The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-22
A DELICATE OPERATION.
A Razor Does Duty for u Doctors
Instrument.

about fifteen years ago." said Dr.
George F. Shrady to a group of stu
dents at one Of the hospitals the other
afternoon, according to the New York
Journal. Il was spending the summer
in the country up near RondOut. One
day l was driving along the road, early
In the afternoon, when a wild-eyed
woman rushed out, crying, Doctor, for
the love of heaven, stop! My old mans
dying. Come in, quick l knew the
family, and had seen the woman's hus-
band that forenoon as I passed; a
strong Irish laboring man, apparently
in perfect health. 1 thought it rather
unusual that he should be mortally i'll
at such short notice, but did not wait
to ask questions, and telling the lit
tie boy who had followed his mother
out, to take care Of my horses, jump
ed from the buggy and hurried into the
house.
THE man lay back in his chair
gasping for breath. He was black
in the face, and 1 saw that in two min
utes more he would be done for.
acted quicker than I thought and in
a second had him out of the chair and
onto small couch by the window.
saw that he had something in his throat
that was suffocating him, and that the
only chance Of saving his life was by
performing tracheOtomy. I had no in
Struments with me- and as | held him
down on the couch with one hand,
felt inStinctively in my pocket with
the other hand for my penknife. But
it was not there.
There on the window sill 1 saw a
razor In another second I had weigh
ed the whole thing in my mind. Did
l dare take the risk OF performing
such a delicate operation with such a
rude instrument? If 1 failed, it would
be murder. But then the man would
die In minute more. 1 had opened
hundreds Of threats before, but under
the most favorable circumstances. I
would take the chances.
Il seized the razor and made three
Sits in the mans windpipe, in the
usual fashion. To my intense relief
all went we'll. By holding open the
aperture I had made he was able to
breathe and he lay still, fortunately,
with look Of intense relief on his
face, as quiet as a lamb.
The next question was, how to keep
open the incision. AS you know, if it
was allowed to close, ephymosis would
set in; the air would find its way be-
meath the skin and in a little while it
would be puffed out like a toy balloon
there would be no chance Of finding
the opening again, and the man would
suffocate
nave you SOC d anu Cnr6aQ!
1 asked the woman. She looked about
hurriedly in a daZed way, but could
find none. Get me a piece of wire,
then I said. She couldn't find that
either, and we finally had to COM
promise on hairpin, which I succeed
ed In bending so as to keep the wound
open.
Then told her to keep her husband
perfectly still, and ran out to my buggy
and drove to Rondout. I got DR..
Douglas there and he returned with
me, bringing his instruments and a
tracheotomy tube and antiseptics, and
the operation I had commenced so hur-
riedly was brought to a successful end.
81 found out that the man had been
eating dinner, and had swallowed
something the wrong way which,
naturally choked him. SO far as I
know he is still living.
''Hic fabula docet, gentlemen, that
you do not need a special instrument
for each different operation, and that
in case of life and death, where every
second is precious, you must keep your
nerves steady and do the best you can.
This was the most difficult operation
that ever performed"