The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-11
OVER 1000 "eRAFTs," TAKEN FROM
100 PEOPLE, WERE USED
Complete Success in a Surgical Case,
Though Many Similar Ones, Not Nearly
So Remarkable, Have Failed-A Man
Who Must Feel for His Friends.

on the "soar" 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
his legs were in the vat only about two
and half seconds, but it was long enough
to injure him for life and to render him
helpless for long time.
The shoes saved his feet to large extent,
but the heels suffered. His right leg from
the knee to 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 Fulkerson'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 ''grafts" required would reach up
into the hundreds, the first question to be-
! considered was where to get them from.
Fulkerson was member of Ridgely lodge
No. 435, l. o. O. F., 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 soou
as the process could be safely begun with
any possible show of success the grating"
was inaugurated. Gradually it was car
ried on. 1t was all done in sight of Fulker-
son, who never flinched. 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 for his use. How his heart fire.
quently went forth to 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
there was a chance to put them in on the
surface, which was getting dry and on
which there was no doubt of their adher-
ing, it was done.
HOW THE CRAFTS WERE OBTAINED.
The gratis were nearly all taken from
arms and legs. When put on the injured
mans legs they were placed about one
eighth of an inch apart. Every graft"
grows sixteenth of an inch each way To
prevent them tapping over they were, there
fore, placed so far apart that they would
grow together. If placed closer than this
they will cause an uneven surface and
leave marks as of scars.
DR.. Berger would call to see Fulkerson
at any time. lie liked to call whenever
there was a visitor at the house. He would
never miss chance to obtain some of the
needed skin and would always request the
visitor for graft" Of course he would
never be refused. Once he had obtained
graft" he would get three or four more
as rule from the same person before he
would leave him. A list of those who
were willing to contribute was always
kept, so that whenever any gratis" 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, but 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 loo.
WHO FURNISHED THE "GRAFTS"
DR.. Berger and other physicians contrib
uted some. Whenever the former had a
timid person whom he expected to get
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
was no pain attached toit. He would make
the subject believe that there was not the
slightest pain in the operation, leaving it
for 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 as they do when
Yaccinated. The scar made disappears
much easier than that made by vaccination,
and even much easier than a 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 we'll known citizens
was used in the treatment of Fulkerson.
j. A. Reed, lawyer, who has an office in
the Nelson building, contributed fortv-
seven gratis" This is the largest number
taken from any one person. a few con-
tributed as many as thirty apiece, but the
large majority were called on for less than
a dozen gratis" each. FuIkerson's five
year-old boy contributed a good number
He pleaded with the doctor to take some
skin from him for papa. Mrs. Fulkerson
gave 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
three years Of age He is a well proper
toned man, Of strong system and healthy.
His strong constitution helped to pull him
through his afflictioo. He weighed 2O4
pounds when the accident occurred, and
four months later, when he was able to
leave his bed for the first time, be weighed
only $50 pounds--kansas City Times.