The San Francisco call., 1896-04-02
Cancerous Growth Successfully
Removed by Clever
Means.
MURPHY BUTTON IS LOST.
The Cathode Ray Will Probably Be
Employed TO Locate the Missing
Article.

The medical world of San Francisco is
directing its attention toward a surgical
operation recently performed by DR.. Ellin-
wood at the City and County Hospital.
In many respects it is the most remark
able of modern surgical accomplishments,
and with perhaps half dozen exceptions
is without parallel in the history of med
ical science.
On January IA last Mrs. Lizzie Tschech,
the wife of a laborer living at 444 Union
street, was carried to the County Hospital
The nature of her ailment was unknown
at that time, but it was plainly evident
that she was very sick woman-sick unto
death in fact, unless speedily afforded re-
lief. She was pale, emaclated and utterly
unable to retain any food on her stomach
1t was only a matter of days when the
woman would die OF starvation if the un-
known disease did not first finish its
deadly work.
DR.. Ellinwood was finally asked to dag
nose the case, and to him the woman Is
indebted for her earthly existence to-day
Carefully and with that leisure incident to
the profession when doubt exists the ply
sician made his examination. AT the end
OF the abdomen he discovered hard,
lumpy Neutrality-suspicious. is the medi-
cal term, and means cancerous tumor.
Mrs. Tschech and her husband were in
formed that unless an operation were per-
formed her life must soon pay the forfeit
demanded by the insidious disease. Even
should the knife be resorted to there was
no guarantee of success-frst, because the
disease had been allowed to run a long
time, and second, cures of this particular
and peculiarly located trouble were ex-
ceedingly rare.
The wife and husband consulted long
and earnestly together. There was one
chance for life in the operation proposed.
II it failed then it would only hasten the
relief from the living death the woman
was then suffering. Mrs. Tschech would
grasp the hope held out by DR.. Ellinwood,
because anything was better than her con-
dition at that time.
On January 80 the woman, pale, emaci-
ated and scarcely able to raise her head,
was laid on the operating table in ward G
of the County Hospital. DR.. Ellirwood,
assisted by Drs. Rixford and Stillman, ap-
piled themselves willingly but by no
means fearlessly to the task.
An incision was made at a point Just
above where the tumor lay. The foreign
growth, with its insidious arms and
prongs, was found.
To remove the growth was matter of
easy moment, but how to repair the gap
of three or four inches was altogether an
other matter. What is know as the
Murphy button"-an ingenious surgical
device used with success in the Paris hos
pitals- Offered the only possible way out
of the difficulty, and the operating sur
geons took advantage of the chance
The operation was performed For
hours the woman lay in semi-conscious
condition, and then she began to improve
rapidly. During the first four or five days
what nourlshment she received was OBJ
tanned by absorption. After that time she
found i easy to take milk and light diet
in the natural way, and for the last four
weeks has been eating all kinds of solids.
To-day Mrs. Tschech is able to walk anv
reasonable distance, and the only thing
preventing her discharge from the hospi-
tai is the Murphy button which saved her
life.
This little scientific device is so ped
as to cut itself loose from its environments
at the end. of week or ten days. 1t is now
two months since the button was put in
the anatomy of Mrs. Tschech to do its
work, and in spite of all precedent it per-
sists in remaining there. 1t is this fact
which now troubles DIR. Ellinwood and his
assistants.
There is po. doubt about the success of
the operation, the woman's condition
to-day showing that she'is as healthy and
sound as ever.
DR.. Ellinwood has about determined
that there is only one thing to do, and
that is to turn on the cathode ray. Unless
the button manifests its wherea bouts dur
ing the next week he will employ the new
discovery in the hope OF learning its pres
ent abiding place.