The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-03

ID Sf41'ins operouons, surgical eoenoo is aiming
to repair every physical defect OF the human BODY
The gratis commonly taken from animate
br m some cases portions OF dead human body or
some part OF an injured human organ. may be used
to advantage.
Astonishing progress has beer made within A. tsv
years In this ane OF surgical scence The latest achieve
mena Is the grating Of the cornea OF a n,rs .x. 1,
place OF the Injured cornea Of human eye
me patient was David Kane. the nlne-monthsold
ohhd OF Herman Kane Of Gettysburg Pa He had been
blind from birth as result OF infection which had
caused tho cornea transparent part OF the eve TO
thicken and become Opaque An operation was per.
formed on the right eye by which the outer portion
OF the thickened cornea removed. This produced
partial restoration OF sight The left eye could not
be dealt with In this manner and remained hopelessly
blind.
DR.. Floyd 3. Whitman. young surgeon Of the Baltl.
more Eye. Ear and Nose Hospital. undertook to per.
form novel operation on little David Kane to restore
the sight Of tho left eye
Dr. Whitman decided TO use pigs eye IN the oper.
alton on David Kane The pig in the structure OF MANY
Of Its tissues and organs is said to bear closer re-
semolance to human being than eny other animal
This Is said TO be true especially pigs eye The
little boy ds in fact to-day able to see with the pigs
eornea and great hopes felt that the success will
DO permanent.
The cornea-iike the other parts of tough s1obular
tissue containing the machinery Of vsion-is composed
held together by cementlike substance These layers
are merged into the layers OF the sclerotc coathe
larger part the eyeoalls covering. tough onaons
membrance which COMPLETES the r1oba sor aau
10 where the optic enters the and merees
Into the nervemenlbrane coating inner surface OF
the g1obetissue. which Is called the retina
Underlying the sclerotfc the cornea as far
forward as the elastic ountan containing the pupil and
called the dris Is network of muscular tissue contain.
Ing arteries veins and The main portion OF
The eyeban from the retna forward is filled with Wit.
reons numor-a transparent Jeyllke substance which
susains Its form, and through which the light entering
through the pupil Is filtered upon the retina.
Resting upon the OF vitreous back OF the
tris-bGe thin-edged. thickin. the-mddle cork in
ooeteuis the Transparent. hard carti?aglnous
Lens with two convex surfaces Between outer sur.
face OF the lens and the apex OF the a cham.
iris with its pupilcentre floats. thckening opacity
Of the that light shut out from the eye
thoroughly aseptlc and then placed under ether The
cornea of his eye removed with circular trephine
by the surgeon and placed in normal salt solution.
ready for when the human patient should be ready
The pig was allowed to die under the anesthetic.
the child The entire portion OF the patients
eyeban "es exposed BY clamps which held back the
delicate. revolving knife the surgeon made circular
ncision several layers deep little to the front OF
were entirely dead Wthou, much difficulty they we're
peeled off, much as one would peel off the skin OF
onion.
The circular ncsion was deepened. and slowly. with
Infinite care more layers Of the scared. horny sub
stance of the cornea were peeled and cut away. BY
the time that half the thickness OF the had been
removed became evident that quite number OF the
innermost layers were uninjured What remained OF
the tissue was now transparent: underlying and
blood vessels came into view and at the apex the dark
ened pupil OF the plainly visible Another very
delicate circular nclslon the careful dissection OF an
other thin Of layers and the patient prepared
for the latter half Of the operatonstil delicate but
requiring much less time
The pig. conea. precisely measured. had been dis.
sected down to its innermos layers Deity the sur.
geon lifted 1t with his dorceps and placed It. like tiny
cup bottom upward the eye prepared to receive
It. Gentle pressure glued the Two wounded surfaces TO
each other Only thin. almost imperceptfble circle
OF vertical cleavage showed that there had been any
operation on the babys eye, but the apex of the
cornea the pupil and the Iris were clearly visible
Granting successful healing process. the patien.