The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-31

Thereafter and up to today 1t has only been with Dr. Pitts a case of selection and rejection. The men came forward in droves, travelling at their own expense and adjusting their time to the conven- fence of the sufferer
 Some idea of the extent of this sacrifice on the part of a large body of men can be gained from study of the localities represented in the list of volunteers They came from all over New Jersey. from Philadelphia. Buffalo, Baltimore and even from as far west as Pittsburg.
 The placing on Frederick of the 3,00o bits of skin made a wonderful operation. To- day he Is doing well, is cheerful and hopeful and there Is prospect that he will make what the medical men choose to call good recovery He will not be marked much if at all and promises to be thoroughly sound and healthy man. The physician who has thus set at de- fiance the grim reaper is an interesting personality. Tn appearance Dr. Pitts looks the medical man all over. He has earnest. dark eyes that help his talk and a concentrated manner essentially busi- neks-like and exact. Ho is possibly 35 years old and a graduate of Columbia Col lege. He also graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York city, being a member of the class of ls93 A number of times before Dr. Pitts has performed the operation of skin-grafting. but never before on so large a denuded | area and never where so many separate pieces of skin were required.
 In speaking of Frederick's case pr.
 Plttis said three-fourths of the scalded area was already covered and there was
 no lack of prospective material. The Thiersch method of skin-grafting employed in this case, Is performed in the following manner:
 The arms of the applicant are first made thoroughly antiseptic. By means of a thoroughly sterilized wide razor applied | fiatwise, the derm and epiderm, the two topmost layers of the skin, are removed.
 The razor Is kept flooded with a normal
 salt solution to keep the thin graft from
 curling on itself.
 |. Each graft is then immediately laid up-
 on the prepared surface of the wound, upon which 1t Is fioated from the razor by the salt solution, It therefore lies on flat. As grated 1t is gently pressed into place and covered with a sterilized piece
 of perforated rubber tissue wet with sa- line solution. This lattice work of rub
 Der tissue Is now moistened with salt so- lution and covered with a scultitis band age wet In the saline solution.
 It is the duty of the attending nurses to keep this bandage always moistened
 to the proper degree. It must not be too
 wet nor yet too dry.
 The operation of removing the skin Is
 not very painful to the donor. In these days. when any man is likely to be called on. 1t is important that these reassuring facts be noted. The size of tho pieces of skin removed are small. each being about the width and about half as long as the ordinary match. They are taken from the arms and the wounds generally heal after about three dressings. Modern surgery has eliminated the faint possi- bility of infection. and the whole opera tion can best be described as inconven- tent. There is absolutely Eo pain in ap- plying the skin to the person burned or scalded.
 The volunteers came to Dr. Pitts twice week. As stated, there have been at this writing 1O6 volunteers.