Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-12-14
Bleeding for Lockjaw.
A dispatch from New York, dated De

A dispatch from New York, dated De.
cember 18th, says:
Orchard Miller, carpenter, thirty. three
years old, ate hearty dinner with his wife
and three little children at his home, 433
Flushing avenue, Long Island City, last
night. He had just left st. Johns Hospital
In that city at noon, and that he Is alive Is
considered remarkable by the staff of the
hospital.
miller stepped on nail while at work
on September %. The nail ran through the
| sole of his shoe and made an ugly wound.
| He applied home remedies. His foot sweled,
and on October he found that his jaws had
set. He made this discovery when he at
tempted TO eat his breakfast. II was i'm
possible for him to open his jaws more than
an inch.
"a physician advised his removal 10 hos
pital. That night at st. Johns Hospital his
case was diagnosed as one OF severe tetanus
BY the following morning the lockjaw had
| progressed so that his posterior muscles had
contracted until his heels touched the back
| of his head. Only trained contortionlsts do
this as a feat He was In great agony and
during the day severe commissions set In.
at seemed to the surgical and medical
staff of the hospital that the man had little
time to live. At the suggestion of DIR. j. V.
Gallivan, chief OF the surgical staff an OPP
GRAFTON was decided upon Immediately.
DR.. Gallivan said that the operation would
be hazardous one and that he would try
new method.
with all the staff In attendance Miller
was placed on tho operating table that even.
ing. DIR. Gallivan performed the operation.
lie first thoroughly cleansed the wound on
the foot and then made an incision on the
left arm near the elbow. From this was
extracted quart and a.half Of blood. This
method of treating tetanus patient was
something new TO the doctors who were pre- :
sent. Antltoxln was Injected, as usual.
"Miller had reapsed into Inconsistencies
after being seized with convulsions some
time before the operation. From the day
he was operated on, October 9, until Novem-
Der "a, he was unconscious. Antitoxin was
injected two more times during the early
part OF the period. The man was kept alive
BY means OF food in liquid form.
"News of the operation spread quickly
among the medical profession and many
surgeons visited the hospital to observe the
progress of the patient. Miller became con-
scious In the early morning and was observ.
ed by nurse TO be attempting to stu # some
OF the bed clothing into his mouth He
told the nurse that he was ravenously hum
CRY. 1t wasn't very long after the Bile eding
operation by DIR. Galllvan that the contract
ed muscles began TO show signs Of relaxa-
ton, and by the time he had recovered con.
sciousness he had full control over his body.
The patient was allowed 10 take more
solid food as each day progressed and yes
terday morning before he was discharged
from the hospital as cured he managed to
get away with quite substantial breakfast.
1.-THE case Is considered something remark
able owing TO the advanced stage Of the
| disease when the man was taken TO the
hospital. His case was one Of the sort that
are ordinarily considered hopeless. DIR.
Gallivan refused last night TO discuss the
case or tell where he got the bleeding idea
from. He said that he had been invited 10
deliver lecture on the operation before
surgical body In this city and that until
then he would not discuss the case"