The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-17
TIN SHEARS FOR LANCET
Remarkable Operation Performed on
Chinaman at Sea. D.,
Hop Ling, Fireman on the .Sntsnina, Has
His Appendix ReInoved by
the Engineer.

New York City.-OperationS for ap-
pendicitis are common enough nova
days, but it is safe to say that the n
performed Oh Hop Ling, fireman
aboard the steamship Satsuma. just in
from Yokohama, is the most remark
able in the annals Of surgery. For a
pair Of tin shears did duty as a SUI
geon's knife, a redhot soldering iron
Sewed UP with q sail needle, and the
only, anaesthetic employed was a potato
sack drawn over the mans head.
Because Of ii. ali Hop Ling is alive
and we'll to-day.
Chief Engineer Brand relieved Hop
Of his troublesome appendix.
Neither the Chief Engineer nor Cap
tain Chubb had any p%remonitory warn
ings Of evil when Chop Suey. the cook,
came to them one morning and said
that Hop Ling was "velly sick"
me tink I'm die" said Chop when
he had made an end Of his recital.
Oneilook at Hop as he lay motionless
on his figured quilt below in the fire.
mems quarters showed that the cook
was not far wrong. Two or three of
the iremen off duty. who were abb
sorbed in their eternal game Of fantan.
said, yes, that Ling was "velly sick
man." and went on playing, for a.
Chinese are fataliSts.
And so if Ling was fated to die, he
would die; that was all. Far be it
from one of them. so they explained, to
NEEDLE in the affair. 1t would be sure
to offend tue joss.
Captain Chubb. however, took a less
fatalistic view Of the matter, and
~brusquely ordered two of: tre crew.to:
carry Hop on a board into the mess
room for the purpose of a more cOnven-
lent diagnosis.
81 am strongly of the opinion" said
he to the Chief Engineer, "that this
man is suffering from appendicitis.
We will now proceed to see if my sup
position is correct"
AYE, aye, SIR" said Brand. a bit
doubtfulIy. "It may weel be as We
say. sir, but I'm sair minded to think
it's mair likely he has an iugr0win' tu-
NOR, sir. Of the intestines."
1--WE shall see, we shall see" returned
Captain Chubb. shortly. "Mr. Pye-
croft, will you kindly oblige me with a
potato sack"
Gan hempty one. sir?" asked the be-
wildered sailor.
"Yes, yes, empty. of course" snapped
the Captain. 1--WE must have a bag Of
some sort to envelop the head. 1t is
always done in operations of this sort"
- hing, now quite assured that his last
hour had come, and accepting the end
with true Oriental resignation, was
laid out on the mess-table. and the
mysterious growth on his right side
carefully examined by Captain Chubb
and the Chief Engineer.
at Is as I said" the Captain an
nounced. triumphantly. 'The man has
an enlargement of the appendix" The
Chief Engineer said nothing, but it
could be seen by his contracted brows
that he was not convinced.
Looks to me, SIR" ventured Pye-
croft, 'like e 'ad swallowed a cocoa
nut, or some such thing. sir. but if you
says hits Is h%sppendicks w'ots tn
trouble with i'm"
1T must be removed at once" broke
in the Captain d%ecisively. "Pyecroft.
sbring the tin shears and 4 soldering
iron"
"A wot, sill? 2" gasped the sailor.
ga soldering iron." repeated the Cap
tain. : "The wound must be properly
cauterized. Get a sail needle and a bit
Of thread, too, while you're about it," !,
And so Ling was divorced from his
appendix, the Chief Engineer perform
ing the task with the same skill and
thoroughness he would have used in
making repairs on his engines. while
Captain Ckubb and the %astounded
Pyecroft rendered what assistance
they could.
When the last stitch was taken in
Hop Ling's side he was removed to his
Powered quilt again, whence he arose
after a few days of dreamy GONZALES
.cence to resume his interrupted duties
in the stokehOld.
All this may sound more like a medi-
cal Students dream than the sober
truth, but If you do not believe it, go
down to Pier SO. East River, where the
Satsuma lies. and ask Chief Engineer
Brand to show you the tin shears and
the soldering iron. Perhaps he will
even consent to call up Hop Ling, and
have him show you the scar On his
right side.