The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-06-05
REPAIRING SEVERED ARTERIES.
Surgical FeatIThat Was Long Thought
to BE an Impossibility.

A Surgical reatiThat Was Long Thought
to BE an Impossibility.
In the recent medical archives in
the library of st. Petersburg is an ac-
count of most wonderful operation,
| performed by Kamisky, one of the
greatest surgeons of his time, an
operation like which 10 other is re-
corded. Poitinkosh, a rich farmer,
cattle raiser and reindeer farmer, re-
siding north Of st. Petersburg, SUI
fered an injury to the upper part of
the right thigh, caused by being vio-
lently hurled from his sleigh, the lat
ter having struck a stump. The farm
er, in falling. was jagged by a snag
which struck about two inches below
the fold of the flank, causing a torn,
bleeding, gaping wound OF about four
inches in length, directly downward
and in line over the femoral artery
(the large artery which supplies the
entire leg with blood, the latter YES
sci having been laid bare and severely
bruised in the wreck, no large vessels
having been torn.
Kamisky, with the great wisdom of
a world Of experience, wisely appre-
hended the possible results of this
peculiar wound, and for the next "a
hours he spent every minute of his
time, valuable though it was, working
with chemical fire, molten substances
and apparatus OF divers kinds, until
finally the Object of his efforts was
finished, small, hollow, elastic, col
orless tube, about five inches long,
the composition of which is not rec
orded, therefore not known. In II
hours after his task was finished care
full scrutiny of the injured limb re-
vealed slightly blush tint, scarcely
noticeable, on the end of the great toe.
This was the signal Tor operation to
the surgeon, and the stockman was
Immediately taken to the operating
room, where, in order to arrest COM
ing grangrene, he was subjected to an
odd and experimental operation.
After the patient was anesthetized
the wound was uncovered, carefully
cleaned and the tissue carefully pushed
and dissected away from the large
artery, exposing about three and one
half inches of bruised vessel. ready to
disintegrate. A clamp was placed on
the artery an inch above where nor:
NAL sound tissue began then he cut
the artery at the junction of the
bruised and sound tissue, and, care
fully drawing the mysterious tube
from it's aseptic hiding place, ne
slipped the cut, round end Of the yes-
sci into it about an inch, being ex-
ceedingl. careful while so doing to
keep the hollow tube collapsed and
empty, so as to avoid all danger pro-
duced by the entrance OF air.
Repeating the same process at the
lower end of the artery, he inserted
the tube into the end OF the vessel
about the same distance as the upper
end lay in the tube. Then gently re-
leasing tire lower cianale alloWIA1.
the tube to, Eli with 4
portion of the. yessd a.! =
the final test came
and steadily releaS esetan u
brol,en cbann1eF which would carry
tbe b.ssas(to its normal distribution.
,r,sTght pouching of the tube st first
| caused sorae fear as to whether it
were strong enough to stand the
pressure of the heart wave of blood as
the latter pulsated through its new
channel. This latter defect was over
come. however, when the tube was
laid in the bed of the bruised, ex-
sected portion aud the external sup
port OF the muscles and tissues gave
it sufficient strength to overcome the
pressure Of the blood stream The
wound was then carefully closed,
the parts SET at rest and results
awaited. In 3s hours the blue tint
had disappeared FROM the toe, and the
color Of the skin of the leg changed
from pale ashy to a pink.
Two months afterwayd the patient
was attending his everyday duties as
formerly, suffering no inconvenience
whatever from his wound. Five years
afterward the patient died of acute
pneumonia and post mortem exami-
nation of the seat of the wound re.
vealed strong, firm plastic compost
tion tube, Immediately in the 'ssita"
OF the composition tube, the latter
having been absorbed by the blood,
not, however, before the iymphatics
had so encysted in the body after
months of time, to the extent that
when the tube was eaten away by the
blood this fbrous coat answered the
original plan of.circulation.