Year: 1873

We print below an interesting communica-
ton which brings forward novelty in syn
thetical surgery that has its lessons as well
as its uses. The operation of scalping is
pretty familiar to Americans. Practised orig
inally upon the crania of those unfortunate
persons who received their quietus from the
arrow or tomahawk of the noble red man, it
has been adopted in differing form by the
big chief of the pale face and is industri-
ously performed after q political battle upon
the fallen political fgureheads. In its modern
as well as its heroic form it is q painful opera
tion The Indians seldom performed it on
the live subject, but we believe o man has
been found on whom this was practised in the
true vivisecting manner Hs described the
sensation as firstly that of o ring of fire being
marked out around the crown of the head.
This was the result Of his Co
manche friend making circle with
his knife, cutting the scalp through hair
and cuticle down to the bone of the skull.
The next sensation was equal to the concen-
trated effect Of ten thousand cantharis blis-
ters applied to the circle already traced, ac-
companied by the sense of being lifted by the
crown of the head. The heat was that of q
reverberating furnace, the lifting power ap-
parently equal to that of the derrick Phs-
raoh might have used to put the apex stone
on the Pyramid of Cheops. 1t is not wonder
full that he tainted after Man-that- Walks
in-the-Sky had finally 'raised his har." The
political process is always performed tpon the
living, your political Comanche scorning to
take scalp which he cannot faunt in the
victims face. To be sure the act frequently
causes ON inAammatory brain fever, which
tends to shorten the days of the scalped poll
tician. Under it's influence he raves, stamps,
kicks, plunges and cavorts in way to make
him o nuisance generally. Everywhere that
two scaffolding planks or an upturned flour
barrel can be tortured into q platform
the scalpless patriot may be found
believing like Stentor in gothicized periods
and dancing himself into ecstasy with the
wildness of dervish. He wants his own
scalp back again or else he clamors for the
scalp Of one greater than he was. If his case
is hopeless, like the tailless fox of the fable,





condition. If his inner consciousness could
be reached it would often be found that he
would be satisfied with scalp much less
pretentious than the one of which he had
been so unceremoniously relieved He wants
scalp to cover his bare skull 1t may be
that his brain is sensitive to being left out so
much in the cold, but it is also possible that
he is afraid people, seeing his scalp removed,
will be better able to judge how little brains
his skull really contains. An official position,
it is well known, will often deceive people as
to the brain calibre of man, as a good coat
will deceive hotel-keeper about the purse
power of guest. The following case of
scalping is not exactly on either of the methods
above indicated, but the treatment after the
accident will suggest broad line of thought
to those who happen to come now and then
in the way Of scalpless politicians


NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, Sept. II, 1873
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD


For some time past a process in surgery has been
going on here, attracting much attention. During
the early part OfAugust Mrs. Ann Farley employed
| in Davies shirt factory, was unfortunate enough
to bring her head in contact with swlltrevoving
shaft. The set-screws caught in ner hair and al
most instantly her head was bereft OF its moving
locks and OF the flesh which prOpagated them. For


Time was Thought me poor must &


tratiOn followed the scalplng. Alter while, how
ever, the surgeons employed adjusted the scalp
succeeded in demonstrating that q scalp
once taken from the head, could not
The patient had ample opportunities during the
period following the accident to coincide with that
view The agony she , suffered cannot be told In
have the hair restored, and to please them she
submitted to the treatment in question The sur
geOns, Drs. Smith and Park, determined to do
what they could, and accordingly set at work.
They took small portions OF mesh from the arms OF
such as were wiling to make the sacrifice and ap
pied them to the mead OF the patient few days
suflced to cause them to knit and grow. This
operation has been performed over forty times


and the lady now has much more than One-halI a
scalp, with good prospects Of getting whole
pain attendant on the cutting is Insignificant, and
after an Irritation OF but short duration the skin
grows over the wound and Richard Is himself
again." Forty persons can point with pride to the
Uranium OF Mrs. Farley and say, "a piece OF my
flesh adorns that head" When flesh is wanted
the doctors advertise the fact and the rush, as
was witnessed Tuesday, IS immense. 1t is vet too
early to determine whether Mrs. Farley Will live or
die from tine g tiects Of her injury The operation
through which she Is now passing is a novel one,
was never before adopted here, and, by reason or
It's novelty, plenty OF applicants are daily found
general reconstruction Of the suffering patients
head. Yours &C., +. H. NASH.
We would hint that the rush to furnish
squares Of skin for many fevered and scalp
less politician would be heartily joined in by
all their friends. Whether it were pure SYM
pathy or desire to get rid of bore would not
matter. A good enough scalp would be
formed to soothe the placeless 1t might take
the shape of subscription where, as often
happens, money is oil that is wanted; or say
hundred people might agree to call an ex-
Comptroller President of the Park Commits
sion, where vanity was all that wanted feeding
The treatment would vary with the circum-
stances, and the positive good of silencing q
button-holing bore and an oratorical nuisance
would justify the sacrifice in any case.


CAUCUS OF THE Crowns IN BERLN.-