The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-15
REMOVED. THE STOMACH.
REMARKABLE SURGICAL OPERA
TIoN IN ST. LOUIS.

NNN
-
Dr. Rernays Performed n Cou,plete Bxciston
or the stomach OF Conrad Beck. whe ser
Tered rrsm Caucer-Bsck Recovered from the
Operation, bat was Toe DebnItatea 70 Lave.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 14.-whst was regarded here
40 the greatest surgical operation Of the age was
performed at the Rebokah Hospital last Wednes-
day morning, and the fact that 1t gave promise
Of complete success was responsible for the dis
closure OF tho details this afternoon. 1t was
tho excelsior Of the entire stomach Of Conrad
Beck, q machinist, 46 years old, Of ASIA Oregon
avenue.
In several ways the operation was more ardu-
GUS and complicated than the similar and sue
cessful undertaking at Zurich. Switzerland, on
Sept. 9. 1897. of DR.. Carl schlatter. who re-
moved the whole stomach of Anna Landis, a
working woman, 65 years old. an account OF
which operation was published In THE sun
about ten days ago. Each operation was Inn
PEELED by q cancerous growth that menaced tho
patients life.
Beck was the first man In the world to submit
to such an undertaking. DR.. A. G. Bernays.
who performed the operation, IL one of the most
eminent surgeons in the West. He was assisted
by Drs. Robert e. Wilson, Frank M. Floyd. and
Spencer Graves. DR.. Bernays to-day gave out
q carefully prepared statement of the case as
follows:
"The patient was sent me for operation by
DR.. Summa, who had diagnosed the
case as an incurable cancer of the stomach.
BY severe hemorrhages and pain, and
by inadequate digestion, all caused by
the cancerous tumors, the patient was
much reduced In strength, and had lost
about ~ pounds In weight DR.. Summa thought
that as the tumor had not given rise to obstruc-
ton, q removal OF the growth could be at:
tempted. 1t was thought that only a portion OF
the stomach was involved.
ION Wednesday morning / opened the abdo-
men in the usual way. and upon examination of
the stomach 1t was found that the major curva-
ture was not involved at all, that the disease
was located along the minor curvature.
and that 1t extended the whole length
from the osophagus to within an inch
Of the pylorus. This latter outlet of the
stomach was entirely free from disease. 1t was
found that all of the organs excepting this
small portion of about one inch would have to be
removed in order to give the patient a chance to
get well. This operation was done, and the
lower end Of tho esophaeus was united to the
pyloric end or outlet Of the stomach.
IT have three or four times in past years
operated on cases in which the removal of the
entire stomach might have resulted in q cure.
but never have had the knowledge neces-
sary to warrant mo in the operation
and havc also lacked in courage. The recent
successful operation by DR.. Schlatter in Zurich
gave us some encouragement and furnished
| q precedent, but tho operation, in my opinion.
| based upon the experience Of Wednesday morn.
| ing, will never become q common one. It is
| exceedingly difficult of performance and re-
| quires great resourcefulness and endurance on
| the part of tho surgeon and his assistants.
1.-THE operation lasted two hours and sig MIN
| utes. It was somewhat different from Schlat-
ter's. Tho patient is doing fairly well; in fact.
| the danger of shock and hemorrhage is now
| over, and II he does not get well 1t will be from
| the impossibility Of properly nourishing him."
The difference between the st. Louis operation
and DR.. Schlatter's is In the fact that the Swiss
| physician removed the pyloris and effected q
| suture between the upper end Of the jejunam
and the lower extremity Of the esophagus. DR..
| Floyd explains that DR.. Schletter must have
| experienced less difficulty in concluding his OPP
GRAFTON than did DR.. Bernays in finishing his.
1T was much easier" he says, "to Join tho
ends Of The jejunam and esophaRus because the
orihces of them fitted with much more nicely.
But the upper orihce of the pyloris being of
greater dimensions than the lower end of the
esophagus, tho junction in the operation on
Beck was necessarily q task Of greater diff
Guilty"
Though the continuity of the patients alimen.
tary canal was restored by the suture between
tho pylorls and esophagus, Beck was sustained
with injected nourishments. Tonight he was
still very weak, but in no worse condition than
Yesterday. The surgeons declare the canoeroua
growth had attained such extent there was not
the slightest hope of Beck's recovery before the
operation.
The history of Beck's case is almost the same
as that of Anna Lands. She. too. was nour
ished by injections. After q while. however
she resumed eating in the ordinary manner
and on Oct. IL left bed. DR.. Schlatter consumed
two hours and a half in his operation.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 49,. 1 A. M.-Beck died late
tonight. The surgeons say the operation wa,
nevertheless a scientific triumph, the patients
debilitated condition alone frustrating perman