Evening journal., 1893-07-11
DANIEL HICKEY'S LARYNX.
HE BREATHEs, COUGHS AND ExPEc-
ToRATES THROUGH A SILVER TUBE.

Able to Talk After His Lar,nx HAS Been
Removed-ImpossibIe for Him to Choke
to Death or strangie.
Daniel Hickey, Of No. 1881 South
Front street. Philadelphia, a man who
has attracted the greatest attention in
surgical circles, was in Wilmington
yesterday astonishing the physicians
He is the man whose larynx was re.
moved in jefferson Hospital by Professor
Cohen about fifteen months ago. The
affection which necesstated the removal
was sarcoma, cancerous affection of the
organ.
Hickey is a middle-aged man and
shows the fifteen months suffering he
has undergone. His operation was Of
such delicate nature that no
one but Professor Cohen had
much faith in its success, but
thirteen months in a hospital ward
demonstrated the fact that the professor
knew what he was doing 1t was dis
cussed in all the leading medical
urnals at the time as a wonderful
operation. The most wonderful part
about it is that Hickey can articulate
with an entire absence of larynx, there
being no communication between the
mouth and trach@. Not vestige of the
larynx remains. The first ring of the
trache is sewed to the edges of hole
In the lower part of the throat Just
above the breast bone, and person can
look down the tracb@ and see the differ
ent rings for several inches.
An EVENING JOURNAL reporter met
/ Hickey by chance, in the office of DR..
Slaughter, on Delaware avenue, yester.
day afternoon. The physician called the
reporters attention to the rarity of the
case.
In reply to his questions Hickey said
that when he went to the hospital his
larnyx was so badly affected by sarcoma
that he could not articulate word
The surgical fraternity held that extir
patton of the larynx carried with it the
vocal cords, but his recovery Of the
power of articulation without breath
passing through his mouth or nose had
demonstrated that their theory was false
He removed the large silver tube from
the hole in his throat and stood under
the electric light to enable the reporter
to take look down his windpipe. IL
convince himself that there was no con
nection between the lungs and mouth oi
nose the reporter put his finger over the
mouth Of the silver tube held the bacl
of his moistened hand in front of Hiclx
ey's mouth and Just under the nose
but not a breath could be felt. 7,
te st the matter still further Hickey wal
requested to cough. He did so, thl
sound being similar to that made by
small boy when blowing through'a bean
shooter.
Hickey might all his stomach will
food for supper and put enough in hi
mouth for breakfast without danger o
choking; for he would go right OF
breathing back Of his collar button
without regard to what his mouth ha'
in it
A man might waylay Hickey, knocl
him down gently, sit on him, press hi
fingers into his throat and sit there 70
several hours and Daniel would no
suffer to any extent. He would Just q
on breathing through his tube while tn
highwaymRn was firing his murderou
fingers.
When Hickey was asked IL he did no
suffer cold and Inconvenience froI
! breathing cold air directly into th
lungs, he said he did not He had bee
exposed to very cold air by way of ex
pertinent and no pulmonary trouble ha
resulted. The only precaution he take
is to keep piece. of cheesecloth over tn
orihce to keep out dust and other hyin
particles in the air he breathes
Since Hickey was discharged from tt
hospital he has been unable to worl
He does not beg from house to hous
but travels from city to city, visitin
physicians and showing them this pie,
: of Professor Cohen's surgical hand
t work He seldom leaves an Office witt
b out receiving from ten cents to a quai
: ter He called upon a number of phys
d clans here yesterday and, it is undei
9 stood, returned to Philadelphia tn