The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-10
LIVING WITHOUT A STOMACH.
Theories in Regard to Digestion and
Nutrition Upset,

San Francisco Dispatch in n. Y. Herald
An Italian named Juan Patritti has
upset all preconceived ideas in regard
to digestion and nutrition. Without a
stomach, and consequently without
the assistance of the gastric Juices, he
digests and grows fat on soups, spag-
hetti, raviola, tamales, beef, mutton
and pork, properly seasoned with gar
lie, and drinks his usual allowance of
wine.
year ago Patritti was dying of
cancer of the stomach. Today he is
hale and hearty, does his days work
at ploughing or driving a milk wagon,
and does not know what dyspepsia
means. During the last year Patrittl
has done so well that he has purchased
a ticket for Europe, and next week will
start on trip to Italy to visit his old
home
Patrltti's case is one of the rarest
known to medical science. The first
operation for removal of the stomach
was in Zurich, Switzerland. The pa
tient was a woman, and after her
stomach had been removed she lived
two years, but was fed on peptonized
food. Another case was that of Mrs.
Magendie, who had her stomach re-
moved in the German hospital in this
city eighteen months ago. She is still
alive and lives on neptonized food but
Patritti eats and lives Just as he did
before his stomach was removed, and
his only complaint is that now he can
only work eight hours a day instead of
ten, as formerly.
Patritti is a dairyman in San Mateo
county. He Is 80 years old. About this
time last year he was admitted to st.
Mary's hospital, and DR.. George Childs
Macdonald diagnosed the case as one
of cancer Of the stomach. 1t was learn
ed from the patient that he had been
i'll and unable to work for about three
months. Before that he had never
been Ill in his life. He was very much
emaciated and weak.
The case seemed hopeless, but the
doctor decided as a last resort To re-
move the whole of the stomach. With
the assistance of Drs. Frazer, King
well, McMOnogal and Bailey, DR.. Mac
Donald successfully performed the
operation, but the patient was almost
in state of collapse when it was over.
He gradually rallied, however, and soon
was on the road to recovery.
a month after the operation Patritt
thought he was well enough to go home
Without asking anybody's leave, he
slipped out Of the hospital and was met
in Market street during the afternoon
by Dr. Macdonald carrying a gripsac ck
weighing twelve pounds. He objected
strenuously to being taken back to the
hospital, but DR.. Macdonald insisted
| and back he went. He was kept in st
Mary's until July 2S, when he was dis,
charged. At that time he weighed 10I
pounds, and he gave the doctor &c
| understand that his usual weight wa:
135 pounds.
From the hospital Patritti went Il
his ranch in San Nateo county, and
there he has lived and worked ever
since. He eats the same kind OF food
as others in that section, and claims
that he can digest pork as easily as
chicken. A year ago he did not weigh
100 pounds and today he is within two
pounds OF his regular weights:
| pounds. A few days ago he told DR.
| Macdonald he was as well as ever hi
was, but grumbled because he got tire
| when he had been plowins six or seven
! hours, whereas before his stomach was
| cut out he could work ten hours ant
/ not feel fatigued