The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-12-30
WONDERFUL SURGICAL CASE
South Opsaha Man Lives With His Heart
ESposed TO View.

EXPOSED TO view.
New YORK, Dec. 26.-A rare surgical
case, involving the removal OF ! portion
of the patients chest and exposing the
heart to view beneath the pericardium,
was made the subject of an interesting
clinic at the College of Physicians and
Surgeons in the city. !,
Edward w. lighthouse of South
Omaha, Neh., a former employe ir'theF
meat dressing room Of Armour'e pack
ing house in that city, wHs the patient
lighthouse caught cold in May, 1883,
and wns soon stricken with pleurisy.
He was confined to hig house for four
months and, althougknot entirely well,
at the end OF thst' time went TO his
former home az Warren, Pa. where
he remained uatil February, 1889. He
decided fna1ly to go to the general
hospital in Buffalo, N. Y, for treat
ment, having been told thnt it would
be necessary for him to undergo q
surgical operation. He put himself in
the hands of Dr. Roswell park, chief
surgeon of the general hospital. He
reached the hospital early i'll February,
and on the 10th of that month the
operation was performed. More than
q dozen surgeons were present. He
was suffering from an abccss in the
chest The operation was on the
principle laid down by Eastlander.
One and one-half inches was rcsected
or removed from five ribs on the left
side in front and from four or five ribs
in the back. BY this means the pleural
cavity was opened in such manner
that the hand could be put through
from one side to the other. A large
quantity Of pus was then removed and
the left lung was found to be almost
entirely gone.
The pleural cavity was scraped and
zinc solution. 1t vas then packed Hith
zinc oxide gauze and dressed as neces-
snry. Ether wns the anaesthetic used.
lighthouse was under its influence for
more than two hours, although the
operation proper only occupied half of
that time. He stood the operation we'll
and recovered rapidly. The operation
left lighthouse with an opening four
inches long and three inches wide on
the left side of his chest, extending
through to the back and exposing the
heart, whose every beat could be seen
with the naked eye. lighthouse was
incapacitated for work, as u matter of
course, and after vain effort to sup
port his wife and three children at Bel
laire, o., he decided last month to OK
hibit his peculiar physical condition to
medical men in colleges, clinics or in
private, as means of supporting his
family. He has exhibited himself to
clinics in Chicago, Cincinnati. Column
bus, o., and Louisville. In new York
he has been shown to two of Dr.. Gilman
Thompson's classes at the University
Medical college, and also to clinic of
DIR, Alfred Loomis in the amphitheater
of Bellevue hospital. He has also been
shown to class in the Woman's Med
ical college and in the Long Island
hospital.
Prof. Curtis of the College of Phys.
clans and Surgeons exhibited MI:
lighthouse in the amphitheater of that
college. DR.. w. Gilman Thompson
will take him to New Haven Thursday
to exhibit him to the medical faculty
there. lighthouse says he is generally
in good health, but has to take the
greatest precaution against taking cold
or over~exerting himself. He feels
much better in summer than in winter,
because OF the difference in the temper
ature. For the purpose of protecting
himself from cold he fills up the cavity
in his chest with a couple of handfuls
of cotton. Next to his skin he wears
buckskin undcrshirt. He has OCCASION
ally slight pain in the region of the
chest. He does not smoke or drink and
is most careful in his diet
Frdh New Haven Mr.. lighthouse will
go to Philadelphia, baltimore and
Washington. where he expects to ex-
hibit himself to medical men and
clinics.