The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-21
FEATS OF MODERN SURGEONS.
Marvellous Achievements of Wielders
of the Knife
St. Louis Globe Democrat. }

81. LOUIS 0lOpe DetnOcTdl.)
The feats of modern surgeons are in
deed truly marvellous and wonderful.
There is nothing they Will notsattempt
to save life or render it easier 10 the
sufferer. The defects of nature. as
we'll as the results Of accidents, are
set right.
A girl of years, though of normal
physique, had no intelligence. Her par
ents had noticed this from her first
year, and though everything had been
done for her in the way of education,
she did not know the letters of the al
phabet, nor could she talk intelligently.
A surgeon who was consulted gave as
his opinion that the brain had ceased
to develop, owing to the premature CO.
alescence of the bones of the skull
He removed several small portions of
bone from the top of the head, and by
thus relieving the pressure on the BRAIN,
gave ii room to expand. Within TWEEN
ty-four hours of the operation its ef-
fects were seen. The child cried for its
parents, took notice OF everything, and
within eight days could talk well and
amuse herself intelligently.
A housemaid in 4 hotel was struck In
the face by a descending lift, and Eer
nose severely injured. Attempts 10
patch up the damaged organ failed, ar
-
a blackbird was killed, and before its
body was cold its breast bone was fixed
to the womans face, and what re-
manned of the old skin was drawn over
ii. The strange substitute knitted it
self to the face, the operation being a
complete success.
A month or two ago a doctor was
called in to attend boy whose ear
had been completely bitten off oy vic
ious horse. The surgeon determined to
try and replace the ear, as failure to
do so could not result in a worse &c
formity. The missing ear was duly
found and handed to the doctor, Who
was then engaged in bathing the sew
cred part in warm water. Ele bad
neither instruments nor dressings with
him, and as the half hours delay To OBJ
tain them would have been fatal to
success. he stitched the ear in its place
again with a common needle and
thread. This was followed by antiseptic
treatment, and in six weeks The ear
had become reunited to the head again,
and completely healed, leaving no
scars.
In some cases it has been necessary
to remove the tongue but by raising
the floor of the mouth, and thus in some
way filling the place of the missing or
gan, the patient has been enabled to
speak almost perfectly. The complete
destruction of the jaw bone mas no ter
rors for the modern surgeon. The
crushed bone is removed, and d piece
of silver or aluminium, the exact shape
of the lost jaw, fitted in its place. After
this has become firmly fixed, teeth can
be fitted TO il. Where nerves have
been accidentally cut during an opera
ton. or by glass. they have been sue
cessfully joined together again. An ar
tisan falling from height, severely
hurt his right arm. 1t was operated
upon, and though specifically success
full, the arm wasted and was quite Use
less, preventing the man from follow
nerve had been severed, either by the
in the fail. The arm was opened. ana
this was found to be the case. \ rabbit
was procured, rendered unconscious.
and the two scatic nerves extracted
and stitched to the ends of the severed
nerve IN the mans arm. Within a
month the man had recovered the full
use of his arm, which also regIined its
normal size and appearance, and ne
was soon able TO follow his trade again.
Even to the heart itself has been APP
piled the ordinary treatment of wounds.
A patient was brought to a hospital.
stabbed to the heart. A surgeon l@iG
bare the heart, and, finding the site OF
the wound on the right side, caiml.-
stitched it w.. The heart beat most
violently during the operation, but
afterward Cuieted down, and the pa
tent recovered from what has been
usually regarded as c fatal wound