The sun., 1901-03-30
A MAN WITHOUT A STOMACH
THAf 0RGAN REMOVED FROM JACOB
WICHMAN YESTERDAY.
Only . Straight Tube Now From His Mouth 20
His Duodenum Digestion win go On. How
ever. in the Duodcnum and the intestines
Cancer at Each End Of the stomach.


ever. in the Duodcnum and the intestines
Cancer at Each End Of the stomach.
The operation Of gastrectomy or removal
OF the stomach was performed at the German
Hospital in Brooklyn yesterday on Jacob
Wichman Though thepatient was in verv poor
condition 10 undergo so severe an operation
he stood II rather better than the physicians
had expected It is too early "a yet to know
whether the operation was successful to the
extent Of saving MIR Wichmans life, but the
probabilities are that II was
The operation was performed by the head
surgeon Of the hospital with the assistance
Of the hospital staff For reasons OF pro-
fessional delcacy the account OF the operation
was furnished TO the newspapers with the
understanding that the name OF the surgeon
should not be published The operation was
made necessary by the fact that Mr. Wlchman
had cancer of the stomach 1t is the opinion
OF most eminent authorities that there Is
always a time in the growth or any cancer
when 1t can be stopped by the use of the knife
Some cancers, one OF these authorities said
yesterday. develop so insidiously that their
presence Is not detected or recognized until
1t is too late to operate on them ehectually
II was determined by the usual tests for cancer
that there was every probability that Mr.
Wichman who Is very old. had cancer lie
was told that his only chance for life was that
he submit 70 the operation for the remova!
OF the stomach He consented to the opera
ton
A day was appointed for It, but Just before
the surgeons were to begin their work Mr
Wichmans son, who had become much ex-
cited by the preliminary accounts OF the
operation printed in the newspapers. made "a
protest He served written notice on the
hospital that his father was feeble-minded
and not responsible for himself. and that the
operation was forbidden by the next or KIN
The hospital felt safe in diSreSardln4 'hls
notice. which was not regarded as accurate.
but IL was determined TO lot the matter 30
rather than to have a fuss.
day or two luter letter came to the
hospital for the younger Mr. Nichmann
II fe into the hands of the elder man by
mistake He found II communications
from n man In Maine whose father. 10 years
old had been through the operation success
fully. The old gentleman showed THIS to
his son and the Son. came 70 the c3hIuHlon
that the surgeons after all knew what they
were talking about He fairly begged toi
the operation He served second notl'e
on the hospital, revoking hls prohlplti"h ~
| try the operation Yesterday his wishes
were compiled with
4 comparatively new form Of anaSthetic
| adapted particularly for use with old hiO
feeble persons was used This is the slnul'
| tanpou- inhalation by the patient OF chior"'
! form and uXy gen. Th" oxygen stimulate
| the pgtiont and CounteraCtS the weakening
| efcct - the chloroiorm. The following j.
| substantially the account OF N" operate.
| as given bv one Of those who were present
An incision was made IN the "bd"mt,i
81, .eh un
| down into the wound II should pc 'N
| plained to lavmcu that the stomach - ,W'i
| above the abdomen IN rs normal poNunh
| owing ~ the cmaciat"d and consequently y
lax condition of the stomach u was aHit'
| easily brought down IL was iound 10 10
disca sed in two rlaces THIS not nsuhI
| in the middle Of the organ ~ tnlN chSr
| was found at the place where the food enter
the stomach and also at me g!ace where In'
! fused the symptoms which had been re
| ported bv the patient He had ,9mrlainet
| Of difficulty both in swallowing ana In get'lh'
io""Int "ws Was " then @ decided that only complete
| excelsior Of the stomach Afforded 'h9hc'
for the patients recovery Al the ulHHo, tH,
vessels leading into the stamach were era"tl umsi
| tied A clamp was put on the tube connect
| ing the stomach with tho Intestine 90 the'
| all danger Of poisoning from p2sSi9!, leaN
, nee of the contents ~ the intc1tluc INTO 'ht
organs might be avoided AlI he c'nher,
| tion oF tho stomach and the other organ
| except those which ioined y 70 he nteHtlhe
And the a~oPhaTTPbS or wSp Swq1%I'T ft - The las
| So that tho two tubes might not remain ope'
| any longer than was necessary me SUN
ach was tied with strings AZ ehoh ehL ,".,, m"a
| the clamps and then cut was mace b'tWtrI
the strings and the clamps and the st"lnlC,
taken out entire The two tubes We're ht'
brought tosethHr S4d Ion j"'nedd ed,y an,ted a ted b,
the efforts " the patient TO force tond ny
his stomach, and It was he'"@SarN " ~ -, ~
| Il smaller \ housewife would say thAt '"
took n tuck IN 4 The two tubes were HeWe,
| together with eighteen stitches ana 'h'I
were wrapped with part Of the loose tlNa"
""This viii take hold quickly and shonl'
he partly grown to the other parts wnhlh
few hours The organs were then re-torr pre-
to their normal positions and the wohhd wa
For A time the only nonrishmcnt the pa
ticnt can take will b" peptonilcd condensed
milk mixed with water and eggs, nnt III tlh
hp will be able to digest everything tina
does not need pepSu for its digestion sue
things will have To IVA predlg"Nt"d Tor M
more or less salt water Will also pc u1e'
to give the system moisture ana Tor "" gen
oral invigOrating effect Of its HppllCat u
II will be several weeks before the patien
will be able TO take food through his m"ul
| The operation of gdStrec,Omy Is freqncntl
| confused with that Of gaStrutomy, whlC
is the far simpler operation Of opening ~
stomach for the removal Of inClpient cancer
or for the purpose of looking Tor them
| According TO an eminent surgeon VIII
talked with SrN man about the removl
of the stomach yesterday, the lack OF -tou
| aCh is not a formidable matter The duod'
mum performs almost all Of the functions Z
| digestion except such a. require the pcpsl
processes The. lack OF M" presence OF u
nrusin iuiccS Of the stomach - Obviaied b
neiioni2ing the food before Il Is eaten and
mat extent predge~iingit Modern science
said this surgeon, has exploded thr throI
of the usefulness of IN" stomach II is astOl
ishing even 10 men well acquainted with n
operation 10 learn how much patient VIII
| oil a stomach OAm eat. mhny thlng,