The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1901-06-21

About Pour Inches Of an Artery.
Surgery has reached point at which
almost any marvel may be expected.
but Il has remained for Russian sur
geon to attempt-and succeed In pcr-
forming-an operation hitherto re-
garded as fatty impossible. lie has
repaired the great fomoral artery: has
spliced on TO It an artificial length.
Just as a plumber might solder a piece
OF leaden pipe 10 a brass one. The
better 10 comprehend exactly how rad
zeal and difficult n thing DR.. Kaintsky
accomplished II is necessary to explain
something OF the nature and functions
OF arteries. In the first place an ar
terry differs entirely from vein. II
a vein Is cut the blood escapes for
while and after a little the vessel
lies fiat and collapsed. An artery does
not Its inner coat il so arranged that
a series OF stlff fbrous rings surround
II and prevent II from collapslng. That
ls one OF the reasons why when an ar
terry Is severed blood continues TO flow
from II. These were only some OF the
problems which confronted DIR. KANT
sky when they brought to his hospital
in st. Petersburg n very rich farmer
and cattle raiser named Ivan Poltln-
kosh. This man. while driving in n
sleigh, had collided with a stump.
Poitlnkosh was hurled out violently
and In falling was practically impaled
upon a broken branch. The Jagged
piece OF wood struck him just below
the hip Joint and ranged down for
about four inches The wound pro-
duced was an exceedingly ugly and
ragged one. II was directly over and
in line with the fermoral artery.
which supplies the entire leg with
blood; but. although this great vessel
was entirely laid bare and badly
bruised II fortunately escaped pune
ture. The injured man was not
brought to the hospital until three
days after the accident. and II was at
once evident TO DIR. Kaintssy that only
heroic measures would save either life
or leg to his patient. II appeared to
DR.. Kalntsly that gangrene was
threatened. As nearly as the surgeon
could estimate he had Just three days
before an operation became absolutely
imperative. He had already determined
upon the heroic operation OF removing
the injured part OF the femoral artery
and replacing II with an artificial sub
stitute. DR.. Kaintsky wanted to mako
a tube six inches long which so closely
resemble the actual tissue OF a human
artery that II would be borne without
protest by the organism in which II
was TO be placed At the end OF those
three days DR.. Knlntsty. tired but
triumphang. emerged from his labora-
TORI uit-.soah was anaoathetized
and riai TO the operating table.
Dr. KI.ats,iy pointed out TO the watch
ing surs 1ns and students the signs
on the f. Il OF the patient that marked
the onset OF gangrene. and then he told
them that he intended 10 remove part
OF the injured artery and replace II
with an artificial substitute. Under
the best conditions the dissection OF
the femoral artery Is n dangerous piece
OF work. and here was a case whore
the vessel was almost concealed by In
jured tissues. At last tho artery was
freed and tho surgeon showed his Won
derlng assistants that nearly four
inches OF the vessel was ready TO dis
integrate. All eyes watched DR.
Kaintsky as he himself placed clamps
upon the big artery. The artery clamp