The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-01-15
CAN'T EAT BUT is WELL.
HOW COL. MURPHY IS KEPT ALIVE
BYA LITTLE PUMP.
A silver Tube Fixed In His Abdomen and
Used Three Times Day--Remarkabie
Surgical Treatment.

From the New I Ork WOrld.
Perhaps the most CONSPICUOUS illustra
finn of the marvels of modern medical
skill in New York is Col. Michael c..
Murphy. Not one mouthful of food has
passed Col. Murphy's lips in nearly FIVE
wears. And yet he is and has been all
FMS time an active man of business.
During these five years Col. Murphy
has had his daily meals poured into his
stomach through hole cut through the
walls of his stomach A silver tube is
kent in the opening and does not cause
Mr.. Murphy any discomfort. The food
massage in his throat is hopelesslY and
forever cl sed up.
And, strange to say, so thoroughly
accustomed to this made of life has COL
Murphy become that it is doubtful if it
occurs to him that he is handicapped
at all.
Col. Murphy is member of the execs
utive committee of Tammgny Hall from
the first district and is the district lead~
er. The section is a turbulent one and
entails upon the leader as much hard
work and the exercise of as much di>
plomacy and political shrewdness as any
in the city.
Col. Murphy's case is one of the med
cal marvels of the age. Since 1890 prac-
+icaIlv every particle of food that has
cone to build up the wasting tissues of
the frame has been pumped into his
stomach through an incision in his aldo
men. This process has to be gone
through with morning, noon and night.
Col. Murphy smokes with his friends and
enjoys it. He laughs and chats with
them. He tells good stories himselfand
laughs at them, Yet he cannot dine
with them.
When he is hungry-and hunger comes
to him the same as any other mantle
wasting TISSUES must be noulished IN
the privacy of his own apartment and
nv processes not calculated to become
popular in public banquet halls.
Previous to 1889 Col. Michael c. MUIR
phy was one of the strongest and health
lest men known in New YORK pt litics. In
that year he was serving his thirteenth
wear in the legislature. He suffered that
winter from what he supposed was indi>
cestion. Toward the close of the session
be consulted DR.. J. j. Henner, who de-
cidedithat the colonel was suffering from
an ulcer in the stomach.
Then commenced the remarkable
series of treatments which made Col.
Murphy's case the talk of the medical
men on two continents. First it was
decided that his stomach must have
rest, and for fifty nine days he was fed
unnaturally. His treatment, as he once
described it to sunday World reporter,
was as follows;
1.-THE physicians and surgeons would
gather around me each morning. First
would be given yard of flexible rub
Der tube, which swallowed until one
end reached into my stomach. The ex~
perience was The most unpleasant of my
entire illness. Through this tube the
doctors would pour solution of some
sort calculated to cleanse the stomach
and heal the liberated parts. 1t was
highly poisonous. One OF the doctors
always held watch on the operation,
for it was very dangerous to leave the
solution in the stomach beyond a given
time When it had been there long
enough 1t was pumped out and followed
with an antidote of salt and water"
At the end of sixty days the stomach
was pronounced healed. In the mean
time the colonel had almost died OF
starvation. From portly man OF 225
pounds he had wasted until he weighed
barely 100 pounds. He recovered
slowly for few months, and then new
complications arose. In 1889 the doctors
discovered that he was suffering from a
structure of the oesophagus. He could
only swallow liquids and that with
great difficulty and pain. For weeks he
ived on the little milk and liquid food
that he managed to swallow. He vast
ed rapidly.
DR.. Henner determined upon nutritive
enemas as the only means of keeping the
man from starving to death, and TO
several months his existence was pro-
longed IN that way. After time it was
seen that he was growing weaker and