The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-18
DR.. EN-. PRINCE VERY
Low IN BALTIMORE
Blood Poison From Needle
Prick While Operating
LEFT HERE SUNDAY
Telephone Reports From Baltimore
Last Night We're Such as to Cause
the Gravest Apprehension
for His Recovery

DR. f. NJ Prince is in critical condi-
tion at Union Protestant infirmary in Bal
timore.
That the widely known surgeon was
delirlous, with fever lowering around lOs
degrees, and. that his condition was gen
orally run down, which is contributing
to his serious lack of resistance, was the
grave information received in Birming-
ham yesterday.
So critical is the condition of DR.. Prince
that Mrs. Prince, Mrs. Charles DeBar-
deleben, her sister and Mr.. and Mrs
Henry DeBardeleben left yesterday aft
ernoon for Baltimore. DR.. Prince was
taken to Baltimore last Sunday, accom-
panied by DR.. Peters, DIR. Dawson and
Charles DeBardeleben for an operation
to be performed by DR.. Ffnney, the fa-
nous surgeon.
The unexpected gravity of his condi-
ton caused a telephone message yester-
day from Baltimore, asking that Mrs.
Prince come Immediately to Baltimore.
Accompanied by her sister and brother,
she left over the Southern railway yes
terday afternoon.
At the South Highlands infirmary, oper-
ated by Dr. Prince, DR.. Peters, DR..
| Moore ana associates, the COnultlo0 OIL
| DR.. Prince was admitted to be critical.
That blood poison, coming from small
| prick of the thumb, had resulted in a
generally alarming spread of the poison
and that scant hopes are entertained for
his recovery was admitted.
Rational at Intervals
| over the long distance last night at
| Z o'clock pr Peters informed DR.. Moore
that the only encouraging developments
of the day was the fact that DR.. Prince
was rational and at intervals appeared
to be himself and that his fever fuc-
tuated between the maximum that has
| been reached and several degrees lower.
| DR.. Peters over the telephone, 1t was
announced indicated that while DIR. Prince
was in most critical condition that
| all hope had not been abandoned. Sub
sequently a reassuring message was re-
| oeived from Dr. Finney, the surgeon who
| operated on DIR. Prince, saying that his
| condition was not such as to cause hope
| to be abandoned for his recovery. Dr.
Finney had previously been considerably
alarmed over the situation.
Sitting of Forearm
The serious condition of DIR. Prince was
not realized here or in Baltimore by DR.
Finney until yesterday. An operation
was performed Tuesday, which consist
ed of Sitting the forearm of the arm
affected by the poison. Whether the arm
has been amputated was not clearly un-
derstood here yesterday. 1t seemed to
be generally believed, however, that the
battle Dr. Prince was waging in Balti-
more was not SO much to save his arm as
his life.
The illness of DIR. Prince developed from
a most ordinary situation. according to
South Highlands inflrmary physicians
yesterday. He operated on five patients
one week ago yesterday Among that
number it is evident there was one badly
affected DR.. Prince pricked his thumb
with an operating needle. causing no
blood to flow whatever. The following
day he complained of serious bodily pain,
such as accompanies severe cold: also
a headache, as well as certain sore
ness in the affected thumb. He was
also taken with a severe chill while at
the telephone.
The thumb was swollen somewhat DR..
Dawson administered gas-oxygen to DR..
Prince while Dr. Moore split the thumb
both on top and beneath. A small guam
tity of pus was taken away. DIR. Prince
had in the meantime personally cut the
skin between the thumb and index fin
ger finding no pus. Friday night, or
one week ago tonight. DIR. Prince was
attended all night by DIR. Moore and
DIR. Peters, and at O'Clock he cOmpalned
of an intense throbbing in the wrist.
That caused the other medical men to
become apprehensive and it was suggest
ed that DR.. Finney be visited.
Not Serious Apprehension
Dr. Prince, accompanied by DR.. Daw-
son to administer the gas-oxygen; DIR.
Peters and Charles F. DeBardeleben left
last Sunday for Baltimore. No serious
apprehension was attached to the illness
of DIR. Prince even at that time. En-
route to the east the arm of the patient
was dressed every hour by the two ply
sicians that accompanied him.
DR.. Prince was born and reared in this
district. His father, physician of wide
acquaintance, died not long since. He
has several brothers and sisters in this
district. He worked as a boy and earned
enough money to educate himself. For
the past 10 years he has been considered
one of the most competent surgeons in
the south. He passed his thirty-seventh
birthday April 9 last DIR. Prince is wide
ly known by medical men In the east.
Recently the New York Medical acad-
emy invited him to address that organ
ization during the national surgical meet
ing, which he did, creating a very marked
impression. He is one of the few prom
trent surgeons who use gas-oxygen for
major surgical operations and has proven
ha FL nm