The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-05
STOMACH NOT NECESSARY.
An Interesting Story OF How a Woman
Lived without thls Organ.
Springfield Republican.

Cherc are 80 many people in all civ
ilized lands who would like to be rid
Of their stonachs that additional de-
tails of the unique operation at Zurich
last August are of great interest. The
Republican yesterday described in
general way how DR.. Carl Schlatter,
OF the University Of Zurich, removed
Anna Landis's stomach entirely from
her body, and then set her agoing
again in better health than she had
enjoyed for years.
1t seems that when the diseased
stomach had been revealed in all it's
hopacssncss as an organ Of digestion,
the surgeon made bold to remove it
because, first, it was clear that the
woman would soon die with the stom-
ach, and, second, that she might live
without t, inasmuch as other patients
were known to have survived for con-
siderable periods after the greater part
of their stomachs had been cut away,
while dogs had lived for years in good
eating and fighting order with no
stomachs at all.
When the organ had been removed
the problem Of how to unite the end
Of the nsophagus and t end Of shc
intestine, in order to make the ali
ncntary canal complete. caused some
temporary difficulty. The two ends
would not unite without stretching,
and that would never do. No general
on battlefield ever met serious
emergency with more GOODNESS and in
telligcncc than did this German sur
gcon. In this predicamcnt," one
reads in the Medicui Record, DIR.
Schlatter 'found that what he calls
the knuckle Of the intestine below the
severed cut tit might we'll be called
the first bend in the intestine, as it
lay coiled in the abdomen) could east
be brought to join the end of the
Gsophagus. Accordingly he closed Up
the end Of the intestine absolutely, as
one might close the end Of severed
artery. Then he took the bend of the
intestine in hand, cut q slit in it that
would just fit the severed end of the
msophagus, and scwcd the end and tho
slit together This done, there was
then direct channel FROM the pa
ticnt' throat down through the intcs-
tines, while in place of stomach was
the end of the intestine "a length Of
about Il inches that lay OH one side"
This end, we should say, had now be-
come "a new vcrmieorm appendix
least, something very similar to the
familiar and mysterious organ which
causes tho appendicitis.
The pulse Immediately after the
operation was 96, but it became 140,
aud even 100 later. The patient was
nourished for two days with enamas
Of eggs, milk and brandy, and on Sep
tenber ., IA days after she had lost
her stomach, Miss lands was fed on
milk, beuillon, eggs and wine at inter
walls Of two hours. On the 18th tenn
peraturc and pulse were reaching i
normal condition !; on the 10th she ate
some scrapcd meat. and on the 18th,
month after the operation, she con
sumcd and assimilatcd half chicken,
although not without some vomiting.
She was ''up and around October IL,
and on December ., when examined hy
DR.. Edmund L. Wcndt, cf New E0rh
he found Il woman 56 years OIL, with
no stomach, IL ruddy complexion, fair
appearance, clean, moist tongue, mod
cratcly full and vigorous pulse, and
good general alacrity Of movement.
Her appetite was good, and she had
gained since leaving .hc surgeon s ta-
bic three pounds in weight.
Dr.. Wcndt conclusions, prefaccd
by the qualification that he would not
indulge in sweeping gcneralizations'
on the strength of one case, are stated
in full as follows
|. The human stomach is not vital
organ.
,. The digestive capacity of the
human stomach has been considerably
overrated.
3. The fluids and solids constitu-
ting an ordinary mixed diet arc capable
of complete digestion and assimila-
tion without the aid Of the human
stomach
1. \ gain in the weight of the body
may take place in spite of the total
absence of gastric activity.
s. Typical vomiting may occur with
out Il stomach.
&, The general health Of person
need not Immediately dctcsioratc on
account Of removal Of the stomach.