Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-08
MAGIC OF THE KNIFE

VXTAsHINGTON Aug. A few months
wv plate printer employed in the bureau engrav-
" ing and printing at Washington hurt his
thumb The injury appeared slight and he neglected to
attended until bone felon formed which
greatly interfered with his work finally did
medical attention it looked if the thumb
would have to be amputated Instead, however,
suggestion of his physician, he entered the polytechnic
hospital in Philadelphia where his thumb
by a unique method Unscientihcally speaking a piece
of was from the right side of his abdo-
and nodded into thumb which for prac-
teal purposes is good the old To be sure,
there are few things to be desired far the
sculpture is concerned and the digit lacks a certain
natural fexiby but the important remains that
the printer has a thumb with which to resume his
work
With surgery in this high stage of perfection joy
riding and the handling of high explosives begin to
their terrors for suggest the possible
of changing certain facial characteristics that
tend to mar our beauty: Many people constantly
irrated by the shape of their instance and
if these could be mashed into pulp and then scup-
tored by the plastic surgeon at the gen.
slice of double chin, accident insurance COM
panies would be compelled to go of business In
order protect these last brisk upo-date bust
concerns from bankruptcy. however should be
stated that the substituted anatomy is always
beautiful. and during the process of manufacture
something of nuisance.
Thus the printer who was given a new thumb was
to the mind the victim of somewhat har-
rowing experience. First they cleansed his thumb
thoroughly they made incison in his abdomen
to the flesh several stitches. Here stayed
several days, until had grown fast to his body after
which 1t separated by the knife and the skin
nodded the thumb contour The cavity left in the
abdomen taken of by another skin grating
operation In the case of face wounds, however this
of impossible, since, unfortunately.
nature made adequate provision for grating the
face to anything but the neck.
Plastic surgery has been practced less
indinerently throughout the ages. One occasionally
reads of some italian of the sixteenth century
who was exceptionally sklful in building cheeks
and noses and many remarkable tales have come from
the beauty parlors. plastic today is
ing the lives Of half the wounded of Europe owing
60 tb great amount trench fighting which is taking
mace in this war; the majorit CT the wounds he2d
wounds and the surgeons of Europe are daily per-
forming surgical feats in fact construction That are
little less than miracles.
Moreover some of the greatest of these surgeons
~ Americans that If the war ever ceases we nave
: ITO bunch of medical talent coming back to US The
Ols Ambulance hospital at Neuilly, France, is
,oyr throughout Europe for its expect surgery and
e. che lowest mortality rate of any hospital in any
~ II Is housed large French school buildings
which were Just completed at the beginning of the
w. and is under the authority of the French govern
on+ hut II is financed and run by Americans. The
ost diaicult surgery are handled here 1t has
ms the most remarkable dental departments in the
rld opera singers and portrait painters for orderes
nd certain very famous woman portrait painter in
Of the hospital supplies who is using her talent
n the invention of mechanical appliances for the sur
qeons in making their operations
The surgeons themselves have ceased to be
nrsed at ingenuity in reconstructing what is
rS.,rnonIv termed in the cannon fodder"
Ona man was brought into the hospital not long
with hardly any face left at all. His cheek had been
shattered by of shrapnel four inches long and
.uo inches wide, which in passing had fractured
law dtslocated his teeth and planted few in his
nalata and had loosened both jaws. He mme-
5ateIv hustled into the dental department. where
natal bands were made to support his jaws and a
bridpe-shaped bar extended from side side. which
also held of teeth improvised by the dental