Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1890-12-04
SAINT Mary ) Beacon,


Will THE DOG DIE 2--Dr. Phelps,
professor Of orthopsdic surgery Ia the
Post Graduate Medical School, aud
DR.. James Z. Kelly, surgeon 10 the
Charities Hospital, are at present
watching the development Of az I'M
tereating experiment in plastic sur
gerry.
Since the possibilities ID akin-graft-
ing first became evident to surgeons a
great extension ID plastic surgery has
taken place. The bones Of mems fin-
gers have been stuck TO their noses
when the nasal bones have been re-
moved for some sufficient cause.
Union between the finger and the
nose has followed then they have
been cut apart BY the surgeons knife,
leaving piece Of the fngerbcpe TO
act vicariousIy for the lost nasal one.
This bone traneplanting from one
part Of the human body to another
has been SO successful as to suggest
q the substitution Of the bone Of She
lower vertebrate animals under prac-
,tijasl SIMILAR conditions. So far as
kind W. ss bsss4aIl y operation e this
the Charities Hospital, on Blackwell's
Island, BY BY DR.. Phelps, assisted by
Dir, Kelly.
The case was that Of boy Of four.
teen. The larger bone Of the two
which connect the knee and ankle
joints was wanting for an inch Of its
length near its lower end. Efforts
had been made in previous opera.
tion to spread the bone between the
points Of separation 30 that healthy
and strong enough backing should
grow naturally on It but without suc-
cess. The boy was healthy, and, it
seemed to the eminent surgeons, .
suitable case for trying the expert
ment Of substituting an inch Of dogs
bone for the hiatus in the human one.
The right forepaw Of dog was
painlessly removed under auesthetics
and an inch Of the lower end Of the
shin bone was cut off without detach-
ing the muscles and with great care
In order to preserve the nutrient ar
tery Of the bone intact.
Then DR.. Phelps cut down on the
s5oy''s ailin BONE sd as to expose the
hap 10 il. Then the inch Of dog 3
bone was let into this space and fas-
Tened at both ends by silver wire.
Both boy and dog had previously had
their contiguous limbs rendered i'm
movable by plaster Of Paris banda
Bes.
Dog and boy must remain together
until there has been complete union
established between the circulation
Of the adjoining bones. III order TO
accomplish this object the muscles
and blood vessels Of the dogs bone
have been preserved as far as possible.
This is to keep the bone alive until
it has been invaded by millions Of
human capillasies which ought to
spread over it from the surrounding
tissues in the boys leg.
At the end Of the present week it
probable that this union will 80 far.
have taken place aa to ALLOW the mus
clea and blood vessels connecting the
bone with the dog to be removed.
Then the patients will be cut apart
and the healing process Of nature AL
lowed TO 90 on Independently in each
case.
The boy was in excellent health
Tuesday morning, and there Is no
doubt about his recovery, Unfortn-
nately, the dogs condition il not so
favorable. In order to keep him suf-
ficiently immobile to permit Of the
success Of the operation, bis body was
put in plaster Of Paris jacket. This
enforced restraint has told On bis
~ AZ ~ u 4.