Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-12-27
IT is NOT NECESSARY.
Great Source of Annoyance
Can Be Removed,
THE REMOVAL OF AST0MACH.
Brilliant Surgical Feat of a Swiss
Physician.
THE REMOVAL OF ASTOMACH,

NEW Okk, DtC. It.-- TIC meulCdl
Record publishes the following ac-
count of the first success of the re-
moval of human stomach:
The feat itself is the most brilliant
and daring ever attempted in recent
surgical history, but the attendant
discovery that the stomach is not
vital organ is even more important
Heretofore it has been considered ut
terly impossible to live without
stomach. With the fall of this long
recognized axiom, the old theory OF
medicine and surgery may be entirely
changed and the end Of possibilities
which the discovery opens up is prac-
tically limitless.
The operation which has so started
the medical world was performed in
Zurich, Switzerland, by DR.. Carl
Schlatter, September 6, last. The
subject was Anna Lands, So years of
age and silk weaver. This woman
had complained for years of stomach
trouble. DIR. Schlatter diagnosed the
case and found that she was suffering
from an exceptionally large oval
tumor in her stomach. Laporotomy
was performed, and Or. Schlatter
found tina t the woman's outer stom-
ach presented hard mass Then this
daring operator, seeing that the organ
was useless, went to work and freed it
from its delicate attachments,cut
twisting and clamping among the
most vital organs with the GOODNESS
and deliberation of an expert dentist
drawing a hard tooth. The technical
details of the operation can only be
appreciated by members Of the medi-
cal profession.
When DR.. Schlatter had eXcised the
entire stomach, he firmly united a
small coil of intestine to the esopha-
gus, ,"thus making direct connection
between the elimentry canal and
the bowels. The work of joining the
intestines and the esOphagus was
most delicate. They were bound to-
gether with sutures. The organs
were allowed to drop hack into their
positions, the abdominal wound was
sewed upland all there swas to show
Anna Lands had lost her stomach
was Slight retraction toward the di-
aphram. The operation lasted nearly
two and one-halt hours. The loss Of
blood was slight. The period follow
ing showed that the sterilization was
perfect and the operation wonderfully
performed. The patient, although
feeble, exhibited but few of the seri-
Gus symptoms that usually follow
vital operation. Minute quantities of
liquid food were given to her at short
intervals. Wtoh the exception of oc-
casional vomiting, this food seemed
to be assimilated, despite the absence
of food receptacle.
The second week after the operation
she was given solid food. 1t was re-
tained and digested without discom-
fort. And even DR.. Schlatter himself
marveled at the almost unexpected
/ SuCCCSS vi MS UOlu WOIh' IlG was
handicapped in giving the patient
solid food because she only had one
tooth left in her head,
October II, month and five days
after the stomach had been removed,
Anna Lands left her bed. By No
vember she was feeling perfectly
we'll and was walking about, Her
weight increased, and apparently she
was in far better health than before
the operation.
Dr. Edmund Charles Wendt, of
New York city, the correspondent of
the Medical Record, who obtained
DR.. Sahlatter's personal account of
the feat, states that the 9th of this
month he saw Anna Lands, and that
to all intents and purposes, she is a
well woman.