Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-28
SALES OF CUTICLE.
People Who Sell Their Skin for
 Surgical Purposes.
Required to Replace Destroyed Cu- ticle on Victims of Painful Ac-
 dents-Obtained Through Medium of Adyertieinx

Such sales are taking place every day, where advertisements are con- stantly appearing in the papers, of- fering substantial sums of money to healthy subjects willing to give in return so many square inches of their "outer covering" The opera tion is painful and tedious one, and often performed without chloroform, for anaesthetics are found to retard the action of the skin and thereby minimize the chances of successful grating, says an tastern exchange.
 Last May, Miss Theresa Delahanty, of Syracuse, was badly burned about the arms by an explosion of gaso- line. The doctors did everything in their power to heal the wounds, but without success. For over seven months Miss Delahanty was an in- mate of the Homeopathic hospital at Syracuse, getting rather worse than better, until at last it was decided that the only thing to save her life was extensive grating.
 Thirty square inches of human skin at least were required, and, as this was a large order, Dr. Francis Ryan advertised for person willing to sacrifice this amount of cuticle. The, advertisement was answered by man from Troy, who agreed tosallow the required quantity of skin to be taken from his arms in return for the not extravagant sum of $25. The agreement was drawn up and signed, and the operation has been so suc- cessful that Miss Delahanty is now perfectly we'll.
 A somewhat similar case was that of Miss Bertha Deenan, who has late- ly been an inmate of the Mckinley hospital, Trenton, N. J. This girl had the misfortune to burn her up- per lip so severely that for over g year it had been an open wound. After every known remedy had been tried and had proved useless, Drs. McCullagh and Brown decided :. on. grating.
 An advertisement was placed in a local paper, and within 30 minutes of it's appearance a young fellow rushed up to the hospital and pantingIy asked to see the house surgeon.
 He expressed great relief on learn ing that he was in plenty of time. and cheerfully agreed to the loss of as much skin as was needed at the price of five dollars per square inch. 1t subsequently, transpired. that this was the tenth occasion on which the young man had sold portions of his skin. He was healthy and strong, and, in consequence, the operation performed on Miss Deenan's lip was entirely successful
 Probably the man who got the best return for 20 square inches of skin was Thomas E. Rush, of Staten Is- land. Three years ago Rush saw an advertisement in New York journal asking if any healthy young man or woman would come forward and sac- rifice 20 square inches of icuticle to save the life of child. The adver- tiser added note to the effect that owing to circumstances there would be no remuneration. There was not an overwhelming number of replies; in fact, that from Thomas E. Rush was the only one. He went to the address given, which proved to be a small hospital, and, after seeing the doctors. cheerfully consented to un- dergo the operation.
 Rush was a mechanic and then out of work. A few days after the oper- ation he was invited into the surgery and was there introduced to the fa- ther of the little patient, pleasant looking man of 45. Grasping the me- chanic's hand he thanked him warm fly for the sacrifice he had made.
 II purposely put in mo remunera- tion,'" explained the delighted fa- ther. 'lest I should get hold of selfish subject. don't want any mean mans skin on my child. Here is something to go on with" he ada ed, handing him a $500 bill, "and if you will call at my office you shaH have as good start in life as a man ever had" And he kept his promise.