves is the owner of the unre-
yealed face. The explanation of the diverg-
emit ears is that they grew donkey fashion,
but by surgery they have been reduced TO
the proportions Of human comeliness The
Photographic lens was permitted to take a
rear view OF the ears before their reduction,
and again after they had been shortened;
but it was not deemed eonsiderate to por-
tray the face OF the man, and thus subject
him to a possibly disagreeable publicity.
Tho Improvement In that pair of ears is
regarded as novelty in surgery, and that
is why the photographs before and after
are placed in the college. Modern surgery
has not hesitated to cut Il new nose out of
the cheek, to loop up dropping eyelid or
engraft the skin of one person upon an
other, but ii has not until now given
Keen of Jefferson College came a brother
physician to repair job that had been
badly done by natures prentice hand, SO to
speak. The young man, for he was only
IS, was all ears; that is. his ears were not
only abnormally large, but they tapped
i'll painfully absurd manner. The sur
geon proceeded to lay bare the cartilage
by removing the skin from the posterior
surface OF the aurlele, and then eXcised
long, narrow piece of the cartilage. v
shaped in cr0ss-sections, as if he had run
miniature plough over the ridge on the back
of the ear. Great care was taken not to cut
clear through, and thus cause q scar ON the
anterior surface. The edges of the carti-
lage we're then drawn together by catgnt
stitches. in addition to those in the
skin. This was done while the young man
was etherized. He went 10 sleep with long
ears and he awoke with short ears-very
sore oneS-and so rntIicately fastened into
position that for some nights he had to
sleep flat on his back. Bat when the
wound had healed and the plasters were
removed he found himself possessed of
symmetrical and fair-sized ears.
. From time immemoriai," said Profess
scr MARITIME to your correspondent, after
describing the operation, "large and
prominent ears have been regarded as I'M I
fortunate deformities. They are altogether
too suggestive. But no matter how mortt-
Tying TO the owners vanity, they were
something which he had to wear summer
and winter. There was but one way to
hide them, and that to allow the hair to
grow long. Faces OF rare beauty have been
marred by ears too big. Pauline Bona
parte was victim of auricular supera-
bundance, and it always served to humil-
ate her when mentioned by her rivals.
What superb beauty, but look at her
ears Had she lived to this age this
grievous burden could have been
lifted from her shoulders, or, more
strictly speaking. from her head.
Is the operation serious? Not very. Con-
siderable blood was lost, but that can
be obviated in future operations, either by
the freezing process or by placing a long,
thin clamp on the ear. The patient only
stayed in bed one day. He was obliged to
carry the surgical embroidery for ten days
and then it was ripped out. The operation
was entirely successful, the young mans
ear being now close up against his head, but
only those who have seen before and
after photographs can form a correct idea
of the Improvement. 1t is simply astound-
ing"
And who Is the MANI"
"On, really couldn't tell you that. 1t is
a professional secret"
But the patient was discovered in the per-
son of Charles n. Forester of Camden,
just across the river in New Jersey. Mr..
Forester is graduate of Princeton Col
lege and is now studying for entry into the
ministry.
II don't mind the publication of my name
at all, he remarked. "Why should /? My
friends are all aware of my big ears and Of
my good radiance of them. They were not
only a deformity, but they seriously dis
abled me for my chosen career. OF course
there Is Joeose view to take Of the matter,
but nobody Can be better humored than /
am about il, for am now at least present
able. The operation didn't make an ugly
man handsome, but it gave me good pair
OF ears"