The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-21
sHRADY USED ARAzOR.
Cut n Mans Throat 10 Save Him
From Choking tn Death

From the New York Journal
About fifteen years ago" said DR.
George r. Shrady to a group of students
At one of the hospitals the other afternoon.
Il was spending the summer in the coun-
try up near Rondout One day 1 was
driving along the road. early in the after
noon, when a wld-eyed woman rushed
out crying doctor. for the love of heaven.
stop My old mans dying Come in.
quick | knew the family, and had seen
the wOman's husband that forenoon as /
passed; a strong Irish laboring man, APP
parenuy i'm perfect health. / thought it
rather unusual that he should be mOrtally
i'll al such short notice but did not wait
to ask any questions, and telling the little
boy, who had followed his mother out,
to take care of my horses, / jumped from
the buggy and hurried into the house.
THE man lay back i'm his chair gasping
for breath. He was black in the face. and
] saw that in two minutes more he would
be done for. l acted quicker than l
thought. and in a second had him out of
the chair and onto a small couch by the
window. l saw that he had something in
his throat that was suffocatng him, nd
that the only chance of saving his life
was by performing tracheOtomy. ! had no
instruments with me, and as ! held him
down on the couch with one hand | felt
instnCtiVely in my pocket with the other
hand for my penknife. But it was not
'"There on the window sill saw a razor.
In another second had weighed the whole
thing in my mind Did / dare take the
risk of performing such delicate opera
ton with such a rude instrument? If /
failed it would be murder. But then the
man would die in a minute more. | had
opened hundreds of threats before. but un-
der the most favorable circumstances. i
would take the chances.
Il seized the razor and made three Sits
in the mans windpipe, in the usual fash
ion. To my intense relief all went well
BY holding open the aperture | had made
he was abe to breathe and he lay still,
fortunately, with a look OF intense relief
on his face, as quiet as lamb
THE next question was, how to keep
upon the incision. As you know, if it was
allowed to close, ephymosis would set in;
| the air would ind its way beneath the
| skin and in a little while il would all be
| puffed out like a toy balloon, there would
| be no chance of finding the opening again,
and the man would suffcoate
| Have you got needle and thread? |
asked the woman. She looked about hur-
| riedly in a dazed way, but could find none.
| Get me a piece of wire then | said. She
| couldn't find that either. and we finally
| had to compromise on a hairpin, which /
succeeded in bending so as to keep the
| wound open.
"Then l told her to keep her husband
| perfectly still, and ran out to my buggy
| and drove TO Rondout / got DR. Douglas
| there and he returned with me, bringing
| his instruments and "A tracheotomy tuge
and antisepucs, and the operation l had
! commenced so hurriedly was brought to
| a successful end.
Il found out that the man had been eat
| ing dinner, and had swallowed something
| the Worng way which, naturally choked
| him. So far as l know he is stiu 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 diff
| cult operation that l ever performed"