The Red Cloud chief., 1896-10-16

49,
should happen to have Just "a kind OF a
bump that doesn't look like anything
at all don't be discouraged says the
New York Journal.
Modern surgery Is not dismayed by
my such trifie rs that. II goes to work
and builds noses and ears and almost
,nything else that the human face and
igure lack to be symmetrical.
One OF the most ambitions. most deli
ate. as well as the most successful Of
he recent ventures OF the new surgery.
VAS the construction OF an ear to sup
ply the sad deficiency Of a Connecticut
baby.
The patient in this very skillful oper-
,tion was an infant with the cuphoni-
Gus name of Michael kopcskc. The
'hild's parents keep II thriving board
Ing house in Union city. Conn.
Michael was u healthy baby and
'omcly In all respects. save that some
mischieyous fate had sent him Into
his breathing world scarce half made
MP in the matter Of ears. II Mas the
source Of vast embarrassment to the
fond father and mother that the baby
should be thus incomplete. and they
knew that their discomfort was small
compared with that which the lack Of
the ear would cause little Michael when
he grew older. His left ear wac moth
ing more than a meaningless lump. and
the absence Of a genuine ear made the
child look sadly II sided.
The father and mother consulted
three doctors in Bridgeport. They de-
Cidcd to see II some means could not
he devised of making an RI q alone
an outer ear that would improve the
youngsters looks, but an orihce
through which he would be- able TO
hear, for there was no ear with which
nature had provided him.
The baby. now scarcely seven months
old, was taken to the office of n OF
the doctors and the council Of physi-
clans set TO work upon 1t.
The child was carefully examined.
but II was impossible to find any sign
Of an opening whereby sound might be
transmitted to the ear-drum and thence
TO the brain.
The first step after an anaesthetiC
had been applied and the child made
unconscious was to locate the spo,
where the opening should have been
Then the operation %began-an opera
ton which. so far az records tell. has
never been undertaken before.
An incision was made In the place
where the ear ought to be and a way
found from the exterior Of the lump &c
the tympanum. II was found that the
interior formation OF the hearing ap,
paratus was all normal. Dividing and
turning back the monumental knob
OF flesh which had disfigured the In
FAINT, the three doctors sewed the flaps
10 the head to hold them back and
stitched the four sections together.
That was plastic surgery with "A ven.
geance. Then a spectrum was inserted
in the opening. to prevent It's closing ~
the healing process went on. Altogeth
er. the operation was "A very successful
one. 1t was "A bold one. too, but wa,
performed deity and very quickly. II
all the child was under the inhuenc,
OF chloroform for less than an hour.
His health and strength were moi i'm
paired by the ordeal and the made-to
order ear Is growing into a really goo,
looking member. The doctors ar,
afraid that a an organ Of hearing |
will not be in any great degree ser
viceable, They think that the carti
laginous structure about the inner ca
may have developed a tendency to os
s~ifcation from having been so loni
kept In an unnatural condition.