Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-02
DEIHRONlNG THE STOMACH
Civilizsd Man May Now Possibly Live
Without Cooks.
KING OF DIGESTIVE ORGANS uPRoOTtI
Case OF Annn Lnndis Discussed by
Omaha Doctors, Who Hold
Different Views on the
Ultimate Result.

The strange case of Auna Lands, who is
alive and apparently we'll after total en-
cision of the stomach, has excited consld-
cradle comment among the medical frater-
nifty of this city. The operation, recently
announced was done on September for the
relief of a Swiss silk weaver, 56 years old,
who had suffered from a large tumor of the
stomach. A study oC the case revealed that
the size of the tumor was such that the
usual operation Of gasrectomy, partial re-
moval of the stomach, would be insufficient
and that the entire organ must be cut away,
even beyond the cardiac, or upper oTifce
This attempted by DR.. Carl Schatter
of Zurich, Switzerland, and with such sue
cess that the woman is now able to perform
her ordinary duties. How long the patient
can survive tie noneXistence of gastric di-
gesticn is question differently regarded by
the surgeons of Omaha. Several have eX-
dressed no doubt that the continued existence
of live woman without stomach" is
possible, and that in all probability she will
complete a natural life Other surgeons
have less faith in the permanence of the
cure and consider that the woman has little
Chance of escaping death from starvation,
owing to the fact that sufficient nutrition
cannot be given to the body.
DR.. j. E. Summers, jr., has had consid-
cradle opportunity to observe work in this
directicn He was present in Vienna at
operations conducted by DrS. Bilroch and
Van Hacker, both foremost surgeons of their
day, and who have gone as far in this line
Of experiment as any operator previous to
Schlatter. In speaking OF the operation DR..
Summers expressed mis- admiration for the
perfection OF skill shown in the work. "The
idea is by no means new,' said DT. summers,
''and is only a step beyond what has been
previously accomplished. Numerous cases
are on record in which the major portion of
the stomach has been removed but in all
instances sufficient has been left to perform
| in measure the function OF the stomach.
1t has been noticed in such cases that the
remnant thus given the duty of an entire
digestive organ has enlarged into a new
stomaChal pouch, holding In some cases over
pint. Nature in this way has made all eff
fort toward comoensaton and the digestive
system gradually has adjusted itself to the
extra labor. In this case the stomach had
been practically useless for such Il length
of time that the intestine had already as
sumed the function Of digestion The re-
mOval of the stomach thus threw but little
addtiuaal burden upon the remainder of
the aimentary tract and under no other con-
ditiOns could death have been averted.
VERY RARELY JUSTIFIED.
Generally speaking, I regard the field of
justifability in this direction extremely
limited. Am occasion for such an operation
would occur but rarely even in list OF sc
leCted cases 1t should only be attempted
when recovery was otherwise impossible, and
then under the CHARGE of skilled and expert
cnce1 workmen. | consider the work done
in Tho that of a master hand. The
technique of the operator is more OF marvel
/ than the fact that the woman lives, The del
| cacy of the task will be understood when 1t
is noted that the surgeon was obliged to sew
| the different intestinal Innings, membranes
of the greatest fneness and frailty, to the
I corresponding Innings of the esophogus, No
ore except the most skilled In 9urgery could
hope to come successfully through an oper-
alton of this nature"
A review of the case Of Anna Landis writ
ten by the operating surgeon, was discussed
| by Dr. w. o. Bridges of the Omaha Medical
college. The article appears in the Medical
| Record and Is illustrated with photograph
| Of the patient and sketches OF the diseased
! stomach showing its entire inability to di-
| gest food. In his opinion the feat OF Dr.
| Schlatter will make no material change In
| the treatment Of diseases of the stomach, as
| the case was extreme and operations along
| the same line have often been made. 'In
| this instance believe that the succeGs OF the
! operation will be permanent" said Dr.
| Bridges, "and the fact that the patient IL
gaining in health and weight and general
| health indicates that the body Is being fnf'
icienty nourished. The conclusion from this
| Is that the digestive capacity OF the stomach
|
| Is by no means a vital organ. The cbserya
tions in this case showed also that the re
moval of the stomach did not affect the rap
idity of intestinal propulsion, but that 1000
wac retained in the alimentary tract suf
iciently long for the assimilation OF the
needed nutr!ment As far as that Is con
cerned, the intestines were already doinf
all the digestive work before the removal o
the stomach, as shown by the absence Of any
acid OF the stomach in the gastric secretion.
HAS LITTLE OF VALUE.
DR.. p. Grossman was unwilling to accep
! the operation of the Swiss surgeon as on
of any permanent value. He believed tina
the woman could escape temporarily, but tina
she was doomed to starvation from inablit,
TO digest sufficient nourlshment. 9TH
method OF her treatment" DR.. Grossman re
marked will be to supply artihcially tn
juices of the stomach. The milk or bee
tea or whatever food is found suitable, vii
be mixed with pepsin, muriatc acid and tn
natural juices OF the stomach and Will b
. administered after this artificial dlgestio
has taken place. After similar and less Sc
| we're operations. however, 1t has been oh
served that the patient became emaclate
n 10