The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-22
LORENz BALKS DEATH.
Great Surgeon Saves a Child
from StrangulatiOn by Ether.

New York. Dec. 22-Professor Adolf
Lorenz literally snatched victory from
the jaws of death Saturday Before the
eyes of 200 surgeons at the Kings Couh-
~ hospital in Brooklyn he saved the
life of a little patient who was stranS-
ling to death Through the carelessness
of a hospital physician VINO was ASSIST
ing in an operation for a dislocated hip.
Mary DOnnelly, years of age, was
given an overdose of ether, causing
narcosis. BY the dulekness OF the as
tinguished exponent of "bloodless sur
gerry the impending tragedy was turn
ed into a triumph.
It was a distressing operation from
the fact that the accidental breaking
of a bottle of ether caused temporary
scarcity Of the fluid IN the operating
room. and the child passed from under
the influence of the aEaestheuc Tor
few moments. She set up pitiful cry,
and it was in an endeavor to render her
Speedily insensible that the overdose OF
Rther was administered. The child will
The Austrian surgeon was accom-
panied by his assistant Dr. Frederic
Mueller Some twenty children suffer-
Ing from cOngenital diseases of the hip
we're awaiting DR.. Lorenz. He chose
two Of these to be operated on, and in
addition a case of club feet The first
patient brought into the operating room
was Mary DOnnelly, suffering from u
single dislocatiOn of the right hip.
DR. LOrenz reduced the dislOcatiOn in
three minutes. Then he began to man
pulate the leg in order to exercise and
stretch the ligaments, keeping up
running conversation of instruction.
One Of the most interested auditors
vas Dr. Arthur Doig, of the house staff.
20 whom had been intrusted the task of
Eeeping the little patient under the in
nuence of ether. So eager was Or.
Doig to keep in touch with everything
going on that he became excited and
dropped the bottle of ether he had been
using to the floor
The bottle broke and the fluid scat
tered over the doctors who were gath
cred around the operating table. There
was no more ether in the rOCul-nOre
nearer than the storeroom-and DR..
Doig. knowing that the child would moi
remain insensible long unless the ad~
minlstratiOn of the anaesthetic was KEEP.
I'D. made a rush for new supply
There was a big crowd around the door
and he had difficulty in getting through
He was gone for several minutes, while
the excitement in the operating room
was at fever heat.
In the meantime DIR. Lorenz was work.
ing with marvellous raDldity to get the
child in readiness to be placed in the
plaster cast by Dr.. Mueller. But in the
height of his manipulation the little
sufferer recovered her senses. She
screamed in agony at the tremendous
turning and twisting of her leg. and in,-
plored the big surgeon to desist. Please
stop" she cried. you hurt me So"
DR.. Doig returned as the child began
screaming. Hurrying to her he adjust
ed the cone and poured out a powerful
dose of the drug The little one gaspel
ana gurglec and struggled, While Dr..
Lorenz' his face expressing grave con-
Germ. kept up his manipulations.
The luXation was overcome in less
than three minutes. when the great
surgeon suddenly released the limb
which he had held while demon
strating the technicalities of his
method and inserted his fingers between
the childs lips He called loudly for
tongue fOrceps, and his unusually excl
ted tones denoted the suDerventiou Of
an extremely grave condition He had
noted that the child was suffering from
narcosis. in which the tongue sinks back
in the throat stopping the breathing,
and the jaws become rigid. The 200 men
and women present rose to their feet
and saw that the child was not breath
ing.
DR. Lorenz. still calling for forceps,
Wrenched the child's hands. which were
tied together with a strong bandage.
quickly asunder and began artificial re
splration- The cyanosis. or blush pal
lor began to disappear even before the
rigid jaws had been pried apart by an
instrument which a spectator rendered
TO the surgeon.
Another physician called for a respir-
alton tank, which was Quickly brought
in The tongue was drawn forward and
oxygen administered. DR.. Lorenz AMI
DR.. Mueller exercised the arms to pro-
duce artificial respiration and a dozen
physicians assisted in the work on the
child Normal breathing was soon re-
stored and the operation went on to a
successful termination
When the little patient was out Of
danger of COLLAPSE DR.. Mueller arrang-
ed the plaster cast and she was wheeled
from the room. 1t is not believed that
any serious results will follow. as the
operation was entirely successful from
a surgical point of view