Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-12-18
Surgery Made Painless By
Use Of StOvaine.
-FOUR SEVERE TESTS MADE
Flve.Year-oId Boy Operated Upon For
infantile Paralysis While Perfectly
conscious-FeIt No Pain-Great
Surgeons Saw Tests.

A little boy. less than FIVE years
cid. lay on the operating table al the
hospital of the New York Society for
the Relief Of the Ruptured and Grip
pied In New York. Around the table
were fifty physicians and surgeons.
among them the best known of their
profession.
Jonnesco. the Roumanian surgeon.
stepped up to the table. smiled reas-
suringly at the little chap. patted him
on the shoulder and gently turned him
on his back The needle of hypoder.
mic syringe glittered for moment In
the Roumanian's hand. He pressed the
point Of II into the boys back. low
down on the spinal column. The boy
flinched and the medical men looked
at each other. Jonnesco waited less
than two minutes. then bowed to DIR.
Virgil p Gibney. retiring to give DR..
Gibney elbow room.
DR.. Gibney. celebrated orthopedic
specialist. took hold of the boys right
foot and began to use the knife. II
was a case OF infantile paralysis. The
boys right leg was crippled and use
less. II was necessary to make lncis-
ions around the Achilles tendon and
stretch IT, In such cases ether Ia
used customarily for the operation Is
so delicate and painful that complete
analgesia must be obtained to prevent
movement on the part of the patient
and to do away with suffering
While DR. Gibney's hands moved
swiftly and surely. the medical men
talked among themselves. watchin
the hoy. who lay perfectly conscious.
his face covered by towel. Professor
Jonensco spoke rapidly In French. en-
planning this or that phase Of the op.
Grafton as ii was connected with the
uses of his anaesthetic. Occasionally
some one, DR. Gibney or Mr.. Soutzo.
Professor Jonnesco's associate. spoke
to the boy. Once he was asked:
How do you feel?"
There was perfect stiffness In the
big one ating room. The surgeons
waited intertly for the boys answer.
"All right" said the boy. his treble
mufiled a hit by the towel over his
eyes and face.
do you feel any pain?"
at doesn't hurt at ALL" said the boy.
II feel fine
Jonnesco smiled quietly. triumphant.
ly. The medical men glanced around
at each other again. Some OF them
as was 10 he seen easily. were enthu-
siastic. Others shook their heads a.
If still In doubt
After about twenty-five minutes the
operation was completed and the
wound bandaged The little boy was
carried back TO his cot They took the
towel off his face. The surgeons look
ed to see If there were traces OF pain
there or signs of nausea. There wasn't
the slightest indication of suffering or
sickness. The child was smiling at
DR. Bennett. the house surgeon. He
seemed TO be quite at his ease and in
the full possession OF all his senses.
That was the first of four cases al
the Hospital for the Relief OF the Rup-
tured and Crippled. in which Professor
Thomas Jonnesco. who discovered how
a combination of strychnine and sto-
vaine may he used as a local anaes-
thetic safely and painlessly while
the patient remains perfectly con.
scious. demonstrated the uses of his
application. His demonstration was re.
garded as a brilliant success by most
Of the surgeons present