The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-07-05
FIRST ON RECORD.
n Daring Operation Performed by Ply
sicians With Splendid Results.


The surgeon 3 scalpel was welded with
new triumph az the Randall's Island hos
pital, New York a few days since, and a
case OF acute trismus, or malignant lock
jaw, cured. This il the first trial of sur
gerry In the treatment of this exciting dis
ease on record. 1t was one of those daring
experimental operations which are per-
formed in strictest secrecy and never be-
come known To the public mind unless the
result Is satisfactory to the operator
In its mild form trismus is durable I'm
about five cases out of ten, but when acute
Is always considered fatal inside OF As
hours. The result of this new operation,
which is the first practice of the theory of
Drs. Jean Bgelow and NJ. Morris Bernard,
who Jointly performed the trial, has caused
the widest enthusiasm among the physi-
clans and surgeons present, and IL Is be-
lieved that the method will be universally
adopted
The fortunate subject of the recovery is
Miss Susie Merrill
Miss Merrill was first discovered with
the dreadful malady by hef younger sister,
who at daybrca1 one day last week aroused
the family and announced that Susie must
have hydrOphobia as her face Immediately
became convulscd when a glass of water,
which she requested, was handed to her
DIR. John IL. Brayden, physician living
almost directly opposite the Merrills, was
called and soon made clear diagnosis of
the disease known to medical men Us iris
mus which, in this case was plainly caus-
ed by a cold in cavity in the young wom-
ans gum, where tooth had recently been
drawn The doctor advised the immediate
removal of the sick one to "a hospital, as it
~ ~ n
ing in its symptoms very rapidly, and
proper treatment could not otherwise be
given. His advice however, was unheed-
eel and another doctor called in attend
ance. But soon the pretty young wom-
ans father, seeing her condition grow
more and more serious, came to the con-
clusion that perhaps he was not doing
right, and hurriedly obtaining n cab took
his daughter TO the hospital, but by this
time the disease had made its abode in her
jaws in its most acute form.
When Miss Merrill arrived at the hos
pital, her jaws were perfectly sealed. She
had eaten absolutely nothing in several
days and was growing weaker and weak
er. As exhaustion is the immediate cause
of death in trismus, this condition caused
her life To DO despaired of at once. The
operation known as interchangeable of
opening the throat-had to be performed
in order TO obtain proper nourishment and
stimulant for one suffering such intense
agony and avoid the dreaded exhaustion as
much rs possible But this had no effect
on the continuous spasmodic contrac-
tions, which completely dwarfed those ex-
hibited in right lively case of 1.-THE
snakes and were something terrible to
witness.
The disease finally became uncontrolla-
bic, chloroform having to be abandoned,
and the fair victim becoming more and
more exhausted as the spasms increased In
violence At this period n trial for life
was determined upon by the surgical staff,
and after administering ether another OPP
Grafton was performed DR.. Bigelow han
died the knife. He made n delicate in
cision directly under the left jaw, careful
ly dissecting away and severing "a small
portion of that branch of the facial nerves
that operate the jaws, which was found in
highly diseased condition.
Miss Merrill fully regained conscious
ness after the wound was dressed, and the
commissions failed to reappear She opened
and closed her mouth voluntarily without
much difficulty. A perfect cure will bt
the result of an actual experiment will
life and death, which, though extremely
daring and may cause no little criticism
from followers of the old school, who
would have abandoned the sufferers life
seems 10 have been fully justified.
Louis Globe Democrat.