The record-union., 1895-08-16
ROYAL BAkrwo POWDER
Highest all in Leavenng Power-Latest US. Cove Report
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ABSOLUTELY pUEsE
HOW LIFE IS PROLONGED.
Colonel Mike Murphy Has All Hi
Food Pumped Into Him.


Colonel Mike Murphy Has All His
Food Pumped Into Him.
Colonel Michael G. Murphy is a re-
marhable instance of the wonders OF
modern surgery. He has been unable to
eat any food OF substantial character
for years, and all he is allowed to eat is
pumped into him through q tube. At
one time he weighed 2l0 pounds. but ILL
ness caused him TO fall away until he
only weighed IS pounds, and his death
was expected daily. To-day he tips the
scales at $40 pounds and Gays he will be
the proudest man in New York If he
ever succeeds In increasing his weight
ten pounds more.
Colonel Marphy has been one of the
most noted politicians in the city, and
his name is household word in the
First Assembly District, in which he has
always resided since he came to this
country. The Colonel is now 30 years of
age. He was taken i'll in 1888. He was
troubled with severe Intestinal pains,
which he attributed to indigestion. In
1889, the thirteenth year that he had
served in the Legislature, having been
seven years in the Assembly and six i n
the Senate he consulted DR.. J. j. Huener
who decided that the Colonel was suffer-
ing from an ulcer of the stomach. To
treat this involved an enforced rest of
In a talk with Sunday WOrid reporter
recently the Colonel gave a graphic de-
scriDtion of the treatment in those days.
''The doctors would assenbl about me-"
he said, land | would be given yard of
rubber hose, which | would swallow. 1t
was an awful experience. Then the doc
tors would pour in the liquid poison, for
the purpose Of cleansing the stomach and
healing the cancer. a watch was always
held on this operation, and on the minute
when it would be dangerous to allow the
poisonous solution to remain longer in
the stomach it was pumped out. and [
then had to take an antidote of salt and
water. In sixty days the physicians de-
clared the ulcer was healed. During that
time was fed unnaturally, and it seemed
to be only question of time when L
should die Of starvation"
In 1890 Colonel Murphy went to Sara
toga, where moro serious symptom than
all was developed. The doctors discov-
cred structure of the esophagus. The
result was that the Colonel could swallow
only 8 little milk or other liquid nourish-
ment. He was wasting slowly away.
He became SO feeble that he could do
nothing but lie in a hammock on the
veranda IN the sun. He thought he was
going to die, and SO he insisted on being
brought back to New York.
Arrived here he seemed at first to i'm
prove, but q relapse came and he again
grew weak. DR.. Heunsr determined on
nutritive enemas as means of sustain
ing him, and these were given for a num-
ber of months. Finally it became appar-
ent that it would no longer be possible to
administer food by enema, and that only
the fOrlorn chance of q successful opera
tion of gastrotomy stood between the
Colonel and speedy death by starvation.
DR.. Heuner consulted with Drs. Lin
coin, Janeway, Loomis, Gold dthwaite,
Kelly and kinnicutt, and it was their
unanimous opinion that the operation
was imperative. Although it seemed to
them that he would die under it. yet it
was an easier death than that from starv-
alton.
81 have faced death too often in the
battlefield to shirk it now," said the Col
onel to the doctors. go ahead and
do the best you can. If you kill me Pll
forgive you."
Preparations were made for the opera
ton. Dr. Weir was selected to perform
it. He was assisted by DR.. Elliott, three
medical students and four nurses. An
opening was made in the abdomen on De-
Gem ber Is, 1890. The incision was three
inches long and one and one-half inches
deep. Three days afterward the opening
into the stomach was made. a rubber
tube was then fixed in the opening and
kept there without dangerously exciting
Inflammation except when necessary to
remove it in order to cleanse it. In
short time Colonel Mike was able to
eat three solid meals day. There was no
gastronomic pleasure in them. and his
likes and dislikes were never considered.
Plain, nourishlng. easily digestible food
substances were used.
The food, carefully cooked meats,
broths and vegetables of all kinds, was
crushed and mixed in machine espe-
cially invented for that purpose. 1t was
then pumped into the stomach through
the tube by little force pump, also espe-
cially manufactured.
The effect on the patient of the i'm
proved nOurishment was readily shown.
He gained rapidly and was soon able to
be out Of doors again. He resumed an
active interest in politics. Since then tie
doctors have never ceased to try to dilate
the structure in the oesophagus. so that
their patient might return to the natural
way OF eating. To-day the Colonel
can just barely swallow sponge cake,
liquefied by milk and only in slow
methodical manner.
All the solid food he lives upon is still
pumped into the stomach through the
rubber tube. The stomach is covered
with a strong white bandage and the
around the ColonePs middle. He says
he has grown 30 used to it that it causes
him no Inconvenience at all.
Saloon Licenses Granted.