The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-12-31
BACK TO LIFE.
The Heart of Little Jimmie MO
Caughry Ceased to Beat.
dis Eyes Became CLASSY and tho ExtremI-
ties Cold-He is Saved by the Surgeons
skill-A New Form In Removing
the Vermiform Appendix.

NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-The medical
profession is much stirred, so far as il
is yet familiar with the facts in the
case, by the details of remarkable
surgical operation performed by DIR.
Albert Skunk, of this city.
The fact accomplished is no less than
the bringing back to life of person
practically dead, as the term is usually
understood Among the many wonder
full cases recorded in recent years,
probably not Que has been marked by
features as unique as that of which
Jimmy MeCaughry, aged 12, is to-day
the living example,
The physician was called to the case
late in the night, and found the patient
had very marked symptoms of "appen-
dicitis, or, as it is vulgarly called, in-
flammation of the blind gut. Though
the seat of trouble was not apparent,
the diagnosis made plain the fact that
the sufferer was doomed, as far as
could be determined by precedents in
similar cases. On the advice of the
physician the members were advised OF
the gravity of the case, and when next
morning very sizeable lump was OBJ
servable over the seat of the inGamma'
tion, the diagnosis was fully justified,
and the trouble was exactly stated to
be an abcess around the vermiform ap-
pcndiX.
An operation was at once recon-
mended but was delayed until the ar
rival of relatives who had been SUM
moned in anticipation of the near APP.
proach OF death The next afternoon
the surgeon was finally called and di-
rectcd to proceed When he arrived il
was discovered that the abcess had
broken, thus covering the intestines
with the liberated matter. In this
crisis it was clear to the scientific mind
that the boy was dying. The doctor
told the family that dissolution would
take place within an hour, and that
though it was possible that an opera.
ton might result successfully, the
chances were many times against it.
Permission to proceed was given, 10
being understood that in any event Of
failure to secure relief the end would
not be hastened more than fifteen min
utes. The patient was quickly placed
on table, and while under the infu-
ence of slight anesthetic an opening
about eight inches long was made in
the walls OF the abdomen. From the
incision there was at once a plenteous
flow of pus No sooner had this taken
place than the pulse ceased to beat, tho
heart stopped, the jaw dropped and
every evidence of the most complete col
lapse betokened the presence of death.
The CLASSY eyes upturned, the coldness
of the extremities and the death per-
spiration with which the body was COW
cred, left no doubt in the minds of
those present that the experiment had
resulted fatally.
At this point the surgeons skill was
displayed. With one hand he tore open
the wound, while with the other he
emptied the contents OF pitcher of hot
water into the abdominal cavity. For
brief interval the tiuttering renewal
of action was apparent only to the
practiced medical eve, but soon the
pulsations grew stronger, and ere long
the patient gave unmistakable signs OF
returning consciousness.
Then the eyes were opened in a dazed
sort of way, as If the subject was awak-
ening from deep sleep The action of
the hot water having neutralized the
effect of the ether that had been given,
the patient was assisted to retain the
ground gained by the administration OF
/ hypodernic injections. With a new
lease of life, there was a chance for the
surgeon to look for the seat of the alb.
scess.
The foreign substance was found and
removed by most delicate operation,
and Thursday the patient is GONZALES
cent. Operations for the removal of
the ''vermiform appendix" are by nc
means uncommon, but the surgeons
knife is rarely sanctioned by expert,
enced practitioners in the cases with
! physical conditions as extreme as those
in the one here cited, Some idea of the
interest manifested in the case may
| be gained from the statement that for
several days efforts have been made to
obtain the details without success.
From the points here given it is claimed
that medical men now believe it tx
have been determined that no case OF
appendicitis need be necessarily re-
garded as fatal.