The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-10
HIS NECK IN PLASTER.
A Delicate Surgical Operation in a
Cincinnati Hospital.
From the Cincinnati ENQUIRER

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Alexander Westerkamp an aged labor
er, whose home is at 1881 Massac husetts
avenue, bids fair to refute the accepted
theory that a man with broken neck
cannot live. He is now an inmate of the
city hospital, and in the hands of a num-
Der of skillful surgeons, who are as solic-
itous for his recovery as if he were a
prince, instead of a charity patient. If
their hopes are realized and the patient
survives, it will be another triumph of
modern surgery which has performed
miracles before.
The accident causing Westerkamps in
jury occurred last Saturday, although, at
the time, the seriousness of Westerkamp's
condition was not known. On that day he
was on a visit to relatives on Bank street,
and in attempting to pass from the house
to The rear yard, he slipped on the steps,
striking his head and back. The fall was
only a distance of a few feet, and when
his relatives FASTENED to lift him they
were surprised to find him unconscious.
An express wagon was the handiest con-
venience near, and into this he was load
ed, and hastily driven to his home DR..
Shaw was called, and succeeded in reviv-
ing him, and, making only a cursory ex-
animation, decided that Westerkamp had
sustained a fracture of the spine. Owing
to his patients enfeebed condition the
physician did not dare to make a closer
examination depending upon a good
nights rest to assist nature. On the fol-
lowing day Slight Improvement was Cd
servable, but ON Monday the symptoms
became alarming. The surroundings of
Westerkamp being unfavorable to an op-
GRAFTON DR.. Shaw decided to send him to
the city hospital.
At that institution a closer examination
was made, with the remarkable discovery
that the mans neck was broken, and that
in spite of his siXty-two years he had sur
vived. Yesterday afternoon a number of
surgeons in consultation concluded to try
a heroic experiment, and the only one
that could save the mans life. Wester-
kamp was taken to the amphitheater on
a wheeled stretcher, where all prepare
lions for the experiment had been made.
Many physicians who were interested in
the proceedings and a half dozen nurses
were present. A scaffolding, from which
swung a hammock made of soft linen,
had been erected, and underneath this
Westerkamp was rolled. To pass the
hammock between the patients back and
the stretcher was the work of a moment,
and was accomplished without drawing
even a moan from him. He was stripped
to the waist and a fine undershirt of
soft, clinging material was drawn over
his head. Beside the hammock stood a
pail of plaster of paris, dissolved to the
consistency of paste, and when the sur
geon in charge gave the signal the plas-
ter was applied to the thickness of several
inches and from the neck down Wester-
Samp was incased in it like in an armor.
During all this time his body was per-
fectly rigid, and in this position he remain
ed until the plaster hardened and solidified
becoming like stone. The linen was then
cut off to where it adhered to the body
and the patient returned to the ward
With this casing holding the several YER
tebrae in place, and preventing any move
meut, he will be compelled to lie proba-
bly, for weeks, unless death should thWart
the hopes of the doctors.