Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-24
RARE SKIN GRAF TING.
OVER 1000 CRAFTS" TAKEN
FROM 100 PEOPLE, USED.
Complete Success in Surgical Case,
Though Many Similar Ones Have
Failed-Must Feel for Friends.

| cuticle OF some forty or fifty men.
| Mr.. Fulkerson is the head OF the Silver
| Towel company. He suffered terrible
affection, which nearly cost him his life
! II was an accident, and occurred in the
Troy laundry at 1872 Main street. He was
| on the soap floor and accidentally slipped
| into one of the soap watts. The boiling soap
/ in the vat was thirteen inches deep. His
| legs went in first, but he pulled them out
| as quickly as possible. He estimates that
bis legs were in the vat only about two
and half seconds, but il was long enough
| TO iniure him for life and to render him
! helpless for a long time.
/ The shoes saved his feet to large extent,
J but the heels suffered. His right leg from
! the knee 70 the ankle became almost de-
| void of skin or flesh. The flesh dropped
| off the left leg from about two inches be-
| low the knee. The muscles in the calf Of
| each leg were partly saved.
FRIENDS TO THE RESCUE.
DR.. Lyman A. Berger was put in charge
! of the case. He did everything possible TO
| alleviate Fulkcrson's suffering. After
! three weeks of close attention he concluded
! that there was only one way to effect a
| cure and that was by skin grating As it
! was apparent from the start that the num-
! Der OF gratis required would reach up
| into the hundreds, the first question to ba
| considered was where 20 get them from.
| Fulkerson was a member of Ridgely lodge
! No. 49, l. O. o. T., and also member Of
| Kansas City lodge, No. l, knights of
/ Pythias. Many of his fellow members of
! these lodges, and also of other lodges of
| the same orders, quickly offered to help
| supply the needed skin. Friends, relatives
and employees were also found who were
willing to do their share to save the man
After three weeks suffering and as sool.
rs the process could be safely begun with
any possible show of success the grating"
was inaUgurated. Gradually il was car
ried on. 1t was all done in sight of Fulker-
son, who never tlinched. He even refused
TO take opiates. The endurance he showed
was remarkable. He witnessed the cut
ting out OF every piece of skin taken from
others Tor his use. How his heart ire
quently went forth 10 the people who
helped him can better be imagined than
explained. His gratefulness knows no
bounds
As stated, the grating" was carried On
gradually. Sometimes pieces of skin from
half dozen different persons were attach
ed at the same time. Usually there were
Two or three on hand TO contribute The
gratis" taken were on the average about
as large as a drop of water. Whenever
thersSyas chance TO put them in on the
SURGE, which was getting dry and on
whsfh there was no doubt OF their adher-
Ing, it was done.
4 HOW THE CRAFTS WERE OBTAINED.
"a The gratis" were nearly all taken from
srIns and legs. When pnt On the injured
rlan's legsT they were placed about one
ebss31-ls-of an inch apart. Every graft"
grows sixteenth of an inch each way. 10
prevent them tapping over they were there
fore, placed so far apart that they would
grow together. II placed closer than this
they Will cause al uneven surface and
leave marks rs of scars.
DR.. Berger would call TO see Fulkerson
at any time. He liked to call whenever
there was = visitor ut the house. He would
never miss chance TO obtain some OF the
needed skin and would always request the
visitor for Il graft" OF course he would
never be refused. Once he had obtained
graft" he would get three or four more
Ssse a rule from the same person before he
would leave him. \ list of those who
were willing to contribute was ALWAYS
Kept, so that whenever any CRAFTS were
needed they could be sent for In this wav
the physician was able to keep pace with
the healing process, and was always pre-
pared to put in gratis" whenever a ripe
place appeared for them.
For over two months the grating" con-
tinued. Finally enough had been secured
TO bring the legs TO their normal size
They were more than this when the treat
ment was stopped, Dat had not hardened
or settled, and this had been. taken into
consideration. 1t was known that they
would get smaller as they healed
About 1000 different gratis" were used
in the treatment. This is the number Civ
en- by Dr. Berger. Fulkerson thinks the
number would reach upward of 200 more
The greatest care was exercised in procur-
ing the gratis" They were taken from
only those who were found to be sound
and healthy in every particular. The num-
Der of persons who contributed the gratis"
was about 100
WHO FURNISHED THE "GRAFTssn
DR.. Berger and other physicians contrib
uted some. Whenever the former had a
timid person whom he expected to get q
large number OF gratis" from he would
take one out OF his own arm to show them
how it was done and illustrate that there
w dS no pdll dliGCEti 10 II. he would make
the subject believe that there was not the
slightest pain in the operation, leaving it
Tor him to find that there was just little.
The process is something like vaccination,
the sensation being the same.
MANY persons tainted when the gratis
were taken from them rs they do when
Yaccinated. The scar made disappears
much easier than that made by vaccination,
and even much easier than scar for the
administering of vaccine which does not
take effect. Only the cuticle or outer skin
is used in the grating.
The skin of many well known citizens
was used in the treatment of Fulkerson.
j. \. Reed, a lawyer, who has an Office in
the Nelson building, contributed forty
seven gratis This is the largest number !
taken from any one person. A few con-
tributcd as many as thirty apiece but the |
large majority were called on for less than |
4 dozen gratis" each Fulkerson's FIVE |
year-old boy contributed good number |
He pleaded with the doctor to take some |
skin from him for papa. Mrs. Fulkerson |
gave 4 dozen gratis" from her arm. Ten
students Of the university medical college, |
who watched the case with deep interest.
were among the contributors
Fulkerson is married and is now thirty
hree years of age He is sweIl nrornr-