The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-28
sURvIvED 4 HEARr srAn.
An Actors Wonderful Recovery After
an Attempt at Suicide.

an attempt at suicide.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mhen men receive knife wounds in the
heart the public demands that they keel
gracefully over and die. This IS a time
honored custom, and the exceptions TO
II are few and far between. There is one
IN this city, however and his case hes
ALREADY become celebrat ted in local medi-
cal circles. He is Clyde Hess actor
Less than a year ago in an alcoholic
freak ne jabbed the point of a dagger
INTO MS heart. and We. ne lives TO act
IN as good If not better health than ever
The Pacific Medical Journal, in its cur
rent issue. devotes two pages to a review
Of the case and the course of treatment
followed by DR.. Tension Deane, the at
tending surgeon.
Hess was in the Auditorium saloon on
Powell street about o'clock on the after
noon Of June last. He had been drink
ing quite heavily during the day and
was much the worse for wear. Accom-
panylng him were several we'll known
theatrical people. They all lined up to
the bar, ordered drinks. and were talk
ing on the first subject at hand when
suddenly, without a word of warning.
Hess drew a dagger from his pocket and
plunged il into his breast. So quickly
was ii done that his companions thought
he was going through mock tragedy
for their amusement, as he staggered
across the floor and against the wall
moment later the bloody dagger fell
from his grasp, the warm blood spOuted
after it. and the young actor sank Imply
to the floor, stabbed to the hearth
When laid on the operating table at
the receiving hospital il was discovered
that the weapon had penetrated to a
depth of four and a half inches into
the chest The point of entrance was one
inch to the left of the sternum and over
the fourth rib. The point of the knife
had slipped over the bone and passed
through the fourth intercostal space and
through the wall of the left Ventricle
of the heart. The wound was Immediate
ly pronounced fatal
An antiseptic dressing was applied and
the patient put to bed. An ice bag was
placed over the dressing, and ergot and
convallaria majalis were administered
The heart beat was 80 per minute and very
irregular, there being a distinct murmur
at the second heart sound. Hess recovered
consciousness the next day, but was very
weak from loss of blood and the condition
of his heart Respiration was seriously
interfered with. DR.. Deane removed
eighteen ounces of blood, a little more than
a pint, by using an aspiratOr. After this
the heart beat improved. although there
was marked mitral reorganization. The pa
tient was then given small doses of con-
vallaria majalis every three hours.
The third day there was a marked i'm
prOvement in the condition of Hess An
other pint of blood was drawn off and
the temperature was reduced to 995 Five
days later he was removed to his home
and the very next day had two faintinR
spells. DR.. Deane found at this time
that from the nature of the original
wound. fluid air could be expelled, but
none coulu enter. Inc point Wnere the
knife had entered was at least half an
inch higher than where it had penetrated
the intercostal space, the passage form
ing valve which allowed the outward
passage of fluids, but remained closed to
the outside air. From this fact alone
the case was a remarkable one, not to
speak of the manner in which the heart
stood the rough manipulation necessary
to the treatment followed.
With cOntriVance composed of a
double catheter. an inspirator, and a
douche bag. the surgeon was able to siphon
of the accumulation and wash out the
The curved silver catheter was put
through the wound and passed around the
heart From June u TO July the douches
were kept up regularly, and on July 10.
the patient felt quite well. The wound
troubled him no longer, and nothing re-
manned but the valvular trouble.