The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-03-29
Young Hero Undergoes Trans
fusion to Save From Effect
of Burns.
EXPERIMENT A NEW ONE
May Enlarge Chances for Recovery
in Many Cases Where Victims are
Seriously 1njured-No Longer APP
ply Oil to the Raw Membrane
Use Sterile Sheet and Erect Tent.

All romance holds no more fasci-
mating story than that of the advance
of the science of surgery.
Few of us but can remember the
universal wonder excited by the first
operations for appendicitis, and few
of us but have since experienced the
selfsame operation. We have watched
the missions dwindle until now the
operator merely makes an incision of
three quarters of all inch and the pa
tent is often up in week.
The eyes of the whole world turn
today upon the great Johns Hopkins
Hospital at Baltimore, and daily in
this institution marvelously trained
surgeons perform some operation
which marks another advance in sur
gerry.
Blood TRANSMISSION to save victims of
burns from dying before skin grating
can be attempted is one of the newer
experiments being made at the Johns
Hopkins Hospital
1t has been tried successfully in the
case of Miss Frances Jacobsen, who
was badly injured when her clothing
caught fire from gas heater.
Her ls-year-old brother, Andrew,
went to the hospital the night after
the accident and gave about a pint OF
blood that his sister might live. Two
days later he gave another pint.
Hope for Recovery Now.
Miss Jacobsen was taken to the hos
pital in a critical condition. Slight
hope was entertained for her recovery,
but her surgeons decided to attempt
to save her through the TRANSMISSION
of another persons blood. Although
research work along this line had been
done at the hospital, the experiment
had never been made.
Some doubt was felt as to the sue
cess of the operation. but it was seen
that it offered the only chance of life
until she had recuperated enough to
undergo skin grating operation.
That she is still alive is declared evil
dence of the operations success.
Entire Family Volunteers.
When the surgeons announced that
they would perform TRANSMISSION in an
attempt to save Miss Jacobson's life
the entire family volunteered. Her bro
Their was selected, taken to the operat-
ing room, where he lay on the table,
fully conscious of what was being
done. and allowed the surgeons to
make an incision in his wrist. In it
was placed a silver tube, which was
connected with a blood vessel in his
sisters arm.
The boy stood the operation with
out murmur. Although weakened
he was able to 60 home the next
morning. His sister showed improve
ment, but on the following day it was
found that another TRANSMISSION would
be necessary, and the family was
again notified. .
"Let me do it," was the plea of the
youngster when his father and sister
offered to make the sacrifice He
pleaded so earnestly that they con-
scented.
May Save Many Lives.
In speaking Of the case. noted
Johns Hopkins surgeon said that the
TRANSMISSION of blood in such cases is
looked on to save many lives.
"Two-thirds of those who are Sc
verely burned" he said, "die because
there has been no known method of
keeping them alive until skin grating
can be attempted. This is generally
delayed, owing to the critical condi-
ton caused not only by burns but
by shock. We have been experiment.
ing at Johns Hopkins Hospital to de-
termine if blood TRANSMISSION would be
of benefit and have concluded that it
will be. This case is proof that our
experiments have been successful, |
believe.
1--WE have also discovered that it is
better not to apply oil to the burnt
surface, which was once the method
Of treatment before skin was grated
We now place our patients on sterile
sheet and erect tent over them, fol
which We use another sheet. 1t is thu:
unnecessary to apply linseed or an,
other oil, which causes needless pain
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
ASKED FOR.