The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-01-06
WONDERS OF MEDICAL SCIENCE.
Patients Chat eas Surgeons Operate
By New Anesthetic.

A little boy, less than years old,
lay on the operating table at the hos
pital of the New York Society for the
Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled,
to-day. Around the table were fifty
physicians and surgeons, among them
the best known of their profession.
DR.. Thomas Jonnesco, the Rouma-
nian surgeon, stepped up to the ta-
BILE, smiled: reassuringly at the little
chap, patted him on the shoulder,
and gently turned him on his back.
The boy smiled bravely back at the
surgeon, and the New York medi-
cal men leaned forward trile,
watching integtly. -. T.. *.. r.
The slim needle of a hypodermic
syringe glittered for. moment in
the Roumanian' hand. He pressed
the point Of it into the boys back,
low down on the spinal column, and
injected his new .anesthetic, a solu--
tion of stovaine and strychnine. The
boy finched and the medical men
looked at each other. Jonnesco
waited less than two minutes, then
bowed to Dr.sVirgil P. Gibney, retir-
ing to give him elbow room.
DR.. Gibney celebrated orthoped-
is specialist, took hold Of the boys
right foot and began to cut away the
flesh with the knife. 1t was a case
Of infantilei paralysis. ., The boys
right leg was crippled and useless.
It was necessary to make incisions
around the Achilles tendon and
stretch it. in such cases ether is
used custonarily as an anesthetic,
for the operstion is so delicate and
painful thatScomplete analgesia, or
insensibility b pain, must be obtain
ed to prevent movement on the part
of. the patieG, and to do away with
suffering. ...'
Boy Feels No Pain.
While Dr.f Gibney's hands moved
swiftly and surely, the medical men
talked amoY themselves, watching
the boy, whd lay perfectly conscious,
his face covered with a towel. Prof.
Jonnesco spike rapidly in French, ex-
planning thisor that phase of the ope-
ration as it was connected with the
uses of his nesthetics. Occasionally
some one, Di Gibney, or Mr.. Soutzo,
Prof. JonneGo's associate, spoke to
the boy. Ore he was asked. =.
Chow do sou feel?"
There was perfect stiffness in the
big operating room. The surgeons
waited intenlly for the boys answer.
1t was so qdet that the cries of the
newsboys onsthe street came uproar-
iously throukh the windows. :;
Cali right said the boy, his treble.
mufaed a BIT by the towel. over his
eyes and fac.
'Do you feel any pain?"
"It doesn't hurt at ALL" said the
boy. 81 fed fane."
Jonnesco3 smiled quietly, trium-
phantly. The medical men glanced
around at each other again. Some
of them, d was to be seen easily,
were enthusiastic. Others shook
their head as if still in doubt.
twenty-five Minutes Operation.
After about twenty-five minutes,
the operatbn was completed and the
wound bandaged. The little boy was
carried bask to his cot. They took
the towel sf his face: The surgeons
looked to lee if there were traces of
pain therefor signs of nausea. There
wasn't the; slightest indication OF
suffering on sickness. The child was
smiling at Dir. Bennett, the house sur
geon. He eemed to be quite at his
ease and insthe full possession of all
his senses. - -.r - = ~. '.~ ..
That wassthe first of four cases at
the hospitaIin which Prof. Jonnesco'
who discovfed how combination OF
strychnine and stovaine may be used
as local aaesthetic safely and pain
lessly whilelthe patient remains per-
fectly conscious, demonstrated the
uses of his application.
His demonstration was regarded
as a brilliant success by most OF the
surgeons PRESENT. They hesitated
generally toexpress opinions for pub
lication at This time, but the major
ity were evidently Of the idea that
Jonnesco has made good.
DR.. William J. Mayo, OF Rochester,
Mimi, attended the demonstration as
the special guest of Prof. Jonnesco.
Dr., Mayo Vas so impressed that he
invited the. Roumanian scientist to
visit the West and demonstrate his
diecoverv apd nr JonneScO accented