The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-24
He F aced the Prospects of
Death With Coolness
and Deliberation.
HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL OPERATION.
The Distinguished Patient Rallied
Quickly and His Recovery
Is Almost Certain.

reau 4 HE y ERSEY lily NEWS boudIs tudl
Mayor Wanser has successfully passed
through the severe ana dangerous surgi-
cal operation which had been found nee
essary to prolong his useful life. This
morning telephone message stated that
the Mayor was in fair way for rapid
recovery. and that it was possible that he
might be removed from ST. Lllke's Hos.
pital in New York to his nome in about
ten days.
For nearly four years Mayor Wanser
had been sufferer of intense pain. Day
and night he had passed through tortures
known ouly to himself. and sufferings
that could only be appreciated by being
experienced. He consulted specialists
and received treatment, out witaout re-
ceiving any apparent benefit. Finally. the
specialists concluded that they had not
made O proper diagnosis of his case.
About one year ago Mayor Wanser con-
suited DR.. L. Bolton Bangs, professor
In the Post Graduate Medical School and
a celebrated specialist in his department.
A PULLING CASE.
Mayor Wanser's case puzzled DR..
Bangs for awhile. 1t WAS only after long
study that he resortsd to observation
with tEejcystoscope, d new and very clever
adoption OF the eleclric light by whlcn
the internal organs may be ex-
amined from without. A minute incan-
descent lamp is aItac he'd to the END of a
long tube at such an aagle as 10 illumin-
ate the Interior surface OF any organ. and
o permit OF this illunlnafed surface, re-
fiected III mirror. being viewed through
the tube. The tube is fitted with magni-
flying lenses like a microscopes.
BY means of this Instrument. DR..
Bangs determined the exact cause of the
Mayors suffering He, at first, atteI pt-
ed 10 cure it by administration OF medi-
oines. The pain was caused by the fur
nation of hard calcareous substance.
The first effort WAS to dissolve this. IL
was unsuccessful, aud si1us of dsgenera-
lion of tissue began to be manifest.
Then the removal of the foreign sub
stance by the knife was determinad en-.
Such an operation is unusual. 1t is not
necessarily very dangerous, but is un-
dertaken with great cau;iou- 1t Is what
surgeons call capital operation."
CONSULTED DR.. BANGS.
Before performing the operation DR..
Bangs told the Mayor 1t was desirable to
have a consultation. To this Mayor
Wanser agreed. and Dr. w. I. Bull was
called in. DR.. Bull agreed with DR..
Bangs In his diagnosis and was also POSI-
tive that au operation was necessary.
Mayor Wauser EXPRESSED entlre readi-
ness to submit 10 the operation. He WAS
told he would have to be placed under
the influence of ether, and the case uf
Elliott +. Shepard was recalled to him.
He firmly said that he feared moth
ing. and 80 the matter WAS settled.
DR.. Bull could not assist at the opera
ton. He had arranged TO 60 to Europe.
and he sailed for there three weeks ago.
Mayor Wanser went about his prepara-
tions for the ordeal methodicaliy. He
chose time when he could be best spared
from his duties. and then made his will.
He was fully alive to the unusual and
serious nature of the operation, but he
did not finch. He never showed the least
fear.
He decided to let very few share his Sc
cret. 1t was necessary to provide for tue
successful continuance of the city gov
ernmen5 in the event of his death. and
he. therefore, had long consultation
with Corporation Attorney Weart. his
former private secretary, relative to sew
eraI important matters pending before
the city. He urged Mr.. Weart TO watch
the action of the Street aud Water Board,
with which the Mayor has had some
lively tits of late
He also sent word to Alderman-at-
Large Simpson, who was in Chicago, re-
questing him to return at once. as he
would become the acting Mayor during
on his way home last night.
To all others Mayor Wanser said he
was going out of the city on political bus
iness.
He told his mother this also, fearing to
alarm her unnecessarily. He packed q
valise last Monday and left home ostsnsi-
bly, for this purpose.
WENT TO ST. LUKE'S.
1t was to ST. Luke's Hospital, at Fifth
avenue aud Fifty-fourth street, N lew
York, however.he journeysd. DR.. Bangs.
VINO Is the consulting surgeon of tho
hospital. had reserved room for him- He
was at once placed under treatment pre-
paratory TO the operstiop. which was
fixed for Thursday morning at eleven
O'Clock.
DR.. Bangs had no distinguished assist
ant, although the operation was of u bold
aud most delicate nature. 1t was one
which has several times resulted disas-
trously. But Dir. Bangs has always been
successful in the few times he has found
it necessary to perform 1t and this proved
no exception. DIR. Bunce. the young
house surgeon of the hospital, acted as
his assistant, with several of the hospital
staff in attendance. The Mayors secre-
Iary also witnessed It.
The patient was fully under the in
fluence of the ether. When the knife
was applied, the caloareous deposit
looked for was not at first discovered.
The surgeon, however. courRgeously cut
into the tissue of the diseased organ, and
at last located the deposit, which he re-
moved with forceps. 1t was as large as
a hazel nut.
In rem owing 1t the mass crumbled into
many pieces. and this nece ssitated fur
ther operations for the removal of all the
minute fragments. The woun We're
then sewed up.
The whole operation required au hour
and a half.
SPEEDY RECOVERY.
The patient was not long IN recovering.
He was himself in an hour, though ex-
Get tdingly weak from loss OF blood. DR..
Bangs visited him again in the evening.
BY that time he was able to talk. He
smiled and said he was all right.
A gentleman who Witnessed the opera
alton said yesterday that Mayor Wanser's
courage was remarkable. The Geueral
went to the table unconcerned and
laughing. though he had been informed
the operation was OF q very serious char
acter. He did not hesitate to take the
ether
Mrs. Wanser was at once informed of
the operation and it's succ ssstul termina-
tion. She went to her sons bedside at
once and has been there ever since. The
Mayors clerk, John j. NeviD, has also
called upon MIN, but he did not discuss
puplic business.
AT the Armory last night the members
of the Fourth Regiment gathered and
solemnly discussed the danger Of their
General and his great nerve and pluck
None would adinit that they feared that
the operationwould result tn death, but al +
had nm anYioua axnracSfon IN THAR