Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-05
Raycraft's Hairbreadth Es-
cape From Death.
The Doctors Certify to the
"Herald's" Statements.
An official Statement of the Remark
able Operation.
The Patient VIII Probably Recover-A
Signed Statement of the Case BY
the Assisting Surgeons-Ray-
crafts Explanation.

Last week the HERALD published ex-
clusively the remarkable operation per-
formed on Mr.. Raycraft, of Compton,
by DR.. Wise, in which great amount
o. woman's hair was taken from his in
testines. The publication attracted
widespread attention. 1t was some
thing so out OF common that many peo-
pie doubted the truth of the story.
While this paper publishes great
amount Of extraordinary news much
to the annoyance of it's slow-going
contemporaries, it never fails to be able
to substantiate its assertions and here
with publishes an official report of the
case signed by the doctors:
EDITORS HERALD The WEEKLY
HERALD of August 1st contains an ac-
count of surgical operation at Compton
and the finding of an incredible quantity
of woman's hair in mans intestines.
That account is mainly true as pub
lished, yet the readers of the HERALD
generally do not believe the story, and
some of them think it was intended as
hoax.
The reporter OF the case evidently was
not present ON that occasion. He has
not given the source of his information,
nor signed his own name to his report,
nor has he given the least particle of
authority for such an improbable story
1t is not strange, therefore, that the
reading public are incredulous on that
subject.
The writer of this has been requested
by personal acquaintanGes in and out of
the profession to restate the principal
facts of that case and send the authenti-
Gated statement to the HERALD for re-
publication. 1t is thought proper and
best that the public should know
whether the main facts of the story be
true or not. When the case has termi-
mated in complete recovery-as now it is
probable it will-Dr. Wise will undoubt-
,edly write up complete history of the
case and give it to some medical journal
for publication, and from that all public
newspapers can copy if they wish to.
I F.sS. WHALEY, M. d.
r. Compton, August 4, 1891.
Statement OF Compton Physicians.
To All Whom it May Concern: @
l.. Such an operation as that described
[ in the Los Angeles WEEKLY HERALD of
| August LIST inst, was performed July
28th ult., on Mr.. R. in Compton by
FDr. K. D.NWise of Los Angeles city as
sisted throughout by each and all of us
Whose names are subscribed to this
kstatement. # F@-
l., A firmly compressed wad of woman's g
hair six: inches in length and about Ia
inches in diameter was found impacted
Fin the+lower part of the small intestines,
filling that length of it's cavity COM
pletely full. 1t was immovably fixed in
that position, and before it's intestinal
covering was opened it looked more like
q Bologna sausage than anything else
with which it might be compared.
The hair after it was well dried
weighed $50 grains or 571a grains less
than an avoirdupoise ounce, and some
of it measured two feet in length after
it was straightened out. The patient
says that the hair was the hair of his
first wife who died about two years ago.
He does not remember swallowing it,
but says thatprevious to his marriage to
his present wife, seven months ago, he
had confused dream connected there
with, whereof he afterwards retained but
a vague and indisJinct recollection, at
which time he thinks he must have s'got
away with it.''
r. Previous to that time he had the hair
in his possession. He has never seen it
since. The next day he had distress
in his stomach. That symptom and
occasional vomitings have continued to
trouble him ever since until now. A few
hours after. the operation he became
conscious; has suffered very little from
pain at any time since; his improve
ment has Sbeen progressively forward
without interruption unto the present
tinae, which is seven days after the op-
eration. F. S. WHALEY, M. d.
j. M. Downs, M. d.
A. L. HoLcoMBE, M. d.
Compton, August 4, 1891.