Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-19
SKINNED ALIVE.
Knight Templars to the Rescue
of i. Brother.
A NOVEL CASE OF sKIN-GRArTING.

One Hundred and Thirty Two Chicago
Masons Contribute to Make n Fellow
Member Whoie-Each Loses About q
Square Inch of His Cuticle, w kich Is
Transferred to the Patients BODY
Sunday Work That Was Well Done.
CHICAGO, Jan. 19.-One hundred aud
thirty-two knight Templars belonging to
the st. Bernard commandery of Chicago
assembled yesterday morning at the Chi
cago Emergency hospital to dedicate part
Of their cuticle to the relief of the suffer
ings of a brother. Sir Knight J. o. DECKER
son, who lay lowering between life and
death at the hospital lie has been afflict-
ed for some time past with carcinnone, a
grievous kind of cancer. Hospital sur
geons had cut away the cancer. but left
deep wound on the back near the hip of
the stricken knight. Skin grating from
lower animals had been tried, but without
success. To snatch him from death IA
square inches OF human cuticle were re-
quired to cover the granulated surface of
the wound
The First to Feel the Knife.
1t WITS to supply this quantity Of cuticle
that the knights met at their asylum, 1877
kinZie street, at a. m, and marched TO
the hospital TO give part of themselves
for their afflicted comrade. A cold frosty
wind blew in their faces as the first squad
of sixty men walked along Wells street.
Sir Knight f. VI. Smith. OF Dearborn
street. led the squad. He was proud
man yesterday. His was the first arm TO
| - 81. Ia
| the first to be placed on his sick brothers
wound. None of the knights was in uni
form. 1t was felt 10 be matter Of life
and death 10 Dickerson and all di splay
was deprecated.
Preparations for the ordeal.
Elaborate preparations had been made
to insure the success of the operation. Jan.
/ Il fiat was issued from the commandery
TO the men who had been chosen TO sacri-
flee portion of their cuticle TO save their
sick brother. The instructions told the re-
ceiver that he was found physically fit to
become one of the happy knights. He
was ordered TO bring his own razor and
see that il was honed and sharpened well.
| The night preceding the operation he was
! TO take bath. Undue exercise and alco-
|
| in for twenty-four hours before the event
full morning. All regulations were strict
| ~ observed.
| Putting the Patient to Sleep.
DIR. Fenger, the chief physician of the
Emergency hospital, had marshaled his
| force of assistants in the operating room
on the third floor. Sir knight Dickerson
| was placed on a couch on the operating Ia
BILE. He looked bright and cheerful, and
recognized his comrades as they gathered
around him. Drs. Bernauer, r. l.. Leon
ard, T. ID. Palmer, c. ;. Taylor. C. o.
Strickland, ". II. Ballard and e. F. To
bias assisted in the operation. Dentist c.
| Il. Plattenhurg administered nitrous oxide
gas as an anssthetic to the patient With
out struggle Dickerson's head fell hack.
ward on the couch. lie was unconscious.
In the meantime the knights had taken of
their coats and rolled up their shirt
sleeves
Performing the Operation.
The strip of skin was 10 he cut from the
left arm. Alcohol was rubbed into the
pores to Kill microbes and germs that
might have sought a habitation in the cpl.
dermis. As soon as the influence OF tile
snasthetic appeared ia the patients con
dition, DR. Fenger called for Sir Knight
f. NJ Smith. He was at his Ell
bow in moment His own razor
flashed for a second along the
inner portion OF TIE biceps on the left arm.
DR.. Fenger seized thin strip OF skin
about one-and-a-hAlf inches long, and bore
ii away to the unconscious s0GGL-- - -rss
| placed gently granulated surface
where the cancer had fiourished. Next,
! shouted the doctor, and another knight
and after him another, rushed forward
eager 70 offer his arm to the keen razor.
Next" next" next came so rapidly
that DR.. Bernauer began to slice the strips
of skin man cuts bacon.
The Way IL will Work.
Finally all the raw space on the ulcer
was covered and the operation was com.
plete. All the strips may not adhere "a
the granulated surface. The portions
that do. however, will form nucleus foI
the growth OF skin over the whole wound
That which fails To grow will dry and fal
off like ths slough OF a snake Antiseptic
bandages We're wrapped carefully around
the patched wound, and the knight was
borne to his couch In ten days the first ban
dages will he taken off and new ones put
on. Not before thirty days will 1t bt
known absolutely that the new cuticls
has made itself at home on the back of Sill
Knight Dickerson. Within ten days tn,
SCARED arms of the sacrificial knights vii
be thoroughly healed.