The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-09-24
SMOKES WHILE.
THE SURGEONS
AMPUTATE LEG
Smiling Jimmy" Keath Contin-
ueS His Fight against Phys
iCal Disabilities.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23.-The
grit OF Spartan and smile that de-
hes death have smashed through
another victory for Jimmy" Keath,"
The young Philadelphia physician who
has won fame because he refused to
quit in a seemingly hopeless battle
with fate, DR.. James w. Keath, with
a twisted back, that was broken two
years ago; with a stump where his left
leg was amputated year later; with
a doctor degree, won in spite of untold
suffering, has just sacrificed his re-
naming leg to the surgeons knife
and Is glad Of it. Jimmy" didn't take
an anesthctic. He smoked Cigaret
while watching the surgeons operate
They had TO go above the paralyzed
part TO make the operation effective"
he explained, but ior two years that
blamed old leg has been in my way
and was mighty glad to see 1t com
ing off. When | crawlcd into bed
there was my paraly2ed leg behind me.
Somebody had to put it to bed. too.
When ! crawled into my chair, there
was my leg behind again, waiting for
somebody to help 1t along. would
rather take chance even though it
is slim one. Anything is better than
that helpless leg"
With the second amputation, al
though it leaves him a lcgless man,
Jimmy Keath has begun what to him
is his greatest ilght-thc fight which
he hopes some day will enable him to
walk. The odds are 100 to one against
him.
Thinks He VIII Fool Them.
1.-THE doctors don't seem to think
that | will ever be able to swing arti-
fetal legs" he said. "They think my
stumps will be too weak to carry
them,' Then he grinned. But I've
fooled them before
II was in April, 1914, that Keath fell
three stories from the window of his
fraternity house and broke his back.
30 one ever thought he would live
that is. no one but himself. He had
married only short time before and
was determined to practice medicine.
lie did live though his left leg had to
come off, because it became infected.
Both limbs had become paralyZed as
the broken back healed.
Racked with pain, bed-ridden. he
struggled through his books. Final
examinations came and he passed At
commencement he was wheeled by his
classmates TO the stage of the acad-
envy of music and received his diploma
as physician. Then he went to his
home at charlottesville, Pa, to prac-
tiCe, but the pain drove him back to
he Jefferson hospital.
Studied Ills Own Case.
Week after week he studied his own
case He would wheel himself about
the hospital. medical book in hand,
diagnosing himself Finally he be-
came convinced that his remaining leg
should be amputated. Surgeons ar
gucd the danger of Infections real
dnngnr he is now facing. and even
more serious than the operation itself
tut Jimmie" had his way.
Il had a theory abou, that leg" he
said My theory was that IL it was
anpuiated, say three-quarters OF the
way up the thigh. life would return
to the stump rs it did to the old
stump" And he thumped the stump
in question up and down under the
bed-clothos to emphasize his meaning.
when life returns 10 this right leg l
can get artificial legs. ! have been
reading about them. They have ac-
complished wonders with them. I've
simply got to get ont and work. Mrs.
Keath has stood by me through thick
and thin. She and the baby need
me-