The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-15
ALIVE WITH HEART EXPOSED.
Strange Case of q Man Who Work:
Daily Though With Bare Heart.
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Daily Though With Bare Heart.
From the Ne,o York World.
John ]. Norris, boilermaker. had a very
hard days work on Sept 3, 1890. He was
hammering rivets that day from In the
morning until 10 at night. 1t made him
tired, and when he reached his home, No.
356 Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn. that night
he was SO weary that he sat down on the
front door stoop to rest a minute. He fell
asleep. He slept on until midnight, when
his wife, worried over his absence, opened
the front door to watch for his approach.
She was glad to find her husband on the
steps, but directly became deeply concerned
to find that he was in stupor and almost
unable TO move.
For three weeks Norris lay sick with vi
olent fever. On Nov. l , 1890, he went back
to work but he missed his old-time strength
He consulted physicians at Roosevelt Hos
pital. One of them discovered that the
sometime strong boilermaker was suffering
from suppurstive pleurisy. 1t had been
caused by the fever. Its seat was on the
left side, In the region of the heart. Ordi-
nary treatment failed to give Norris relief
Then it was explained to him that there was
but one course to pursue. That was to
make au opening and remove parts of three
or four ribs. Tee doctors said this was the
only way In which the sick mans life could
be saved.
The danger of the operation and the
chances Of its resulting in death were ex.
planned to Norris. He resolved to take his
chances. The operation was performed on
Dec. s, 1890, by DR.. McBerney. 1t took
fifty minutes to remove the flesh and saw
away the ribs. When the ordeal was ended
there was opening in Norrisl left side fully
four inches in diameter. Through it could
plainly be seen the mans pulsating heart
and portion of his left lung.
Norris lived. Careful nursing brought
him back to health and strength. To be
sure. there was the hole in his side, the open
ing that exposed that vital part, the blood
pumping heart. But the doctors had a way
of dressing it with antiseptc cloths that
preventing poisoning and kept the patient
from catching cold. At first it had to be
dressed very frequently, then 1t was found
that a new dressing every three or four days
would suffice.
And this being the case Norris felt that
be could, that he ought to, 60 to work again.
And he did. Boilermaking though, was too
severe for a man with his heart exposed, so
he sought lighter employment. job was
given him by George Broadhurt & Son,
makers Of manicure goods, at No. Howard
street. There Norris is working now. He
is getting along pretty well and is rather
happy. His disposition is cheerful and he
is philosopher enough to look on the best
front of affairs. Over in Hoboken, at No.
lO6 Second street, he has as coy home as
man with his wages can have, aud there
Norris manages to get q good deal OF
domestic comfort with his wife, little girl
of and boy of years.
In Norris case there is no prospect OF
healing, the opening is too large. Norris
suffers no pain now, and If he has the
dressings attended to properly ne is likely
20 live many years. He is 80 years old now,
is feet 10 inches tall and while not robust
is wiry and quite active.
For some weeks Norris has been having
the dressings changed every third night.
This evening he is TO call at Chambers
Street hospital land once more the doctors
will have an Opportunity Of looking at a
living mans beating heart.