Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-09
BUILDING A NEW LEG.

Little Samuel Radin Undergoes the Bone
Grating Operation-Two Puppies Used
The Boy Watches the Performance-One
Dog Dies, but the Patient Is Doing Well.
A remarkable bone-grafting operation,
which is an advance upon the method en-
ployed in the famous case of Johnny
Gethins. at the Charity Hospital at Black
wells Island, was performed at the Mercy Hos
pital by Pittsburg physicians.
Six weeks ago S-year-old Samuel Radln fell at
his home in Germany and broke his right leg
below the knee His leg was attended to at
once, and the family started on their journey
to America. They came straight through TO
Pittsburg and on their arrival the boy was
very weak and ill. He was treated at his home,
in the rear of No. Az Fifth avenue. by DIR.
Buchanan, for a week. On December 26 he
was removed to the Mercy Hospital. 1t was
found that the bone of the broken leg had be-
come decayed, and for distance of 615 iuches
below the knee was rotten. The father of the
boy, Abraham Radin, peddler, would not con-
sent to the leg being amputated, bur he agreed
TO having the bone-grafting operation tried.
Last Wednesday week the diseased leg was
opened and the decayed bone removed. The
ends were then carefully scraped and cleaned,
and the leg placed in plaster of paris cast.
The bone-grafting operation was performed
yesterday afternoon by Drs ]. ]. Buchanan, II.
r. Hardtmayer. w. S. Robson and House
Physicians McManus. Meyers and Leisher.
The boys father had procured two little black
and tan female puppies. about weeks old.
The boy is frail and delicate little fellow. and
on account of THE the slight bones of the small
dogs were preferred. The lads condition was
excellent, he having slept well and had good
appetite He was not put unde, the influence
of any drug, but sat up and witnessed the whole
operation.
The two dogs, which were christened Trixey
and Gyp, were then produced for the sacrifice.
Trixey was put in use. Gyp being reserved for
q second resort Ether was administered to
Trixey, after which the lower part of the hind
leg of the dog was amputated. The dogs bone
was pinched off with forceps into about so
pieces. These were placed in the granulations
of the tissue of the boys leg where IL had sur
rounded the bone All OF the pieces of the
dogs leg were used in the operation. When
the pieces of bone had been placed in position
the wound was covered with piece of oiled
silk and the leg dressed with antiseptic gauze.
The boy was next removed to his bed and
placed under the charge of Resident Physician
T. F. McManus TO await results. The dog used
died from the effects Of the ether.
n similar operation performed on Johnny
Gethins proved failure because the dogs
bone did not unite with the osseOus tissue of
the boys leg, the twitching of the muscles in
the uog's leg preventing its adhesion, but in
this case the physicians think they have over
come this difficulty by putting in the. bone in
small pieces one piece only having been used In
the Gethins case. 1t will take but few days
to tell If the operation is success. In case it
fails, then the second dog will be used and the
process of uniting the leg Of the living dog to
that of the boy. which was successful in the
Gethins case, will be tried.
Last night the boy was in an excellent coudi-
tion and the physicians said that everything
was favorable aud indicated success.