Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-01-25

\ STONE IN HIS ToNouE.
rhs C1r,ous Atn:csioa5 VI ~ Cailtorala
A delicate aud peculiar operation r
surgery was performed recently, say6
the san Francisco Examiner the
patient boing o convict serving q san-j
sonce in the Folsom penitentiary. H.
The surgeon in charge Of tho
prison. DR.. Thomas b Eagle ofioiated
In the operation. and with most sue
cessful results hlch Is the more
credi, able from the fact that only
three similar successful operations are
known to medical history
The prisoner on HON the operation
vas performed was first treated about
eighteen years ago at Placerville for
an affection OF the throat which the
physician at the time diagnosed as
tonsiiitis Under the in uenco Of
astringent and healing remedies the
pain would temporarily subsida but
would reappear at certa u intervalA
Sometime ago the prisoner ap-
peared at the morning sick call"
at the prison complaining that his
thcout was much worse than usual
The conventional remedies were pre-.
scribed and he was excused from
labor.
This condition of affairs prevailed
for two or three days without any
abatement of the intiam matory symp-
toms; in fact the patient became so
much worse that thorough examin.
alton was made of his throat by means
of magnifying glasses which resulted
In the discovery of hard. foreign
substance in the left submaxillary
region under the base OF the tongue.
Waen the discovery was made the
patient had become 80 debilitated
through pain, insomnia and lack of
nourishment that it was deemed unwise
to attempt an operation until such q
time as his system could be strength
ened by stimulants and nourishment
Instead, however. of improving
under the new regime adopted. the
prisoner grew rapidly worse being
unable to swallow any food. either o.
. liquid or solid nature.
The conclusion was then reached
that il his life was to be saved an i'm
mediate operation was necessary.
1t was determined to remove tho
substance ifpossibla from the inside.
thus avoiding an external incision and
an open wound with q resultant scar.
For this purpose a pair Of long.
curved vuselum forceps was designed
by Surgeon Eagle and manufactured
by the prison blacksmith. When. the
patient was placed in the operating
chair the track surrounding the sub
stance to be removed was thoroughly
anasthetized with cocaine. The
tongue was then carefully lifted and
drawn aside. and the long, slender
points Of the forceps were introduced
into the oritice. or cul de sac. where
the substance had taken root and had
been SO long nourished and supported.
The sharp teeth OF the instrument
soon secured purchase on the hard
formation. and it was gently torn
from its attachments and removed
from its depository. Only slight
hemorrhage ensued. which was speed
lily checked, the cavity was Thorough.
ly cleansed with antiseptics and the
patient was placed in bed for rest and
recuperation.
The relief from pain was immedi-
ate and the recovery from the opera
ton extremely rapid considering the
exhausted condition of his constitu-
ton.
The substance when removed and
placed under the microscope proved
to be in all it's essential features a
small piece of rock measuring one and
one-half inches in length. one and
one-eighth inches in width at it's
widest part and about one inch thick.
Its weight was one and one Eighth
ounces.
Physicians and surgeons who have
heard OF this case hold diversity of
opinion regarding the primary cause
Of the abnormal formation. but the
majority are of the opinion that it was
a small fruit seed or perhaps particle
Of vegetable or calcareous matter that
first found Judgment under the tongue
and by means Of those mysterious
processes by which nature builds her
various formations had attracted to
itself during the abso1 ption of food
and drink those portions of phos-
phatea lines and earths which have
given it through years of accretion it,
present substance bulk and form.
No Records From the Ancient Dead.
II the stories constantly reported a.
occurring in American archaeology
were true. that science would be in q
very remarkable, If not very prom.
Saino condition A l,ov -. A..