The Opelousas courier., 1891-08-15
TOOK ANERVE FROM A DOG.
A REMARKABLE SURGICAL oPER-
ALTON FOR PARALYSIS.
The Gap of Three Inches Between
the Ends of a Cut Nerve Filled by
One From a Collie


the Ends of a Cut Nerve Filled by
One From q Collie.
For two years Mrs. J. 81. Weber, oil
Philadelphia, has had paralysis in her
right arm, rendering 1t useless. Recently
a nerve taken from a dog was transferred
to her arm, midway between the shout
der and elbow, and it is hoped that she
will recover the entire use of her arm,
wrist, hand and fingers. This remark
able operation was performed by DR.. D.
Hayes Agnew, consulting physician. in
the Garfield case, and DR.. j. William
White, assisted by DR.. Edward Martin,
DR.. W. R, Hunter, DIR. Stricken, and
DR.. Strayer, the last three being resident
physicians in the University of Pennsyl-
vania Hospital. In 1880 Mrs. Weber
discovered a small tumor near the mid
die of her upper arm. It was not pain :
full until 1884. On March s., 1889, while
at San Antonio, Texas, DR.. E. Herff,
army surgeon, removed the tumor. 1t
proved to be a multiple neuroma of the
musculo-spiral nerve. DR.. Herf found
it necessary to take away about three
inches of the nerve of the arm, thus
causing "wrist droop," which prevented
Mis-. Weber from extending her hand,
although the fingers could be moved
slightly. From that time she had no
use of her arm, although it could be
raised from the shoulder.
Mrs. Weber consulted DR.. Agnew and
DR.. White, and they advised her to go
to the University Of Pennsylvania Hos
pital for an operation. She went there
about March Is. It was proposed to
transplant several inches of human nerve
into her arm, joining it to the ends of
the nerve which had been sundered I'm
der DR.. Herf's knife. The surgeons ex-
peeted to take the nerve of a human arm
or leg which was being amputated and
transplant il into Mrs. Weber's arm. The
patient consented and spent the next five
weeks in the University Hospital under
careful treatment, but no amputation
case was received at that institution.
On April %, at the suggestion Of DIR.
Agnew and DR.. White, Mrs. Weber con-
scented to have transplanted into her arm
the nerve from a living dog. The doc.
tors told her that if the dogs nerve was
used it would not, of course, transmit
sensations, but it would merely act as 3
bridge between the suspended ends of
her own nerve. 1t was hoped the latter
would throw out flaments from each
end which would gradually grow along
the bridge and join in the middle. Mrs.
Weber insisted that the dog selected
should suffer no pain.
A healthy collie was found. It was
| placed upon a diet for two weeks, and
was carefully watched SO that the sur
geons could be sure it was in a perfectly
| healthy condition. Mrs. Weber's arm
| was prepared by antiseptic treatment,
being scrubbed with soap and water and
| alcohol and bichloride of mercury.
| Then she was etherized and was taken
into the private operating room OF the
hospital. In the mean time the dog,
freshly bathed, was also placed under the
influence of ether. All the hair was
shaved from his right hip. He was then
taken into the operating room. Dr..
AgneW made a cut in the patients arm
four inches long. After some difficulty
the ends of the divided nerve were
found. They were in a healthy condi-
ton, but about three inches apart. At
this time DR.. Martin removed three
inches Of the sciatic nerve from the
dogs hip, and quickly taking up the
living nerve in foreeps handed it to DR..
Agnew and DR.. White. They placed it
in d sheath of decalcifed chicken bone
and put it between the ends of the di-
vided nerves, stitching it there securely.
The wound was then closed and a drain
age tube left in. The u~nconcious dog
was killed.
The juncture was made without sup
paration. Mrs Weber got along nicely,
aud on May 81 left the hospital. No
visible change had then taken place in
the motion Of the hand. Several
months may elapse before the nerve be-
gins to act. The sheath of chicken bone
in which the dogs nerve was placed for
protection will be absorbed York
Sum-