Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-11
BLEEDING FOR LOCKJAW
AN UNEXPECTED CURE IN NEW
YORK HOSPITAL.
Blood Taken From the Arm Quickly
Reduced an Extreme Rightly
of Muscles.

NEW YORK, December 11.-Richard NIL
Ter. carpenter, thirty-three years old. ate
a hearty dinner with his wife and three
little children at his home 433 Flushing
avenue. Long Island City. last night.
had just left St. Johns Hospital In that
city at noon. and that he is alive is con-
sdered remarkable by the staff of the hos
pital
Miller stepped on a 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
swelled and the morning of October 5
he found that his jaws had set. He made
this discovery when he attempted to eat
his breakfast. 1t was impossible for him
to open his jaws more than an inch.
Diagnosed as Tetanus.
physician advised his removal to a hos
pital That night at st. Johns Hospital his
ease was diagnosed as one of severe teta-
nus. BY the following morning the lock-
jaw had progressed so that his posterior
muscles had contracted until his heels
touched the back OF his head. Only trainel
contortionists do this as a feat. He
In great agony and during the day severe
commissions set in.
1t seemed to the surgical and medical
staff of the hospital that the man had little
Gallivan. chief of the surgical staff, an
operation was decided upon Immediately.
DR.. Gallivan said that the operation would
be a hazardous one and that he would try
a new method
With all the staff in attendance Miller
was placed on the operating table that
evening. DR.. Gallivan performed the oper-
alton. He first thoroughly cleansed the
wound on the foot and then made an in
cison on the left arm near the elbow. From
this was extracted a quart and a half of
blood. This method OF treating tetanus
patient was something new to the doctors
that were present. Antitoxin was injected.
as is usual.
Miller had lasped into Inconsistencies
after being seized with commissions some
time before the operation. From the day
he was operated on, October @, until Mo-
vember p, he was unconscious. Anti-toXin
was injected two more times during the
early part of this period. The man
kept alive by means of food in liquid form.
Interest in the Case.
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
conscious in the early morning and was
observed by a nurse to be attempting TO
stuff some of the bed clothing into his
mouth. He told the nurse that he was
ravenousy hungry 1t wasn't very long
after the bleeding operation by DIR. Calf
van that the contracted muscles began to
show signs of relaxation. and by the time
he had recovered consciousness he had full
control over his body.
The patient was allowed to 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 a substantial break
fast.
The case is considered something remark
able owing to the advanced stage of the
disease vixen the man was taken to the
hospital. His case was one of the sort thai
are ordinarily considered hopeless Or.
Gallivan refused last night to discuss The
case or tell where he got the bleeding idea
from. He said that he had been nvi.ei 10
deliver lecture on the operation before n
surgical body in this city and that until
then he would rot discuss the case.