The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-04
9lessrlper.
A VERY NOVEL A


-
The papers are discussing the WON
E1erfua operation recently performed ait
Zurich, in Switzerland, by Dr.. Carl
Scflatter. He removed the tomac OF
a mfddle-aged woman, and h lives.
The New York Medical Record. highest
American authority, discusses the
meaning of this very extraordinary sur |
efcal practice. Some of the papers
jocose over it and speculate ANUS
g as TO results. It is certainly very
hard to believe that the stomach, which
Is supposed to play such an important
Dart in mans anatomy, should be &C
xualiy taken out and yet the subject
should live On in spite OF it. WHAT
NEXT awaits aggressive surgery already
achieving so many splendid and start
ling results to the amazement of the
fncredulous, to the glory OF It's own re-
cord, and Ito the benefit and relief of
suffering humanity? What revolution
as to the functions of the stomach will
this Swiss achievement bring about?
VIII the mi be regarded hereaf-
ter as responsible for so many failures
IN man as also for so much suffering?
Or will old theories and beliefs be
~bamdone and new discoveries fol-
lowed by which imam shall live and not
know that he has such am inconvenhend
thing within ais a stomach, the mag
fned or real source Of SO many HIS.
g4ear the New York Tribune thus in
1nlgsing itself over the "~stomachless
man.:
3It is well understood that functions
are little specialized i'm simpler forms
of Fife. AN of the faculties that SOME
OF them have can be performed indif-
ferently Iby one or another part or tine
organism. Some creatures u~ndouDteo
Fy see, hear and feel ito a certain extent
All over their bodies, an If cut in two
will see, hear and feel equally we'll.
The protozoon that simply sinks IT'S
food into the material of it's own body
needs NO stomach. Tt can turn its ex-
ceeding1y adaptable flesh into amy or
gan of (which 1T stands in need. The
aobster cannot turn itself INSIDE out
and use his skin for a stomach at
pleasure, but HE win grow a new claw
when he needs one. Man has settled
down into a stereotyped notion OF his
O9G6If LIN UdhCl l. W. o1N
with the peculiar perfection OF some
ID them went a necessary inabilrty or
ary others to do their work. When de-
prived of organs that are not essential
Cd life he gets on without having the1r
work done"
only marvel a e ting ] medicine we a
work of DIR. Schlaltter and say in sur
prise, what will come of it? Only
those who are great dyspeptics or have
-e~utturrs or the stomach can pos
sIbly know how very i~nconvenient and
worrying lit lis to have a stomach. If
a man can really be rid of 1T and live
in comfort, with a renewed lease ON
life, then he will spend many days i'm
happiness. The great Carlyle was "a
sufferer for more than fifty years from
nervous dyspepsia amid spoke of himself
-as having innumeraIble rats in his
stomach eternally gnalwing. The
Charleston News and Courier writes of
~trThe Passing of the Stomach" and
y this in a jocose vein:
w have no use for the stomach,
except as All organ of digestion, and if
it can be spared for that urpose NAV
ing remained With us so long on false
.pretences, as lis now claimed, there is
no reason why we should not dispense
with it at once and altogether, and al
low our digestion to proceed hereafter
OF the strictly American way, or by
the rapid transit route.
1t will be "a great Improvement on
our past physical experience. We shall
got rid of the weight of the organ to
begin with, and of all it's pains and
penalties to keep on with. 1t will not
need 'toning up any more in the
mornings. We shall have no more dys-
pepsia. We cam sleep on either side in
differently. We can do AWAY with lots
OF medicine hitherto devoted to the
health of the restless and troublesome
xne1nber. We will be tighter in body
and mind for it's absence. The lungs
and heart and the ever-grumbling liver
will have more room to work in, and
we should improve i'm all respects for
their freer exercise. 1t lis the casting
OaIt of a troublesome and costly in
frude in III anatomy, and things
should be much brighter with us for it's
ejectment."