The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-05-02
DIR. BOTHWELL'S CASE
He Undergoes Another Operation
For the Removal
OF the Cork in His lungs-It Was not Success
ful-His Fortitude Excites the Sur
geons' Admiration.

Especial to THE HERALD-EXaminer Dispatch,
New York, May Rev. DR.. George w.
Boutwell,, the Congregational minister who
inhaled cork twelve days ago, is still I'M
relieved of the cork, and though he has
been subjected to two operations, either
one of which would sorely try the recuper-
atlVe powers OF an ordinary man, he was
bright and CHEEKY this morning. and still
full of hope The patient has an incised
wound across his breast on the left side
over the lung and the surgeons hope to re-
move the offending cork through this in
cls1on as soon as the sick man has recovered
strength enough to undergo the torture.
Drs. Rushmore, Bates and Speer made two
efforts to reach the cork late Wednesday
afternoon, but without success, the sur
geons being obliged to suspend operations
because OF the low condition of the patient.
indeed 1T was reported late last night that
Or. Boutwell, was dying, but he revived
during the night.
The first operation brought into use the
special instrument constructed under Dr.
Rushmore's directions. 1t consisted of a
nex1ble tube or catheter, into which was
hrst inserted probe. The patient was
brought out Of his cosy private room at the
Brooklyn hospital into the general operat-
ing ROOM He was etherized and then the
rubber tube was inserted into his throat
through the hole made below Adams apple
last week. A dimunitive electric light was
brought In hopes of Illuminating the bron-
chus, but it was impracticable. Down tue
probe was pushed until the surgeons felt
sure they could feel the cork at the yery
bottom of the bronchus. Then the probe
was withdrawn from the rubber tube and
q hut at,-
was inserted. For an hour the surgeon
lahored in his efforts to get grip on the
cork, bot unsuccessfully, except that it is
believed about one-ffteenth of the cork
was broken off by the screw and coughed
up by the patient. After q prolonged con-
sultatlon the surgeons decided the cork
screw plan was a failure and that the last
resort was the always dangerous incision
OF the lung through the chest DR.. Rush
more made an incision in the left side of the
| chest just over the spot where DIR. Both
well locates the cork by the extreme pain
there. The cut was carried along towards
| the lung, but the patient bled so profusely
and so persistently the doctors had their
hands full in stopping the exhausting flow.
Then DR.. Boutwell, showed signs of COL
lapsing and heart failure and it required
the exercise of the physicians best skill
and hard work Tor two hours to bring the
good doctor back to life. Work was aban-
doned for the time. To day another effort
will be made to extract the cork from the
incision made Wednesday.
DIR. Boutwell, was asked if he thought he
he would be able to undergo another opera
ton. He replied in writing ''Certainly."
His courage is sublime and his confidence
absolute. There can be no doubt he is sus-
tanned by his religious saith. When the
patient wrote, II know my Redeemer is
near" he revealed his reliance upon an
infinite power. His fortitude has excited
the admiration on the surgeons who are
hardened to the pain they are accustomed
to inflict, and there is not man among
them who would not sacrifice much to save
the life Of so brave man. The first thing
this morning the patient asked one of the
nurses by writing on pad was if the doctors
had been able to locate the cork He knew
from the pain in his lung they had not ex-
tracted it. He had been told the operation
had been unsuccessful, but there was yet
no reason to abandon hope. He wrote on
his pad that he knew that there was still
hope and he believed the doctors would get
than that they will extract it if they can.
for the surgeons are deeply aroused over
this most extraordinary case.
When symptoms of collapse We're noted
Wednesday the flesh had been cut aWav
from the chest sufficiently to expose the
ribs, and the surgeons were about to take
out two of the ribs to make an opening
large enough to permit of reaching the
cork. The flaps of flesh were replaced and
all efforts were directed to reviying the
sufferer.
The situation is such that desperate
measures are absolutely necessary.