The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-07-04
ASTONISHING FEATS
Marvellous Surgery Now Being Per-
formed with fhe Knife,
Many Persons Ewing Who Have
Been Deprived of Their Wind
pipes - Lives saved by Some
Very Wonderful Operations.
The yIo@e OF Operation.

years afterward without feeling the
loss at all, says the New York World.
A few persons have been thus distin-
guished and their lives have been saved
as a consequence. The operation is
exceedingly difficult and delicate. To
the lay mind it seems impossible, but
we are fast learning that the modern
great surgeon does not include this
word in his vocabulary.
The jugular vein has had more glory
than any other blood vessel. The most
ignorant person knows it's location and
that to cut it means certain death.
"lll hit him on the jugular," is com
mon expression among priZe-fghtcrs
and toughs. When a man gets hit on a
iugular he usually goes down and be-
comes speechless for minute or two,
but the jugular is no more responsible
for that than the big toe. There is a
little shining cord-a nerve---just back
of the jugular which controls speech
and respiration. When a forccful blow
is struck in the region of the jugular
this nerve is paralyzed and what is
technically known as u knockout re-
suits.
The iugular is nearly an inch in diam
eter, and it will be readily understood
how easily one can bleed to death if it
is suddenly opened. 1t lies directly I'M
derneath the great muscle on the side
OF the neck which shows up SO promi-
nently in an athlete when he turns his
head. Except in a very feshy person,
a cut Of half an inch in depth will
readily reach it.
The removal Of a piece of the iugular
is justifablc in case of a large abscess,
tumor or growth Of any kind on the
neck or Of inflammation OF the walls Of
the vein and the tissue about H. The
Latter is very rare. Unlike the removal
of the ver1niform appendix, the removal
of the iugular viii never become a
fad" Seldom, indeed, is there any
need of it.
There are great number of nerves
in the region of the jugular. To cut
one of them is serious For instance,
the nerve already mentioned, which
lies next to the vein, controls the func-
tions of speech and respiration. These
nerves intersect each other like rivers,
highways and railroads on very small
map. 70 cut out a piece of the iugular
is somewhat like putting your pencil
down on this map when you arc blind
folded without touching a river, a high
way, or railroad. But the surgeon
knows the exact location of each little
nerve, each little vein, from
long study, and his scalpel is sharp and
his touch is sure
The flesh and tissue are cut away and
the vein is lifted up clear of both, look
ing like a full hose when the water is
turned on, while all the time the great
is held apart by forked steel
hooks something like sugar tongs A
pair of clamps, shaped like blunt
scissors, with rough surfaces, is fast
cned just above the point where the
upper cut is to be made. Suddenly the
tube collapses, just as the hose does
when the water is turned off, for the
output of blood from the brain has
been shut off. A second pair of clamps
is fastened just below where the cut is
to be made. Next two strips of catgut
or of fine silk are tied tightly around
just above the upper pair of clamps and
just below the lower pair, and all that
is left to do is to cut out the interven-
ing piece. The whole operation is per-
formed by the skillful hands of two or
three surgeons more quickly than it is
told
In three months time, the catgut or
the silk will have been assimilated into
"a Ia
formed at the inlet Of the vein at the
base of the head, and what was once
the walls Of the vein will have become
a useless tube, which will also be
assimilated, while tissue will
form in its place.
But how does the impure blood from
The brain now find it's way back to be
purified? is the question that is natural
y asked. Just here is where nature
asserts her versatility, adaptability
and resourcefulness. She makes the
jugular on the other side of the neck
and the numerous small veins do the
work, and they do it so satisfactorily
hat the patient never knows the differ
ence.
The first operation for the removal of
jhe jugular was performed in India by
IN English surgeon, DR.. Smith, on an
East Indian, who had such a bad tumor
m his neck that death was certain. To
,ut down and take out piece of the
amous old vein was simply rash ex-
pertinent in which DR. Smith himself
lad very little confidence. AS soon as
he news of its success was distributed
through the medical world the vein i'm
nediately lost some of its great prestige,
Ind the tumor of the neck much of it's
lorror. You may be sure that DR.
smith did not tell the Indian what he
vas about to do, or the poor fellow
vould have probably died of fright on
he spot, for the ignorant natives of
ndia regard the jugular as the seat of
III life
But the prestige of the jugular has
eceived even a greater blow. A few