The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-06


 want"
 An operation on the living moth- CT was impossible, because, though she was doomed, she would have died instantly of shock, and, tech- nically, Judge Kalodner ruled, the operative surgeon would have been liable.
 Painful Wait Went On
 So the painful wait went on tiny, white room furnished only with a cot where the unconscious woman, wasted but young looking despite the fever that was burn ing her body, lay still, her nerves deadened with opiates, dying by inches and a chair in which a nurse sat waiting. Now and then, pr. Corbitt came in and took her temperature, counted her pulse, lis- tened through his stethoscope to the sturdy heart beats of the child. He had made arrangements for the operation in the adjoining room, but as the mothers temperature mount ed, the equipment was moved into the same room to save the precious seconds when the time came.
 Shortly after 3 a. m. this morn- ing a nurse ran up to Dr. Corbitt in the corridor.
 Come quickly, doctor"
 Speedy Work of Surgeon
 He ran into the room. The mother had died an instant bfeore. Another nurse had summoned his assistant, Dr. Sally Yourgman. The body was lifted onto the operating table. The table of sterilized instruments, gauges and towels, was wheeled in. Rubber gloves were slipped onto the powerful fingers of the surgeons, masks were adjusted, a nurse lis- tened to the baby's heart-beats pounding through the mothers dead body. Sixty seconds later, the baby was born.
 Mrs. Boccawsini was 27 years old, a native of West Virginia. She had been tubercular anal frail for years and had been a patient in the hos pital charity ward before. Men ingitis developed and when she was taken to the hospital she was in a dying condition.
 She and Boccawsini had been married several years. From his small income, he had had to pay great deal for doctors and n1edi- cines for her. By a previous mar riage, he has two children. 1sa- belle, 12, and Serge, 10. The girl lived with the family, but the boy is in Catholic orphanage.
 Caesarian Operation
 The Caesarian operation is sur- gically termed a section" It takes its. name from the legend that Julius Caesar owed his birth to 1t. It has been practiced on dead mothers for centuries and Roman law prescribed it for every woman who died in an advanced stage of pregnancy. The first recorded in- stance of its use on living woman was in the 18th century, and 1t was performed many times thereafter, but almost always with fatal results to the mother from either sepsis or hemorrhage.
 Modern surgical technique-par- ticularly the introduction of asepsis has greatly reduced the mortality rate and the operation is not un- usual. s.'t
 We are going to feed her with tube, but we won't attempt to until later this morning." Dr. Cor bit said. She will get a solution of five per cent sugar, eight per cent salt, and water.
 A tiny oxygen tent, which the doctor made of x-ray film, was placed over the baby's head. Her temperature had fallen to l04 de- grees several hours after birth.
 She will be moved to Children's hospital which is more fully equipped to care for her, later to. day if she is strong enough, the surgeon said.
 Father Hopes For Baby
 Boccawsini was told of his wife's death and the successful operation to save his baby, by a hospital mes- senger.
 T am glad that the baby is a girl" Boccawsini said. T hope she will live, now that Mary is dead. We will try to make home for her, my older daughter and me. She is l2, but she can keep house."
 Yesterday, Boccawsini said that the doctors would have to find a home for the new baby if she lived.
 Boccawsini did not go to his lab- orer's>job in sugar mill this morn- ing, but instead asked the hospital to send his wife's body to a funeral home in North Philadelphia. He went there to pray at the bier, and left his new daughters first hours entirely in the doctors, care