The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-27
PUPPY SKIN ON CHILD.
FROM MANY SOURCES
USED TO SAVE NEGRO BOYS
LIFE.
Skin From Members of Injured Men
And White Woman Used in Graft
ing Operations.

enough skin to save the life Of a ne
gro boy who had lost three-quarters
of his skin by burning.
1t is an axiom of surgery that the
loss Of two-thirds of the skin dooms
the person to death.
In accomplishing the remarkable
result the surgeons used skin from
puppies and from white men and wo-
men.
For eight months surgeons have
worked hard to save the life of lit
tie Raymond Howard, the 9-year1old
adopted son of a colored preacher.
Now they believe they have succeed
ed in accomplishing one of the most
remarkable feats of skin grating
ever attempted.
When the doctors saw the boy July
4, after he had been terribly burned
in a gasoline stove explosion, they
had no hope of saving his life. He
was taken to hospital, where un-
successful efforts were made to heal
the wounds. but the doctors managed
to keep the child alive until Septem-
ber l, when all hope seemed gone.
With all the skin off his back. legs
that were raw from his knees down
and his right arm devoid Of cuticle,
the child was admitted to the City
Hospital. Having been unable to lie
upon his back the boy had become
bent almost double from being in
a sitting position so long. His case
seemed so pitiful that the doctors
took more than usual interest in IT.
1t seemed hopeless. but the doctors
decided they would attempt to graf,
skin.
In the practice Of medicine 1t is
generally understood that a person
who Is blistered over two-thirds of
the body has no chance to live. The
colored boy was blistered over three
quarters Of his body and over two
thirds Of his skin was destroyed.
The first thing the surgeons did was
to straighten the lad out. They placed
him under an anaesthetic and straight
ened his little legs and body. which
had become so stiff they could not be
moved without subjecting the child
to agony. He was so weak that he
scarcely lived through the first oper-
alton.
Then little puppies were robbed of
skin to be used for covering the
wound on the childs back. Pieces Of
puppy skin were placed in spots SO
that they resembled islands. The skin
took hold. and soon new skin was be-
ing formed.
Encouraged by their success, the
surgeons went searching for more
skin. piece OF skin taken from an
amputation In the case Of a white
woman was next tried. That, too. ad-
hered to the wound on the back and
some OF 1t was placed on the arm and
the legs. But skin was scarce. and
the surgeons had to search for a
great deal more to be able to save the
lad.
An unfortunate white man had his
foot crushed. The skin from It was
grated to the boys legs and 1t grew.
and finally colored man met with
similar accident The skin from his
crushed leg was used for the boy. and
gradually the wounds are being COW
ered with new skin, which, while
not entirely his own, will carry the
little patient through life IL the sur
geons are successful in their work.
The work was far from easy. The
child needed constant dressing and
when the doctors had hardly more
than started the skin-graf:'ng opera
ton he again assumed the sitting DOS
ture. Once more he was put to sleep
and Strengthened out. But as soon as
good quantity OF skin had been
grated the little boy began to eat
and from a mere skeleton he is now
fat and happy.
AS soon as they can get the boys
back covered the doctors say the fight
VIII be won. Indeed. they already re-
gard 1t is almost won, for they speak
OF seeing the child leaving the hospi-
tai In the spring. But when the child
Is able to lie on its back they feel
they will have a better opportunity 70
work on his legs.
So far they have had wonderful
success with the legs. AS soon as the
skin was placed on them the legs
were put In wire cages" The "cages"
were built about the legs and ronas