The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-12-26
A SURGEONS MIRACLE.

have just received letter from an
old friend which recalls remarkable
operation l once performed in trans
fusion of blood. Some months ago /
was introducedt to an English gentleman
who was making San Francisco his
headquarters with the expectation of
meeting his son, who had set out about
q year before to make the tour of the
world by the eastern route. Community
of tastes threw us much together, and
one day it was arranged that we should
make a duck-shooting expedition to
some convenient quarter.
Tomales bay was the locality selected,
and thither we went with the intention
of taking three-days' holiday. On
the second day, however. just as we
were in the act of pushing off shore-I
was already in the boat--Wycherly
made spring and landed just where
his left foot caught somewhere about
the lock of one of the guns, thus letting
it off and pouring the whole charge of
shot into his right leg. He fell upon
the stern seat, while the man, who was
just springing after him, turned his
energies to dragging the boat back to
land. In a moment 1 was at the
wounded mans side, and at length got
him upon the beach.
In few moments had ripped open
his trouser-leg. From the position of
the wound and the spouting of the
blood it was easy to see that the pos
terror tibial artery had been severed,
and that if prompt measures were not
taken, he would soon bleed to death
. Improvising a tourniquet out of a
handkerchief and bit of stick, tenn
porarily stopped the flow of blood, and
the attendant and 1 carried my now I'M
conscious friend to dairy ranch near
by, where the hospital farmer put
comfortable apartment at our disposal.
Nor was it bit too soon, for the system
of compression had been obliged to
use proved too weak for the great lilac
artery, and, just as we laid Wycherly on
couch, the torrent of which had been
apprehensive burst forth again. was
now, however, in better position to
act, and by the time the man-whom
i had dispatched on horseback for my
Observation-Disclosures, had the case
well under control. The only cause of
alarm now was extreme weakness and
the risk of secondary hemorrhage.
1t was while watching by Wycherly's
bedside that evolved the plot which
forms the gist of my story. 1 deter
mined to try TRANSMISSION, and, to tell
the truth, l rather congratulated my
self, from professional point of view,
that chance had thrown in my way
such splendid opportunity.
watched the men when they came in
to their MONDAY meal, and among the
dozen Oh two / saw two whom singled
out as those who must serve my turn.
1t did not require second glance at
their ruddy cheeks to assure one less
knowing than a surgeon that they
possessed practically unlimited store,
SO far as my purpose was concerned, of
the pure life-fuid of which 1 was in
quest. When / preached nv project
they were at first very averse to it, but
finally they agreed to the terms, pro-
vided it did not entail much pain.
Luckily / had some cocaine with me.
and so anesthetized the region of the
median vein that they did not even feel
the incision, and accomplished a salts
factory transfusioninto Wycherly' Is arm
at the same spot, despite the fact that
had to improvise an apparatus out of
a syringe and some tubing which /
found in my case. My point, however,
was gained. / had succeeded in saving
my friends life for the moment at
least; L had also sent the two youths
away in high spirits at having earned
Two months wages in couple of hours
and with the admonition not to do any
more work till / saw them again. II
had telegraphed down to San Franciso
and received, by the first train, such
instruments and appliances as 1 had
ordered to be sent me.
had left the room for a few minutes
with my patient resting comfortably.
out on my return what was my horror
to see that the ligature had burst. the
bed-clothes were drenched with blood.
and the deadly pallor on my friends
unconscious face, with the weak and in
termittent jets of blood from the re-
opened artery, told me but too plainly
that he was already almost past human
aid. Hastily applying styptic and
compress, / again tied up the blood
vessel, meantime shouting Justify for
Fritz and Wilhelm, who happened to be
near by, and came running in with some
other members of the family.
Before Fritz and Wilhelm had barred
their arms, my plan was laid. recol- |
iected having seen that morning the |
carcass OF newly killed calf hanging
up in the slaughter-shed. / babe some
one fetch me the heart and neighboring
organs. When these arrived, finding
them still warm, selected blood |
vessel somewhat larger than those / |
was about to cut, and speedily had