Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-23
WAS DEAD BUT LIVES.
Real Resurrection Said. TO Be Pro-
duOed by Surgical Skill.
A BOY DIES UNDER OPERATION,
But Is Restored to the World by Means of a
lose of Hot Water.
A VICTIM OF ADVANCED APPENDICITIS

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-The medical pro-
fession Is much stirred by q remarkable
surgical operation perfor med within few
days by DR.. Albert Skunk, of this city.
The feat accomplished is the bringing back
to life of a person practically dead, as the
term is usually understood. Among the
many wonderful cases recorded in recent
years, probably not one has been marked
by features as unique as that of which
Jimmy McCaughry, aged II, is to-day the
living example.
The physician was called to the case late
in the evening and found the patient had
very marked symptoms of appendicitis" !"
Though the seat of the trouble was not ap-
parent, the diagnosis made plain the fact that
the sufferer was doomed, SO far as could be
determined by precedents in similar cases.
On the advice of the physician the members
of the family were advised of the gravity of
the case, and when next morning a very
sizable lump was observable over the seat
of tile Inflammation, the diagnosis was fully
justified, and the trouble was exactly stated
to be an abscess around the vermiform ap-
pendix.
An Operation on Dying Patient
An operation was at once recommended,
but was delayed until the arrival of rela-
tives, who had been summoned in anticfpa-
tion of the near approach of death.
The next afternoon the surgeon was
finally called and directed to proceed.
When he arrived it was discovered that the
abscess was broken, thus covering the in
testines 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 though it was
possible that an operation might result sue
cessfully, the chances were many times
against it. Permission to proceed was
given, it being understood that in any
event of failure to secure relief, the end
would not be hastened more than 10 min
utes
The patient was quickly placed on
table, and while under the influence of a
slight anasthetic 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, the heart stopped, the jaw dropped
and every evidence of the most complete
collapse betokened the presence of death.
Resurrected by Surgical Skill.
The CLASSY eyes upturned, the coloness OF
the extremities and the death perspiration
with which the body was covered left no
doubt in the minds of those present that the
experiment had resulted fatally.
At this point the surgeons skill was dis
played. With one hand he tore open the
wound, while with the other he emptied
the contents of q pitcher of hot water into
the abdominal cavity. For brief interval
the futtering renewal of action was appar-
ent only to the practiced medical eye, but
soon the pulsation 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 patient was awakening from q deep
sleep.
The action of the hot water having neu-
tralized the effect of the ether that had
been given, the patient was assisted to re-
tain the ground gained by the administra-
tion of hypodermic injections With a new
lease of life, there was a chance for the
surgeon to look for the seat Of the abscess.
The foreign substances were found and re-
moved by most delicate operation, and to-
day the patient is convalescent
From the points here given. it is claimed
by medical men that no case of appendicitis
need be necessarily regarded as fatal.