The sun., 1903-11-01
CURED BY MEDICAL STUDENTS
WHO OPERATED on A DEAF MI yr
WITHOUT Legal RIGHT.
lie Told Them to Go Ahead and He'd TAX.
the Risk to he Like Other Men Again
and the Desperate Chance Proved a
Success-Speaks Now and Hears, Ton

and the Desperate Chance Proved i,
Success-Speaks Now and Hears, Too.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Oct. so.-After hav;nc
been deaf and dumb for nearly -four
years, Conrad Filmann a shoemaker. has
regained his power of speech and hearing
by an operation performed upon him IN
defiance OF the law by three Chicago medi.
cal students in hotel room last week.
Fillmann arrived in st. Paul six we~A,
ago from Seattle, Wash, where he had been
a student in the deaf mute institute since
he lost the use OF his vocal and auditory
organs in an accident in coal mine in
Utah in 1890. Soon afterward he oh.
tanned employment at his trade. Three
weeks ago he became troubled with sever.
headaches and boarded n car to go 10 a
physicians office, On the car he met Fred
Miller, medical student, whom he had
known in Milwaukee,
Miller spoke to him and was SURPRISED
when he received no answer, although he
could see by Flllmanns face that he wa,
recognized. Fillmann pulled tablet from
his pocket and wrote a short account OF
his affliction. He told Miller he was on
his way to see physician about his head
ache. Miller replied that he had nearly
completed his medical course and voun-
teered to examine Fillmann. The shoe
maker gladly consented.
After looking him over Miller wrote on
the mute's tablet that he could be cured.
Fillmann has been pronounced incurablel
by many physicians, but he quickly offered
himself as a patient He said he would
undergo anything to have his power OF
speech and hearing restored.
To pay his way through college Millerj
is acting in vacation as a travelling sales
man for a surgical instrument house. Hel
sent to Chicago for two of hi fellow stu
dents and after consultation they decided
to perform the operation.
Fillmann left his work soon after o'clocki
that night and went to Miller's hotel, The
students told him that II he was willing to
risk lying under the influence of ether
for long time, and permitting an opera !
ton, they could cure him. He pulled his
tablet from his pocket and wrote: ,
will stand anything to be cured. and IL
you see you cant cure me. why. give me
little overdose. ! hate to think Of enduring
another minute OF the awful life have had to
undergo these four years.
He was put under ether few minutes
later and the students began working on
his throat. They found seven large clots Of
blood resting on the muscles which control
the vocal organs, and removed these. Then
1t was found that Fillmann once more had
the free use of the muscles.
When the man revived he was advised
not to try to speak for several days He
waited anxiously for three days while his
throat gradually healed and then surprised
his employer by greeting him. HIS power
OF speech had returned to him completely,
On examining of Fillmanns ears the
students found that his left ear was conl-
petely destroyed. The right auricle was
not in such bad shape, and they decided 10
try the use of an eardrum in it. Each con
tributed s5 and they sent to philadelphia
for the drum. 1t was put in Fillmann, ear
last Wednesday and he could hear perfectly
from the minute it was placed there
When the young q emaker found ttaf
he could speak and hear again, he was
almost wild with joy. He threw his arms
about each of the students in turn and en-
braced them and wept for joy.
1T was the happiest moment OF my Mo-
said Fillmann last night, land don't tee
Ieve | will ever get over thanking thos4
Young fellows for the misery they have H.
moved from me. didn't mind the risk.
The operation was performed upon Fl.-
mann secretly. None of the students mas
secured his diploma, and, of course. had n"
license to practice medicine or surgery N
Minnesota. 1t was performed in Miller
room at the hotel, and although the students
worked over their patient all night the hotei
people did not discover anything, and w"n'
surprised when told that such an operation
had been performed in the pace.