The sun., 1892-10-09
THE SURGERY OF TO-DAY.
a CLINIC As IT rs CONDUCTED IN
ROOSEGELT HOSPITAL.
The Great Importance OF the AntIseptic IN
Mod 'rn Surgery-The Operation OF Re.
moving the vcrmitorpi Appendix.

he fsSSo a..
Nod .rn surrery-The OpermtIon or Re.
moving the Verm,sorn App-nd,..
Modern surporv anda ia praot so,d n, anr,;.
| cation and develonmont In our Iaros bosnitala
| Each institution has distinct from its otber
| departmcnts n bi,,b,v orgop,yod ourgiooi IA.
vision. In which most ami treotm ami for tho
| patient and Widest onnortun;ti.s for tba sur.
| ceon arc combined
| The operators ore annoi,tod hv ,bo boo,,toI
authorities. and are known as Visiting snr.
| Reons. They are aiwavs mon ~ exnertenca
aud reputation. whose devotion 10 their wort
mas prompted acceptancs Of the nlace. FOR no
remuneration Is thereto attacbed. I,ut. ON the
other hand, the patient pays nothing for tho
| operation and subsequent treatment. 40 that
In the end the arrangement ia only one Of mn.
tual advantage Moreover. for the outside
medical world there ia nm ADVANTAGE also.
because the work OF the surpeon is NOT alwava
natter OF privacy, and once week the hos.
pital announces public surgical clinic.
For the benefit Of the uniformed. a surgical
clinic may be said to be n public operation at
which tho surgeon explains to tho obser, ers
ali his proceedings. Yet in fact IL is both more
and less than this. For not ono. but usually
three operations are successfully performed
on clinic day and while called public. physi-
clans and medical students only are invited
and expected to attend.
In one Of the largest hospitals in New York
city the surgical clinic is held on Saturday at
| tornoons. The visiting surgeon previously de-
cides. on account Of urgency or interest. what
| patients he will then operate upop, and an-
nouncements in medical phraseolovy OF
those cases are sent out to certain friends OF
the operator and to medical institutions. II
the operations are dangerous or new a large
| attendance Is sure to follow. Indeed. often the
importance OF the surgeons work can be esti-
mated by tho size OF his audience
Tho preparations for clinic day are left "a
| the house surgeon. his assistants the nurses.
and attendants. The patients are fortified by
rest and dieting for the severe shock and re-
action. the operating room Is furnished anew
| with towels sponges, and dressinps. the in
| struments arc selected and cleaned. For all
| the work connected with the operating room
| the house staff is directly responsible. and
under their watchful eyes must be carried
out the careful. detailed regulations OF
modern antiseptic surgery. Tho duty OF
attending to the patients falls principally
to the nurses. For a certain time previous
| to the operation their diet must he regulated
and even prohibited as tho appointed hour
approaches. Yet their strength must be at
the same time maintained And after all. one
| feels that it is reallya Divine Providence which
rarr.s th.,, what t,,In -. ,,,....I .-
ne,sen 'se'a w, mnas s.salh on mortal powers
must 1t be TO lie Tor hours with sickness and
even death beside ono. anticipating an opera
t;on from which vom n, ~, ,rni,o 49,, T., ~ 80.
world. or if in this only to tarry for day.
The operating room OF the hospital herein
-of.rrot w. thn pooso,o,. y. @ .,'a .a o.o.n
re'errso 10. inc hoose'elt' Is on the second
| ioor OF small rear wing on the main build
ing. The visitor approaches it through numer.
Jus siha'' uoois' 'u.u.hss' anu etaIrcases. ana
ut last hnds himself IN most curious little
.nea .nea.re h small p'' or t., arena occupies the
centre centre OF me room. ~ Is circular OF about
the operating tabie, all surgical reouistos uII
methodicaly and conveniently arranged. for
and accuracy. two things Of vital Importance
in an operation. From this circle rise
four rows OF benches. so narrow that
they seem almost lll!putlan. They are
lor ,ne audience. ana on one side
OF this tiny orchestra circle" Is q
small stairway leading to gallery where four
Mo's o'leios VI ee".e are ranseu. nu' theS
are disposed more steeply. so that the occu-
pants can gaze directly downward upon the
| nr,s+r,t, ,,tio,t rh,,nh ~ a.. ~: III
prostra'e pa,leht, lhoush al hrse this an
for tho observers, its convenience is soon An
narent. as every stem Of tho nrocnedinoscan ha
as , and Sep o 's can pe
ccrned.that is forgotten in the interest aroused.
me character Of the audience at this clinic
Is noteworthy Nearly every man plainly be-
longs to the medical profession. Young and
"id ST side hy side: M and wit with only look Of
nbsoroed interest watch the surgeon ply his
kniie Every lace Is thoughtful and serious.
The personalit ity Of the patie is never con-
siner,b SIDE Zach sees only the opeTation and
secondary importance. Sometimes one or two
venturesome members OF the laity slip in at
tracted by the novelty Of the affair. But it
usually hanlsIns that these gentlemen hasten
away with pale: peFsp,itrinng ,t copnttenances be-
4 few minutes before 2:3O I. NJ. a shrill
This anncunces mo- the arrival Lot OF the e visiting sur.
Soon. me hearts ne RS OF at least @ three S sufferers
nerve and wise skill depend their lives this
man! What terrible trust is tho implicit
confidence those patients place in him.
As tho whistle sounds. all is bustle and ac-
tvity among attendants and doctors The
nurse is brought on a wheel bed to tho door OF
the operating room. Here they wait until the
house surgeon orders the etherizntion to be-
gin. Within dressing room the visiting sur
Reon. his assistants. and the house staff are
busy putting ON long white gowns and scrub