St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-29
LOVE AND HEROIsM.
Brave Anna Muench Gives Por-
tions of Her Skin in the Hope
OF Saving Her DYING Son.


OF Saving Her Dying Son.
No better example of mothers love
for her child could probably be given
than one which occ urred yesterday in
Bellevue hospital, when Mrs. Anna
Mueneh, poor Hebrew woman. per-
mltted four doct ors to cut and difgure
her body that portions of her skin
might be ingrafted upon the body of
her nine-year-old boy Herman, says
the New York Recorder. 1t was the
last resort of the doctors in their at
tempt to save the child's life, and the
mother cheeTfully made the sacrifice.
One evening about two months ago
the mother left her children IN her
apartment at Norfolk street to make
some purchases at neighbOring gro
cery for their frugal supper. An oil
S tove was burning III the larger room,
and piece of candle on the mantel
Illuminated in a Pickering way the
apartment.
before the mother returned the room
was abiaze. The shrieks of the terri
fed little ones brought Mrs. Jacobs and
other tenants of the floor to the rescue,
and the two younger ones were got out
unscathed. The eldest boy was hOrri-
bly, burned in the face. breast and
abdomen, so badly, in fact, that the
surgeons of Gouverneur hospital,
whittier he was first taken. refused to
keep him, and transferred him to Bel
levue hospital on Oct. %. Here. despite
every effort, the skin refused to grow
over the wounds. and hope of ever cur
ing the boy were about give up.
On Sunday last Mrs. Muench begged
10 or I..tt hi Il;
they asked her if she would be willing
to part with enough of her cuticle to
supply that missing from her boy. She
said she was ready to do so at once.
Then it was explained TO her that TO
perform the operation she must remain
in the hospital for many days aud per-
hapS SOme weeks, and here the mother
was in quandary. Who would take
care of the two younger children at
home? Warden ORourke was appealed
to. and the two children were put in the
care of Mrs. Thompson, of No. SG4 Mul-
berry street.
Yesterday morning the heroic mother
went to Bellevue with her husband.
They were taken to ward Z IN the Sec
ond surgical department, where their
sutf er:ng little one lay on a cot. at IL
O'clock Prof. HotchkiSs, of tie Univer-
sity OF New York, arrived. AS assist
ants he had Drs. Gleason, Van Loan
and De Lancey, and many students
were present to witness the operation.
The mother was laid on the operating
table. and. after few gaspS and quick
ened heaving of her breast, was under
the influence of ether and unconscious.
Then her baby was barred to her waist,
and at first sight of blood her husband
rushed franticaily from the room. while
the boy began to scream. He was finally
quieted, and little by little pieces of his
mothers epidermiS were transferred to
his neck, breast and abdomen until two
thirds of the raw flesh was covered.
The skin was taken from various parts
of the mothers body. The operation
lasted an hour ami half, and the third
part of the boys breast that was not
covered. the doctors hope, will granu-
late i'll without further migrating.
Was the operation justifable? s'It
will take at least week before we can
tell if the operation is successful" said
-DF. Gleason to the Recorder reporter.
He. was asked if Mrs. Muencll was ro-
bust woman, and replied atfirmativeiy.
Later in the day the reporter learned
from Mrs. Sophie Helm, the housekeeper
IatiNo. ) Nariolk street, and from Mr..
aMuench, the husband, that this is not
So. The heroic woman is pronouncedly
delicate, and is sOOh to be confined.
The reporter learned further from
Mrs. Helm and Mr.. Muench that the
burned boy has probably been defraud-
led of considerable sum of money that
was intended for him by some charita-
bic persons unknoWlY.