The Globe-republican., 1892-06-20
Editor Oakland tNe1cs:

While riding in the electric cars to .ay and
specializing on the great changes that have
occurred in Topeka during my six years alb
sence. saw a gentleman enter the car who
has a very interesting history. About IL or 10
years ago he was driving harvester through
the field near Silver Lake when the wheel
struck q stone, and came near upsetting the
machine. The driver was thrown from his
seat and considerably bruised just at the tip
of the backbone. In a short time tumor
began to grow there and continued growing
for years, gaining pound year, of solid,
hard substance. When the gentleman, after
the first few years. attempted to sit down the
tumor canted HIM away over sidewlse so
that he had to hold onto something to keep
his balance. Tied to such formidable
growth life became a burden to him. He CON-
suited several eminent surgeons, at home
and abroad. but none of them would under
take to release him from what one of them
called his twin brother" The base of the tu-
NOR grew to be . inches in circumference,
and 1t projected foot outward. Finally he
went to DR.. Roby of Topeka and begged him
to remove the tumor even if it should cost
him his life to have it done. happened to
be in the doctors office at the time and shall
never forget the look of surprise and horror
on the doctors face when the mammoth
growth was uncovered and presented to view,
and think l was still more Mortified my
self. The next day the man was chloro-
formed and placed on the operating table,
and Just as the big lump was about half sew
cred and the blood flowing freely and the
necessity for rapid work became extremely
urgent, a sudden explosion and fire occurred
in drug store on 5th street just back of the
hospital where the operation was going on.
There was great and sudden excitement all
over the town. The explosion had startled ev-
erybody but the man on the surgeons table.
He slept peacefully on. One of the doctors
assisting DR.. Roby, who had already made
two or three trivial excuses to get out OF the
case and was as white as ghost, dropped the
chloroform bottle, and like the arrant cow
are that he was, bolted for the door saying he
must go and see about his own office on the
avenue, a block away from the fire. But
quick as thought bloody hand, grasping
big knife, dripping with blood, was thrust IN
front of him, and he was commanded In very
impressive language to return to his work
lnstanter, and the poor, crlnglng coward In
speeches. agony went back to his post OF
duty. A few moments afterwards the great
lump of flesh the size of a nlne-pound baby,
rolled of the operating table to the floor,
leaving an immense cash that looked as
though a cannon ball had plOwed through 1t.
The hemorrhage was frightful, at least it
looked SO to me whose duty it was to do the
sponging. But one afte- another the larger
vessels were secured and tied and yet the
kKSdt CAVITY Wd9 q idhC Va OAoSSA
oOzing from the veins and arteries too small
to tie. Hot congresses were applied and
pressure maintained until the OoZlng ceased.
The great flaps were then brought together
and the wound closed. That " as in the after
noon. About ten o'clock at night the man be-
gan vomiting at terrific rate and cOincldent-
ally the wound began bleeding again, and in
few minutes the wound contained blood
clot almost as large as the tumor had been.
The stitches We're hastily cut, and the big clot
scOoped out, and bags of pounded ice were
pressed into the opening. For time the
Oozing ceased, only to be renewed as soon as
the shock of refrigeration passed of, and
! thought the man would surely die. But DR..
ROby kept his nerve and his wits about him,
and quicker than can write 1t he had cloths
kept ready for just that possible emergency,
and the bleeding was again controlled and
the wound closed second time. Then the
doctor and his son sat by turns all night and
maintained steady manual pressure on the
wound and thus controlled the bleeding from
the hundred or more vessels too small to lig-
ate and too large to dry up spontaneously.
In just weeks from that fearful strug-
gle in a life and death issue, the patient, Mr..
j. NJ. Hollenshade, walked up to the Capital
Office and told the editor how happy and
thankful he was to be live and free man
once more. That was nine years ago, and
my accidental meeting of the patient to-day,
suddenly brought back most wildly the
thrilling scenes of that most intense and
memorable day of my life.