The times., 1901-03-30
MANS STOMACH REMOVED.
-~v York Surgeons Perform an In
feresting Operation.


NEW YORK March 9-The operation
If rastrectomy. or removal of the entire
stomach. Was performed At the German
Bospital in Brooklyn today on Jacob
pichman. Though the patient was in
moor condition TO undergo so severe an
operation. he stood II better than the
phvsicians had expected. Il is too early
as vet 10 know whether the operation was
successful TO the extent OF saving hr.
wichnlan's life but the probability Is that
~ was.
The operation was performed by the
head surgeon Of the hospital with the as
sistsnce of the hospital staff II was
made necessary by the fact that Mr.. Wien
usp had cancer OF the stomach. MI
Wichnau. who is very old, WAS told that
his only chance for life was that he sub
init 10 the operation for the removal OF
the stomach and he consented TO the
operation.
A comparatively new form OF anaes-
thetic. adapted particularly for use Win
old and feeble persons, war used MS Is
the simultaneous inhalation by the patient
Of chloroform and oxygen The oxygen
stimulates the patient and counteracts the
weakening effect OF the chloroform. The
following is substantially the account Of
the operation as given by one Of those
who were present:
~An incision was made I'm the abdomen
and the stomach was found and brought
down into the wound 1t should be eA-
ulained for laymen that the stomach Is
well above the abdomen in its normal po-
sition.l
owing 10 the emacieted and conse-
guently lax condition Of the stomach II
was quite easily brought down. II was
found TO be diseased III two places. ms
Is not usual. Usually cancer OF the stom-
ach is found to be in the middle OF the
organ. In this case, it was found at the
place where the food enters. and also at
the place where the food leaves the stom-
ach. This had confused the symptoms
reported by the patient.
1T was then decided that only complete
excision OF the stomach afforded a chance
for the patients recovery. All the blood
vessels leading into the stomach were
then tied A clamp was put on the tube
connecting the stomach with the intes-
tine. so that all danger Of poisoning from
q possible leakage of the contents OF the
fntestines into the organs might be avoid
ed
'.AII the connection Of the stomach and
the other organs except those which join
cd IL TO the intestines and the aesoph-
sgus, OF swallowing tube, were then
separated. The stomach was tied with
strings at each end near the clamps and
then a cut was made between the strings
and the clamps and the stomach taken
out entire.
The two tubes were then brought to-
eether and Joined The end Of the aesoph-
agus had been unduly dflated by the
efforts Of the patient TO force food into
his stomach, and ii WAS necessary 10
make il smaller. A housewife would say
that We took tuck In II. The two tubes
= csc sewed together with eighteen
8; tchcs, and then were wrapped with q
5sTt Of The loose tissue OF the perltonium.
This will take hold quickly and should
partly grown 10 the other parts within
few hours. The organs were then re-
9-oIed 20 their normal positions and the
1s.ud Was closed
q time the only nourishment the
-l-teut can take Will be peptOniZed con-
"a ascd milk. mixed with water and eggs,
I-t lu time he VIII be able to digest
everything that does not need pepsiu for
IS digestion Such things viii have TO
bc predi2csted for him more OF less. Salt
water will also be used 10 give the sys-
TEN moisture and for the general invigor-
ating effect Of it's application. 1t viii toe
several weeks before the patient viii be
able TO take food through his mouth
The operation Of gastrcctomy is fire.
GuentlN confused with that of gaetron-
tony, which is the far simpler operation
OF opening the stomach for the removal of
inclpient cancers or for the purpose OF
hooking for them.
According 10 an eminent surgeon who
talked with a reporter about the removal
a. the stomach today the lack OF a stom-
ach Is not q formidable matter The
dueodenum performs almost all of the
functions 0i digestion except such as re-
quire the pcDsion processes. The lack
of The presence OF pepsin juices Of tho
stomach is obyiated by peptOnizing the
food before II is eaten and TO that extent
predigestiEg IT,
Modern science" said this surgeon
has exploded the theory OF the useful.
ness of the stomach. IL is astonishing
even 20 men well acquainted with the
operation TO learn how much q patient
without a stomach can eat-how many
things. that Is TO say-and how littl,
predigesting preparation Of food is neces
kary.