The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-11-19
SURGERY CURE
FOR ALCOHOLISM
Texas Surgeon Develops an
Entirely New
Remedy.
RECORD OF II CASES
Makes an Attachment Between
the Stomach and the
Jsjunum.
RECORD OF IT CASES

New York. Nov. 1s-One Of the more
recent contributions 10 medical litera-
ture deals with an original method Of
treating chronic alcoholism The writ
er, DR.. J. W. Kenney. OF san Antonio,
Texas declares that the only means Of
curing alcoholics is by surgery. In
PROOF or his contention, he cites a
series OF cases so treated by him. as
sorting that in a majority of them
cure was effected His article, entitled
Operation for the Cure OF Chronic AlcO-
honsm," appeared in the current issue
OF the Texas Medical Journal.
DIR. kenney's method is 10 make an
artificial opening in the stomach, loop
mp the JeJunum "a part OF the intes-
tine), make an artificial opening In the
JeJunum, and unite the two artificial
openings. The operation Is called
CASTRO lelunOstOmy- Here are DR. Ken
ney's reasons for resOrting TO this Op-
GRAFTON;
'.First-Because medical treatment
fails in majority II not all cases. and
must necessarily continue 10 fail be
cause il does not remove the cause OF
the gnawing or craving for alcohol.
Second-Hecause the pathological
condition caused by alcohol is almost
Identical with pathological conditions
produced by other causes which are re-
lieVed By surgical treatment
THE drunkard in giving history OF
his case usually points 10 his stomach
as the cause OF his drinking. Very few
claim that the taste for liquor has any
thing 20 do with IT, In the stomach
win also be found the first evidence
that the phVsicai basis OF life-DrOtO-
plasm-has been injured, and the phys
zeal structure or that organ is the first
TO present pathological conditions.
1t has been proven that alcohol
stimulates the action OF the senses and
This supra normal condition is quickly
followed by tie mira normal, which in
dicates partial paralysis OF the nerve
ends and eventually OF the nerve cen
tiers.
"Continued repetition Of this process
results In hardening and partial paral-
ysis OF the muscular coat of The stom-
ach, and an iuflamed or liberated
condition of the mucous coat such
condition produces a Vitiated appetite
and impairs the action of the stomach,
which is the most important of the
digestive processes. To relieve TINS
condition, when produced by any agent
other than alcohol surgical measures
are demanded Why not apply the
same principle in the alcoholic case
Reasoning along this line convinced
me that all hope of curing a case Of
chronic alcoholism lay in a surgical di-
rectiOn. and ! resolved 10 try the Oper-
alton that / had in mind upon the first
case that would grant me the privt
lege. An ideal case soon presented il
self-a young man OF high degree, who
had descended to the lowest depths OF
salOOndOm, and had flOundered about
in II for several years, presented him
self with the request that l do some
thing for him.
After a two weeks preparatory
treatment. "A pOsteriOr gastro-jejun-
ostomy by simple suture was per-
formed upon him. He left the hospital
thirty days later This patient was
about IS years old and had been drink
ing FOR about ten years. During the
last three years business had so in
terfered with his drinking that he quit
business and drank all day and night,
consuming from one TO quarts OF Whis-
ky during the twenty-fOur hours. He
was one OF the best-known drunkards
in the city, and no one could remem-
her having seen him sober during the
three years preceding this operation,