davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
Bacteria Dreaded by the
Surgeon. ~ "

Moreover. their effect on tissues end PER
sons In different states varies very much
Thus II IS found hat when q certain num-
Der OF bacteria ere injected into the cavity
of the abdomen Of an animal. II the animal
IL healthy ana the peritoneum Che thin
lining membrane Of the abdomen II
healthy. the animal will recover perfectly
well, but II the peritoneum be scraped and
torn (and 1t must be remembered hat thu
healthy perftoneum Is devoid of sensationl
that the same dose which before was harm
less will now produce q violent peritonitis
from this experiment upon animals Is very
evident. Every surgeon who opens the alb
domen Il most careful. II possible, not to
inture the pe~ritoneum. but manfpulates with
the greatest care lest fatal results follow
any serious Injury to that membrane. So
too. II the general health be impaired. It
ID found that . dose from which a healthy
animal would recover VIII be followed by
fatal consequences II the health is below
par. Again, II an animal has q simple frac-
ture Of his thigh bone. and that Is the only
injury that he receives. no infection from
the exterior having occurred. he VIII make
a good recovery; but II, at the same time.
he receives a iacerated wound. It may DO
even In another part of the body, and this
wound. not being cared for most scrupulous-
". becomes infected. the infection win fas-
ten on the distant spot Of least resistance,
the broken thigh bone, and will produce .
most dangerous and very frequently fatal
form Of inflammation.
I need scarcely point out In this connec-
ton. as in fact throughout this entire con-
sideration OF bacteriology. how important q
part in its development has been played by
experiment upon animals. The experimental
facts just stated are of vital Importance IN
the treatment Of surgical diseases and EVIL
IDENTIFY could not nave been determined up
on mankind. 1t is not too much to say that
had vivisection been restricted or prohibited
the surgery Of to-day would be the barbar-
Gus surgery OF thirty years ago.
even granting that an enormous number
OF the bacteria are harmless. the wonder Is
that with 30 many foes on every land We
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
The United States Have the Best of
Medical Libraries.

Along with this there has been throu1R-
OUT THIS country a marked movement sn q
vor OF medical libraries. It is TO the croft.
OF .ne Government Of the United Stsfes
ae tne whole world Is debtor to us. NOT
oniy Tor the foremost medical Iibrarv ~
the world. that OF the Surgeon General ~
the army In Washington. but also for the
Ihaghincent index catalogue. not onlv NJ ~,
DOCKS. but of all the journal articles in
every anguage in the world. No better IN
vestment OF money was ever made than the
establishment Of this library, and it's allied
museum. and the publication of the index
catalogue. ~
AS a result Of all these means and meth
OBS OF study. and as a part Of the great cd
ucauonal and scientific movement of the
century. medical men now take a wholly
Inherent view Of the normal and abnormal
structures OF the human body. The study
or embryology has shown US that MANY Of
the devfations from the normal DEVELOPMENT
OF the human body are easily explained by
enpryoiogy. One of the most Important
changes In our idea, for example. OF tumors
Is Que TO the fact that the study of EN-.
oryoiogy. and OF the tissues Of the embryo.
nave shown us that diseased structures
which lack explanation entirely when com.
pared with the adult human tissues. read
Ivy mo their explanation, and fall into an
unexpected order. when compared with the
tissues Of the embryo. Not only. however.
has the study of embryological tissues
thrown a food OF light on diseased struc-
lures. but We have obtained new views. Of
the relation Of man to all creatures. lower
m the scale Of life Largely owing to the
doctrine OF evolution, we now recognize the
TACT that, so far as his body is concerned.
man Is kindred to the brutes: that his dis
eases. within certain limitations, are fden-
uieai with similar diseases of the lower ami
mails; that his anatomy and physiology
are. In essence. the same as the anatomy
and physiology Of the lower animals. even
the very lowest. and that many of his dis
eases can be best studied In the lower ami
mails. because upon them We can make
exact experiments which would be impossi-
bic In man. While It Is true that each ami
NAL has disorders which are peculiar to t.
self. and that 1t Is not subject to some of
the disorders to which man Is a victim.
and. per contra, that man is a victim 10
some disorders which animals do not suffer
from. yet. taking them as q whole, the dis
eases of man and OF animals. and the ac-
ton OF s>medies on both are practically
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03

identical. To this I hail have occasion to
refer again.
Among the laboratories which I men
TONED. one Of the most important 10 that OF
pathology and morbid anatomy. or the
study of diseased tissues and organs. Tho
first work on pathology In this country was
written by one of our best known surgeons.
the late Samuel d. Gross. and one Of his
most important contributions to surgical
progress consisted in his persistent advo-
cacy OF the need for the study of pathology
as a basis for all our means of cure. This
Is evident. II We consider the illustration !
used a moment ago of a steam eneine. I'm
less one knows precisely the defects OF such
q machine. the influence of fresh or salt
water on n boiler. the influence of rust, the
effect OF oils, entirely apart from the mere
mechanism OF the engine, an engineer.
might make the most serious mistake re-
sulting in fatal damage. both to the ma
chine and probably to life. So surgical
pathology Is the study. OF the processes OF
disease. the alterations In the minute struc-
ture OF tissues and organs, without which
no surgeon can be fitted for his task. much
less can he be called an accomplished sur
geon. All OF these laboratories mark the
difference between the scientific and the
empirical method. The old student of med
feline went from case to case. heard many
a good maxim and learned many a useful
trick. but. after all. II was only an en-
pirfcal knowledge which he obtained. It
did not go to the foundation of things; It
was not scientific. as Is the collegiate in
Of to-day.
Having now glanced rapidly at the i'm
provemept in medical instruction. let me
turn over to a few of the principal discov-
cries which have made the surgery of to-
day so much superior to the surgery OF a
hundred years ago.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
How Bacteria May Enter
Wounds.

At first It was thought hat these bacteria
existed chiefly In the air and hence in Lie
ters early methods powerful spray-pro-
ducing apparatus were used, but while II il
true that they do exist in the air It In
found that this Is not the principal source
or Infection. There is no substance (Which
has not been disinfected) that II not covered
with the germs Of these little plants. They
exist In our food and drink, but the intes-
tine Is. one may say. a natural home In
which many exist without harm to the
body. For surgical purposes their existence
10 most important. first. In the earth. where,
as I have already shown, the bacillus Of
lockJaw IL most frequently found. So, 700.
the bacillus Of wool sorters' disease IAN
thrax) exists in the earth. II an animal dy.
ing of anthrax is buried. worms coming
from the carcass up through the ground
carry the infection so that other animals
grazing over this surface will readily be-
come infected. The means by which we
can avoid infection from the earth IL
very evident. viz: that every person who
has been run over by the cars or who has
fallen On the ground and broken his leg.
etc. must have the wound most carefully
cleanse from all dirt. II this Is scr,lpu-
lousy done the danger Of tetanus or other
similar earth-bom bacterial disease Ii al
most nothing.
A still greater danger to every patient,
however, Is found in the clothing. in the
kin and all dressings which are applied
to wounds. The skin Is full of bacteria Of
the most dangerous kind: even the spotless
hands Of the bride are, in the eyes Of the
surgeon. dirty. No one can touch q wound
with ordinarily clean hands without In
fecting II. All clothing. dressings. Q. g.,
lint and soft linen rags. and such like, are
full Of bacteria Of the most dangerous kind.
Perhaps the most dangerous place Is the
space under the nails OF the surgeons hand,
for the mere mechanical removal Of any
dirt under the nails by cleansing them does
not make them clean surgically. Tn nails
must be cut short and prepared in a way I
shall mention directly. or they are full OF
nondis,nfected finger Is introduced Again.
another source of infection which thirty
years ago We never thought Of. Is our In
struments. Then, were washed
with soap and water and were made clean
to the eye. but they were covered with
death-dealing bacteria which especially hid
In the Joints and Irregularities OF the sur
face of all instruments
All of these somewhat detailed
lead up to a consideration OF the difference
the old surgery and the new. Thirty
years ago when an operation was to be per-
formed or an accident cared for we laid out
our instruments which were visibly clean,
used them with hands which were a. clean
as those OF any gentleman and applied soft
linen rags. lint. and other dressings. To-
day we know that these apparently clean
instruments hands and dressings are COW
cred with bacteria which produce infection
and, therefore. su~ppuration, and frequently
run riot in blood poisoning. erysipelas. lock-
law and death.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
Methods of the Modern
Surgeon. 70 -

How does q medsrn surgeon perform an
operation7 An bacteria can Be killed by
heat. Cold has no effect upon them. but the
temperature Of boiling water (212 degrees
Fahr.) Is sufficient to destroy them all usu-
ally within fifteen or twenty minutes; hence.
first, instruments are all boiled. and. Sec
ondly, dressings are either stepped In such
solutions as have been found to destroy the
bacteria. such as carbolic acid or corrosive
sublimate, or other preparations. or. sttn
better. are placed IN sterilizeY. that u to
say, metal cylinders. which are then filled
with steam, usually under pressure. 80 As to
obtain a temperature Of 80 degrees and thus
make sure of the death Of the bacteria I'm
fortunately our hands cannot be boiled or
steamed. but the modern surgeon first uses
soap and water most vigorously over his
hands and arms up to the elbow. The nails
are cut short and the scrubbing brush f. es-
pecially applied to the nails 30 as to clean
the fingers at their ends. Their by various
means. such as pure alcohol. which Is one
Of our best disinfectants. or solutions Of
corrosive sublimate. and other means too
technical to mention the hands are steril-
lied. Rubber gloves are often used. 80 a. to
preclude infection. n they can be steamed
to 20 degrees Removing 1t least his outer
clothing the surgeon puts on . cotton own
which has been steamed and % made free
from bacteria Not q few surgeons also
wear sterilised caps. 20 that any bacteria In
the hair Will not be sifted into q wound
and some wear respirators Of sterile Rsuze
over the mouth and beard for the same rea-
SON AL the dressings have be4n sterflized
by gupefheated steam All the threads By
which blood vessels are tied have been
other boiled or otherwise sterflized- All the
material for sewing up the wounds and the
needles with which they are sewn up have
been similarly disinfected. The skin Of the
patient Is also sterilized, usually the day
before. In the same names In which
the surgeons hands have been disinfected
and are dfsinfected q second time Just at
the moment OF the operation. II the case u
one Of accident. such a. q crushed leg from
q trolley car, all Of the dirt 10 most care.
fully washed away with soap and water sud
the parts are disinfected not only on The
exterior. but also by prolonged washing
with some cleansing agent In the interior
OF the wound, the patient being under the
influence of ether OF course.
1t Is easily seen from such q description
Of a modern operation that no case can re-
ceive duo care In one Of our modern homea
even the best The facilities do not exist
and hencs surgeons are more and more de-
Ginning to do operations whether for acct
dent or disease In private houses, ana n
happy custom Is growing more and morn
In favor with the community Of having all
operations done and all accidents cared for In
q well equipped modern hospital.
As the result of our ability to perform
operations without pain. thanks to auaes-
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03

by observation in man. In 1882 Robert Koch
OF Berlin discovered the cause Of tuberculo-
sis. q little rod-like body. which is named
the bacillus" Of tuberculosis. In 1883
Fehleisen discovered the cause of erysipe-
las. and In 1857 Nicolaier and Rosenbaum
discovered the bacillus of tetanus
or locktaw. So recent have been the discoy-
cries in bacteriology which a led to
vast improvements in our methods of
treatment OF wounds and the performance
OF operatlons
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
DOCTOR WILLIAM WILLIAMS KFEN

Doctor Keen has been professor of surgery at h Jefferson Medical, c,uu.
Philadelphia, since 1853 H g Is m Of he most disfnguushe ~ uvhnr .u~-as
AM has introduced to he profession many lew ideas in opern.ve srrra-n n.
Il q member o. many medical societies M since 1884 has acted ne ,orss.
spondent n Is q member o. Sociae de Chrugie de Paris and sr,e,. D..
Chiruge. Deee &c
Doctor Keen declined an appointment on the preddents po,r, -. ,.-..-
INTO tn Wa Department in 1888 He is the author Of The American Textboak -,
Surgery" Complications n Sequels of Typhoid Fever :" -Iux.orv or ta psn.
dephia School Il Anatomy" besides numeousco contribution. TO uaMcsI naaan
cal literature "" pen"F
The eminent surgeon vas bon in Philadelphia January u 1877 ,r,a,.,s,
IRON Brown Unfverdty in 1885, n 1t vas this university which in 1900 CON
TERED III degree Of Ii. d pom him He graduated from the Jensrson MedScI
Couee in I2 and served IS assistants surgeon In the United States. a,mv ,n
isH to isa He studied in Europe ls+sss and ,ance that Inn hs been in IN
practice In Philadelphia 81 As oeh In
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03

Dy reason of its perils the cost of bodies
ior dissection was very great; but 1t was
only q question OF money. In his testimony
before the Parliamentary Committee Sir
Astiey. Cooper made q shiver run down the
backs OF the noble Lords who listened to
him when he said that In order to dissect
the body Of any Of them It. was only
necessary for him to pay enough. The large
pecuniary profits Of such business. when the
supply was very small. led to the horrible
atrocities OF Burke and Hare in Edinburgh
IN I8Z- They deliberately murdered a con-
siderable number OF persons, and sold the
oocies to the dissectlng-rooms In that city.
Inc discovery of their crimes finally led
10 the passage of the anatomy act. which
mas been In force In Great Britain ever
since. Similar violations of graveyards In
THIS country have led to the passage In
various states of somewhat similar laws.
usuaiiy giving for dissection the bodies Of
those VINO were SO poor in friendship that
no one would spend the money necessary for
their burial. Yet to-day, In a large number
or our States. the former anomalous condt-
tion or AFFAIRS exists. The increase of ana
tomacal material which has resulted from
the enactment of wise and s~alutary laws
ior this purpose has given a great impetus
TO the study of anatomy, and has produced
a 1ar better educated class of physicians IN
most parts Of the United States within the
iast Few years. The enlightened sense of
tne community has perceived that to deny
the medical schools the means OF properlv
teaching anatomy was a fatal mistake ana
resulted IN an ignorance Of which the COM
munity were the victims As a result ~ is
now by aw in most States TO Oh
tain a reasonable number OF cadavers NOT
ohiy TOT the study of anatomy. but for the
performance OF all the usual operations
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
When Traffic in Human Bodies
Was Stopped. ~

One of the most important means of the
study OF medicine. and especially Of sur
gerry. Is q thorough acquaintance with the
anatomy of the human body. No one would
think OF placing an engineer in charge OF
q complicated piece of machinery who had
never become intimately acquainted with
All the parts OF such a machine, and could
take 1t to pieces and put 1t together again
with ease and Intelligence. Yet, until COM
paratively recently. this knowledge of anat-
omy was both required. and yet, at the
same time, the means of obtaining It were
forbidden the medical student. 1t he per-
Formed an operation and was guilty of neg
ngenee or error. due to his want Of an
atcmical knowledge. he was liable TO a suit
Tor malpractice Yet his only means of be-
coming acquainted with the anatomy Of the
human body was by stealing the bodies of
the dead In England. up to 1889. this was
equally true A regular traffic In human
bodies existed theirs as well as here. and
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03

thessa, and our ability to perform opera
tons without Infection. and, therefore,. al
most without danger. thanks to antiseps~.
the range Of modern surgery has been enor-
mously increased. Unless one has lived
through the old surgery and into the new
he scarcely can appreciate this widening OF
the aeld OF operative surgery Thirty years
ago. in consequence Of the great danger OK
opening the head. the chest. OF the abdo-
men, or In fact Of making an incfsiou any
where about the body. the surgeon never
dared to interfere until he was Obliged TO
do so. Hence. not only were many modern
operations not even thought of. but in OBJ
ecure cases we had to wait until time and
disease developed symptoms and physical
signs such that we were sure OF our dag
nosis. and then. knowing that death would
follow II We did not interfere. We ventured
to operate. Now we anticipate such a fatal
termination and In most cases can avert ~
In perhaps no class OF cases has the benefit
Of this immunity from infection and danger
been shown than in the obscure diseases OF
the brain and the abdomen. To-day If We
are uncertain as to whether there Is serious
danger going on which n unchecked Will re-
suit IN death we deliberately open the one
cavity or the other In order to find out the
exact state OF affairs. Supposing that The
mischief Is trffine, or even that there Is no
mischief. We then know how to deal with
the symptoms which have been pulling US.
So Tar as the exploratory operation Is con-
cerned, the patient RECEIVERS from II IN .
short time. and meantime. perhaps. has
also been cured OF the symptoms which
were before SO III understood. II any serf-
Gus disease Is found. In the majority OF
cases we can cone with II successfully. Be
fore the days of antisepsis and anaesfhes;a
the field OF operation was greatly restricted.
and practically the removal Of tumors. am
prtations and a few other operations wers
all that were done. Now all the then mac
cessible organs are attacked with an IN
trepidity born Of an assurance Of safety.
Recovery usually sets the seal Of approval
on the Judgment Of the surgeon. Thirty
years ago. taking all operations together.
fully one-third OF our patients died. many
Of them often from slight operations which
were followed BY Infection. To-day. incfud-
Ing even the far moro crave operations
which are now done. the general mortality
viii scarcely exceed s per cent. and many
suryeons are able IN a series Of several hun
dred operations to save ninety-seven out Of
every hundred patients!
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03
The koentsen Ray
as an Aid in HeAIina.

One Of those extraordinary discoveries
which startle the whole world came nearly
at the end Of the present century, In the
winter Of 1861. AT that time q modest
professor In the University Of Wurzburg an
nounced that he could readily see the skele-
ton fnsids the body through the fieshi Nat
urally the first announcement was received
with almost absolutely incredulity; but very
soon his discovery was confirmed from al
sides, and Il has now taken its place among
the recognised facts OF science By means
OF certain Az which, being Of unknown
nature. were called x rays, after the
weil-knoWn mathematical X, or unknown
quantity. Professor Roentgen has shown Us
that not only can the bones Be seen. but
hat most every organ IN the body can be
seen and their form and structure repro
duced In pictures. The reason they can Be
seen b bscause they are al obstacles to the
passags of these X rays and 20 produce
ehadowa ON q sensittxed Photographic plate.
II the expogure II prolonged the rays
Penetrate sven through the bones and act
upon h photographic plate. 30 that TO
shadow remains. II the rays are allowed to
penetrate for . shorter time the bones show
dense shadows and enc can get q ls<ht
shadow Of the soft parts. II the exposure
Il stu shorter, than We can recognize the
dense shadow Of the bone. the much less
dense shadows Of the muscles and the still
hshtsr shadows Of the layer of fat tnpie-
dtatsay under the skin The heart IAN bs
esen beating and its shadow u now . we'll
recognised feature In shiaxraphs Of the
chest. At nrst It was thought impossible
to discover anything inside of the bony
skull. but there are now on record nearly
. scofv Of instances In which bullets have
been detected within the skull. AMI after
trephtntng have been found and removed
exactly It the location indicated. II 10 .
very common thing now to locate q rsecs
Of steal or other similar foreign bodies with
In the eyebal by the method Of Doctor
Sweet or some similar method within one
twenty-nfth Of an tnch). 1t II now well
f~ecogBized that even stones in the kidney
them to be recognized. and by noting their
level In relation to The vertebr4 We 90
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-03

to surgical progress. LIST me quote again
from the address before alluded to.
Echo de l'ouest. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1883-1929, 1901-06-14
"a continuer. }
N. 0rigene Vigneault
DE MILFORD, NH.
GusH du MumuHsme ct du Mai dc
Rems par les MWES MQRQ.
Quoique bien jeune, il etait incapable
de TRAVELLER, WI les douleurs
quill endurait.

L'homme est i%ndustrieux. lis
sont rares parmi nous ceux qui ne
travail1ent pas ; lie richie travai11e
pour conserver ct agrandir sd for
tune, lie pauvre. pour procurer a
sa famille lie pain quotidien.
L'ambition ct la necessite sont
les deux grands inspirateurs du
travail, mails assurance du success
reside dams la bonnie sante.
Sc tenir en- bonne sante, aim de
remp1ir sa tAche ct de reussir,
VOLTA pour chaque homme la ques-
ton whale.
Les Pilules Moro sont lie remede
a prendre pour 1'homme fatigue
ct soufrant, ct lie seul qui lie que
risse DIES maux auxque1s il est
expose. Files sont BONES pour
l'homme de bureau CONNIE pour
ce1ui qui est oblige de gagner sa
vie au bout de ses bras. Files
guerissent les maux de tete, la
mauvaise digestion, lamaigrisse-
ment, les dou1eurs dams lie dos, lie
NAL de rognons, les points de c6tes
ct les rhumatismes.
Voici &c que monsieur Vigneau1t
ecrit a la Compagnie Medicale
Moro: