The Washington herald., 1908-06-22
OPERATE ON LUNGS
WITH SAFETY NOW
German Surgeon Finds Way
to Keep Patient Alive.
REDUCES THE AIR PRESSURE
Places Subject in Glass Cage Where
Vacuum Pumps Are Used to Reduce
Quantity of Atmosphere-Thus the
Lungs Do Not Collapse, as When
Operation In Performed in Open.

New York. June 2l.-An experiment
which cost a dogs life was performed az
the Rockefeller Institute last Monday.
Among its results may be the saving
OF many human lives In this country.
BY reason OF the civil war and the num-
Der OF men therein wounded. the United
States gave 10 the world many opportu-
mites in the advancement of surgery.
but nowadays America is again going TO
Europe for many of the newest develop
ments in the science. and 1t was from
Europe that the men came who operated
at the Rockefeller Institute. The opera
ton on the dog, which was for the pur-
pose Of demonstrating the possibilities Of
new method IN surgery. devised in Ger
many. was performed In the presence Of
4 considerable group Of physicians and
surgeons OF New York. who were very
much interested in the demonstration.
Briefly. the purpose OF the new method
is TO enable operations IN tho chest cav
lty. Operations within the urea OF the
chest have been beyond the skill Of the
surgeons. in large part. FOR tho reason
that the opening Of the chest cavity sudi-
cienty for free operation work resulted
in collapse Of the lungs from the atmos-
pherlc pressure.
Lack of Breath FatnI.
The patient died for want Of breath.
For years the profession has studied
how best TO narcotize the human patient
when It was desirable TO operate on the
chest.
DR.. Ernst SauerbruCh, professor Of
surgery at Marburg University. Germany.
devised a method 10 lhis end. and early
last week he arrived IN New York 10
demonstrate his method al the Rocketel-
Ter Institute He brought with him an
assistant and a cagellke operating room.
built largely Of glass. which IS the es-
sential vehicle OF his operations. lie re-
! mained in New York only a week. and
departed for Germany on Saturday.
=
which Prof. Sauerbruch works, IS about
four or five feet square ard not quite
high enough for a six-foot man 70 stand
upright in It.
Dr. Meltzer. in talking of the demon
strauon to-day. said that no pressure.
as the doctors call IT, IS neces-
sary for the function of breathing in
Mas. o,1 c,bo- o,gr,ore. - otno- ,,r,-7,
q pressure less than the normal pressure
of the atmosphere from which the lungs
are normally protected by the walls Of
the chest. In studying the problem. DR..
Sauerbruch evolved the idea of a glass
inclosed operating chamber. enabling The
production OF a partial vacuum. yet per-
mitting sufficient air for the operators 10
live and work In H.
Reduces Air Pressure.
The normal atmospheric pressure being
76O milhmeters, DR.. Sauerbruch found
that a dimlnution Of eight or ten mill
meters was sufficient for his purposes;
that with the air pressure reduced 10
that degree. the lungs OF animals could
continue their function. though unpro-
tected by their natural shields. In his
operation chamber the air is 50 reduced.
The pressure is kept down by an exhaust
pump. which is constantly working, and
a new supply OF fresh air is admitted, un-
der control all the time. passing into the
chamber through a wash bottle" or
filter. The operators and the body OF the
thus in a field Of purified. diluted air. The
head Of the patient. or subject. protrudes
through a hole in the chamber wall into
a normal atmosphere, a rubber guard
closing the aperture between the patient S
neck and the perimeter Of the wall open
ing So the patient is breathing normal
air al the time and so is the assistant
who administers the anesthetlC.
Chest Does Not Collapse.
Under those conditions. DR.. SauerbruCh
found that the chest could be opened
without a collapse Of the lungs. The dis
covery. therefore. enables operations in
desperate cases on the lungs, or. for OK
ample. in cancer Of the esophagus, which
heretofore has been inaccessible 20 the
surgeon. because as soon as the thorax
was opened the lungs collapsed.
DR.. Sauerbruch and his assistant at the
Rockefeller Institute gave their demon
stration on a dog provided for the pur-
pose DR.. Sauerbruch announced In ad-
varce that after the operation he would
XIII the dog by chloroform, after showing
that II could live within the chamber and
| live after the excision of a part of the
| lungs. and he did so.
Another operation was performed on a
dog part Of whose intestine was cut out
aud the ends OF the remainder Joined to-
gcther by silver coupling. which IS de-
scribed as a new invention to do away
with the need of sewing up IN such oper-
ationS.