The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-03-22
AN INTRICATE OPERATION.
A = Extremely delicate Performances IN
Sur0Arv.

I'm tOtNs
An Extremely Delicate Performance In
Surgery.
An interesting surgical operation
wa successfully performed recently at
the Snlpho-Saline S~anitarium at Lin
coin. Only twenty-five similar oper-
ations are on record in this country
or abroad, but in these twenty-five
cases the suturc was used and eleven
cases died. Only two like operations
using the Murphy button instead of
the suture have been performed, the
one at Lincoln performed by DR.. NJ. Fl.
Everett making the third. The oper-
alton was the removal of a cancerous
growth about the size of a goose egg
which involved the end of the stom-
ach, the %pylorous and the duodenum.
The rent in the stomach was her en-
tirely sewed up with fine silk thread,
making a seam about four inches in
length. A gathering string was run
around the freshly cut ,intestines and
one piece Of the Murphy button firmly
fastened in. Then a new incision was
made in the under side of the stomach
with a similar gathering string run
around its edge and the other part of
the button inserted. The button was
then pressed or sprung together.
The famous button is made of brass,
nickel-plated, and is in two pieces, one
piece resembles collar button with an
opening through it. the other piece is
concave to exactly fit the button.
Both are hollow to allow the passage
of food and fluids through. Thed am
eters of both pieces are the same.
When the coat OF the stomach and the
coat OF the intestines are lightly drawn
down over the edge of each piece of
the button, and then the pieces fitted
to each other, the %peritoneal coa of
the stomach and the peritoneal coat
OF the intestines are in perfect appo-
sition and will grow together. The
part inside the button receives such
pressure that circulation is cut off and
the part dies and sloughs Off. This
loosens the button, which finally
passes out through the intestines and
rectuln.
This button was invented by DR..
Murphyof Chicago, and is one of the
most wonderful inventions in surgery
within the last three years. DR.. Muir
ply was received with great honors
when he recently visited Vienna and
other foreign cities, and his button is
now the recognized e q of joining
any part of the intestinal tract.
The test of IN operation is the re-
c,,3% ,~l 49, ,.ooriA - AZ -, os
DIR. Everett's is absolutely gratifying.
1t was performed at the Lincoln
S~ulpho-Saline Sanitarium in a south
room. prepared for the purpose, and
was q thoroughly aseptic operation.
Modern sterililers We're used for in
struments, needles and towels. All
the water was sterilized. The opera
tor and assistants hands we're thor
oughly scrubbed, then dyed Will, per-
manganate Of potash, then scrubbed
with o&alic acid to remove the stain,
rinsed in sterilized water in the Ger
mar method, and a thoroughly aseptic
wound was the result. The external
wound wa only three inches in length.
The stitches were removed on the
eighth day. and perfect union had
taken place.svithout suppuration.
The patient had only a few hours
suffering Immediately after coming
out from the anaesthetic and his tenn
perature was never higher than %, it
was subnormal most of the time, and
his pulse steadied down within twelve
hours to 70 beats in a minute. In.
twenty-four hours he was more COM
Portable than before the operation, and
continued to gain in strength from
that time. Unless the operation had
been performed the patent had not
two weeks to live, for the opening from.
the stomach vas entirely closed and
everything he ate had to be vomited
up. The stomach at times was so
dilated with gas that it extended be-
low the umbilicus, and the man was in
reality skin and bones. He had been
sick for eleven years. The button
passed from him just thirteen days
and twenty-five hours after it was in
serted, sooner by. two days than tho
! other two recorded cases.
A Disappointed Tourist.
The first cowboys I ever saw great.
49,