Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-01-10
SHARKS CAN BITE

In the summer of 1901 at the Unit.
ed States Naval Hospital, Cavite,
Philippine Islands, 5. Mex, appren.
tice, first class, U. S. N, was conva.
descent from an amputation Of the
middle third of the left thigh when
first saw his case. This amputatIon
had been made necessary by shark
bite, in which the entire loss of the
left leg and quantity of muscular
and other tissue of the thigh was in
volved. leaving the lower extremity
of the femur exposed.
The man was, at the time of the ac.
cident. swimming with a firing party
which had encamped about three
miles from Hoilo; this party was in
charge of Lieut.. j. +. Luby of the U.
S. S. Annapolis. Similar firing par.
ties are regularly taken ashore for
target practice with small arms, and
at the same time the occasion is made
use Of to give the men drill and eXer
else in swimming.
In conversation with Mex, his
brief statement was to the effect that
while swimming near the boat, he
suddenly felt himself dragged under
water by some powerful force. Not
realizing what 1t was, his first i'm.
pulse was to resist and swim to the
surface. He then felt terrible
crunching at his left knee, but he
states that, owing nc doubt to the ex.
element. he did not think of pain or
experience any. AS UNEXPECTEDLY as
the onset, he felt himself released,
and then he swan with all his remain
ing strength to the boat, some ten or
fifteen yards away. He then under
stood that his leg was gone, but,
dauntlessly kept up his enc and only
aim, to regain the boat II possible. He
was hauled aboard, and his compan.
ions by pressure on the femoral art
cry, temporarily controlled the hem.
orrhage.
The patient was rowed in this con.
dition a distance Of about two miles
to the ship, and soon after his arrival
the surgeon amputated.
The next case occurred in the mid.
die OF October 1901. A Molussa Mo.
70 by the name OF Dahkus was in his
fish weir taking the catch with his
hands, when a shark (called by the
Moros kayton), which had become en-
trapped, bit him in the right thigh.
carrying away large part Of the ex'
tongny ,,,ngpIos Of tho loo
This shark that bit Dahkus was
caught by the other fisherman about,
and the fact that Dahkus was bitten
is vouched for by these eye wit.
nesses in addition to which there
were prints of teeth that proved their
statements. | mention these facts
with such eXplicitness, as a certain
gentleman has published the offer OF
a reward of $1,000 for the production
Of an authentic case of shark bite.
The muscles on the front of the thigh
were torn through quite down to the
bone, leaving an ugly gap about ten
inches by six inches in area.
The next case is very similar to the
foregoing as to the method of receiv.
ing the injury, namely, the subject
was bitten while in fish weir, by
shark caught therein, but in this case
the man was bitten in the face. On
Sunday afternoon, June s, 1902, while
taking my siesta, was called to at
tend this man, a Molussa by the
name OF Apy. His nose was hanging
by shred, and there were prints OF
a sharks teeth over the entire right
cheek. 1t happened less than an hour
before he reached me, and immedi.
aIely went to work, stitching the nose
in places, and otherwise repairing the
damaged countenance.
He came to me daily, and the
wounds healed by first intention UNI
der iodoform dressing.-J. A. Guth'
RE. NJ. d., U. S. N, in New York Med
Tool IpnrnoI