Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-28

Concerning Recovery of Distinguish
 ed Patient-Family~ Physician Called
 New York, Feb. 2S.--Thomas A. Edi. son is in critical condition at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat hospi- tai, 210 East Sixty-fourth street.
 A second operation on his ear, follow. ing the one of last Sunday, was per. formed to relieve an infection of the inner wall of the mastoid cells. The operation was performed by Dr. Arthur B. Duel, and Mir. Edison regained con, scousness. but his condition was SC serious that. last night his wife, son and daughter were at the hospital with him. His family physician, Dr. J. H Bradshaw of Orange, N. J., also was al the hospital throughout the night.
 After the mastoidal operation had been performed yesterday Dr. Duel is sued the following statement: :. Possible" Is Substituted.
 "A second operation was performed on MT. Edison owing to the fact that an infection had extended back into the old mastoid wound. He was seen in consultation by Dr. J. F. McKernon Dr. W. Gill Wylie of New York and Dr. J. II. Bradshaw of Orange. While MT. Edison's condition is grave, it is possible he will recover"
 Just how serious Dr. Duel considers his patients case may be gathered from a correction in pencil in the type written bulletin posted by him in the hospital office As first written the bull letin read, While MT. Edison's condi ton is grave, it is expected he will re cover." The word expected" was scratched out and the word possible written in with lead pencil in the cor rected copy.
 A Secondary Infection Sets In.
 When taken to the hospital last Sun day, Mir. Edison was suffering from ar abscess in the middle ear, believed te have been brought on by the grip. Te relieve the tension caused by the swell ing Dr. Duel opened the abscess, and MT. Edison apparently recovered en tirely. On Wednesday, however, it was found that the patient was suffering from a secondary infection of the mas toidal cells. The second operation, en tailing cutting through the mastoid process behind the left ear, was deemed necessary.
 Three years ago Mir. Edison under went similar operation, and the trou ble which made it necessary had nevel entirely abated. He has been deaf fol seven or eight years as the result of constant experiments with the violet ray.
 Calls Other Specialists.
 Dr. Duel performed the first opera ton on Sunday in the hope of relieving the patient and making any further treatment unnecessary. When ht found a second operation would bt necessary he called other specialists into consultation, and they were pres ent and assisted in the operation.
 Mrs. Edison, who has been with hel husband throughout the week, was al the hospital when the operation was performed, as were the son and daugh ter.
 Mir. Edison has been very weak all week, but he recovered readily from the effects of the anaesthetic and recog nized the members of his family and the physicians who were in the room.
 Before leaving the hospital Dr. Due said the patients condition was seri ous. but he added that there was every hope he would recover.
 Growth of Trouble.
 Although MT. Edison had been grow ing deaf and had been troubled with pains in his left ear, it was not til three years ago that he found it in cumbent on him to submit to a sur gical operation.
 His own opinion at that time was that his condition had been brought about through constant experiment with the violet ray,r His eyes had been thrown out of focus, and he suf fered from Jumps in his chest. which he declared none of the specialists ht had consulted was able to relieve. Two of his assistants. working with him ir the laboratory, had suffered from tht violet rays to such an extent that ons had to have his arm amputated, while the other had two of his fingers taken of.
 The epoch making inventions of Edi son include the stock quotation ticker automatic telegraph. qusdruplex tele graph. telephone transmitter. incandes cent electric light. electric pen, phono graph. kinetoscope. microphone, mag netic ore separator. mimeograph, co bait storage battery and one piece con crete house.