The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-30

And to the hospital they went IN ~
and threes. while the sharp knives Of ~
surgeons cut strips Of skin from their arA0
and bodies and hastily sought the bedstoo
Of Frederick.
Jerusalem, an older lodge Of the ordA
was quick to follow tho lead Of the menli
tcrs Of Anchor.
They had sympathy In common DaY
t-after day the Masons went to the hospital
and after them the employees of the Unite9
States Express Company. where Frederic6
had been employed
The injured man saw his volunteers trys
ing to save his life, and a new courage was
born within the heart still racked with pain
INTEREST IN THE CASE.
Great interest centered in the case. Ma
. sons and expressmen from different parts
Of the country Journeyed to Plainfeld 70
give their skin to aid the physicians work
+, ing upon Frederick.
The physicians who declared the man
could not live saw the great fight he was
making and were determined that he should
not die.
While the condition Of the patient was
such at times that the work had to be
interrupted, there never was pause in the
procession Of enthusiastic lodge men.
More than six months ago Frederick was
taken from the wreck.
Since that time thirty-five hundred pieces
Of skin have been grated to his body from
121 different men.
He requires seven hundred pieces more.
but his friends and brothers maintain that
he Will have them % long as the supply Of
Masons holds out.
The case has made an unparalleled record.
There are instances where many pieces of
skin have been used to save PERSONS life,
but nothing ever like the amount of new
tissue which now covers the burned portion
Of 0rederick's body,
Among the skin contributors belonging to
the order were State Supervisor of Roads
Robert A. Meeker, Judge William N. Run
yon. Past Master Stephen Higham, Senior
Warden Fred ]. Pope. Junior Warden Fran
els l. Montgomery. Jr., c. A. Sturtevant,
Counselor George Ball, S. p. Blngaman
| Robert Rushmore. and other prominent men
| In the community.
From twenty 10 thirty-flve small pieces
| OF SKIN have been tdAen from ea.n vJ.un-
| teer.
FRENCH WAY OF GRATING.
The process Of skin grating used by Doc
tor Pitts IL the French method Thiersci.
1t consists IN making thoroughly aseptic the
arms Of those from whom gratis are to be
| taken by sterilizing and shaving each fore
ann.
| The skin Is then drawn up upon the
stretch by one hand. while with the other
q long. wide razor 10 applied hatwise. The
| two upper layers, tho derm and epfderm,
are removed by to and fro movement, Of
| the razor. which IL kept flooded with a salt
solution.
Each graft. about half a. long and about
twice a. broad az q match. Is immed iately
laid on the prepared surface upon which It
| 10 noated from the razor by the sal. solu-
ton, drawing the edge Of the graft on to
| the wound surface while slipping the razor
away.
| Each graft 10 then gently pressed into
| place and the wound surface dressed with
q lattice work Of protecting slips OF rubber
| tissue, which Is In turn covered by a com.
press kept moistened with normal saline
solution.
| Wilton g. Frederick ives the chief clerk
| Of the United States Express Companys
| ONCE in New York at the time Of the nc
| cident.
He resided in Dun.llen. and 10 a son-in-
/ law Of the late Mayor Rulin Swackhamer.
/ His physician. Doctor Pitts, is graduate
| Of Columbia College.
| Mr.. Frederick is in care Of two trained
nurses from st. Luke's Hospital. New York
| City, the Misses Farquharson and Parsons.