St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-04
BEGINNERS IN THE SURGICAL
ART WORRY AND FAIL TO
EFT. >..-ss.
SOME INDULGE IN VISIONS
OF DIFFICULT OPERATIONS
THEY ARE ABOUT TO UN-....
DERTAkE.
AN EMINENT SURGEON TALKS.
How They Keep Their Nerves I'm
der Control When Oper-
ating.

us there such a thing as stage
fright among surgeons?' success
full New York surgeon was asked.
Though the term stage fright with
reference to surgery was perhaps
misnomer, the surgeon understood
the question, says the New York
Sun.
ooh. yes, indeed; there is such a
thing as stage fright among sur
geons,'' he replied There are two
kinds of stage fright, or, rather, there
are two different temperaments
among doctors, and the fright, al
though in itself perhaps the same,
has a different seeming, affected as
it is by the material through which
it passes. The first is the surgeon
who is anxious to perform the oper-
alton, sees no difficulties in the way,
and nothing but a successful term
ination. His rest is not disturbed
by reflections upon complications
which may arise. Everything is
lovely until the patient is before
him. Then his hand begins to shake.
If he meets the difficulties which he
had not counted upon, his nervous
ness increases, he hurries, perhaps
with fatal result In the case of
this man he grows worse as he
grows older, and in old age he goes
all to pieces
There is another temperament of
this order. From the time this sur
geon recognizes that an operation is
necessary there pass through his
mind all the complications which
could possibly come up, and he Won
ders If there are not more which he
has not thought of. He is by no
means sanguine of a happy result.
He fears this and that and the other
thing. AS the hour approaches he
breads to commence his work more
and more. But when he is before
the subject his nervousness leaves
MIN. He commences intelligently, re-
Meeting upon what might arise. He
does not hurry or get excited, but
he is intensely interested, wholly alb
Isorbed by what he is doing. I re-
member witnessing an operation by
one OF the most celebrated surgeons
L ever knew. 1t was a most diff
cult operation, and the amnhithe-
=aeer was filled with doctors who had
come to See it performed. A few
moments before the surgeon was to
commence he was presented by
friend to two doctors who had come
from distance to see him operate.
lie bowed very politely and spoke
a lew words. Shortly after that he
commenced operating.
The operation was of considera ble
length, and when it was finished the
two gentlemen to whom the surgeon
mad been presented approached to
speak congratulatory word or two
AS he did not appear to recognize
them, his friend presented them again.
He expressed his pleasure at meeting
them without the slightest recollection
that he had met them.
DO you recall the first operation Won
ever performed yourself?"
Indeed, 1 remember it very well
l was In a hospital where there were
$500 beds and 80 surgeons in charge.
L was one OF the young assistant sur
geons. If an operation was necessary
IN any OF the wards it was our duty
10 report 1t to the surgeon in charge,
VINO then performed the opera ton if
ne chose. L reported to my surgeon
the necessity OF an amputation of a
great toe. The surgeon came and
looked at the man and concurred with
my opinion that an amputation was
necessary. was directed to get every
thlng ready for the operation Then
SAID the surgeon, L will come and op-
crate IL can. If not, you so on and
perform the operation yourself
told my young associates of the
oroer and they said: We'll, you go on
and get ready, but he won't come.
You Will have to do the operation your
SER. ana that was the way it turned
out. The operation was to be at
O'Clock. All the night before I was
rehearslng what l intended to do in
my mind and dreaming of it in nv
sleep. The next day l could not eat
my luncheon. My hands and feet were
cold. When it came time to commence
the operation L could only steady my
nerves by threading needles. [ said.
GIVE me the needle to thread. / am
very particular about my thread I
took a needle and commenced poking
at the eye. In few seconds my hand
obeyed my will and became as steady
as L could wish I performed the op-
Grafton successfully. After that I went
on performing great many opera
tons, but 1t was years before 1 c5uld
take o'clock luncheon If 1 had to op-
crate at 2 o'clock.
FROM the conscientious scientific
man apprehension never departs. for
ne knows that it is impossible to fore
see all things. And then, again. he
takes in his hands a holy, human life.
If an actor accentuates the wrong
word or halts in his lines the worst
that can come is a slight damage to
ms reputation. If minister breaches
heterodoX doctrines the worst that can
happen to him is a trial for heresy.
But II the surgeon, in a dangerous
operation, makes but the slightest mis-
take, 1t may result in death, for which
mere is no remedy. Many and many
a time on the night previous to a seri-
GUS operation have l awakened myself
from an anxious, troubled sleep by
performing the operation in my
dreams. 1t is hard to tell in this case
who is more to be pitied, the surgeon
or the patient. think the longer a
$1,000 OPOi aus Tic 1888 CETldlu he is OIL
the outcome of any operation A fraiI
little woman that one wouldf almost
say breath of wind would bl Nv away
will survive the most painful and dam
gerous operation, where a rough,
stocky, iron-built peasant-woman that
one would think could survive almost
any possible operation, will die from
something which is not, as rule, con-
sfdered dangerous.
The students In a medical college al
ways have nickname for all the pro-
fessors. My first professorship in any
medical college 1 held when I was a
very young man. In fact, was the
youngest man in the faculty. In con-
sequence of my extremely youthful
appearance the boys dubbed me the
old man. was one day operating on
a woman. The operation was extreme
ly difficult and dangerous. I had a
more than usual dread upon me that
day. I was operating and lecturing at
h.