Wonders in Surgery

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 August 1916, Page 3

Wonders in Surgery

* UMULHti I>iSJjlGtilEl> i'ALiv wonders iiia,D transcend all ltiwgii..; • tion are being performed 111 luance iu. wounued and aisligured soldiers. Here, lor example, writes tl. i l '. rrovost ixutersby from tlie .British headquarters in Jj'-rauce, is a case where nothing remains below the tragic eyes but a gaping wound that reaches d.eep iruo tinneck —nose, palate, tongue, teeth, jaw, and all are gone. No man who ii:n I iso .seen himself could have wished to live au instant longer; it seemed indeed unlikely that lie could survive such injuries. Vet to-day' that man, save lor an honorable sear, is not noticeably d.iffereut from hi.s lellowmen. Hi.-, nose was rebuilt, skin from his neck being taken to recover it ; an an " ■ ial pi.l.ite worrying a row of teeth, supplied a foundation over which hT.gmontis of the upper lip were gathered, grafts belli-; gradually added to restore the shape. W'liut. was left of the lower jaw was -.trctehed forward and dirawn togctl.;.. the missing bony framework ivus !> i; l ' up. ficsh was moulded upon it, and both skill emtl lip restored. The man van chew now even rul.oii b:.aid, thanks to a pair of handsome eyes, lie is still noticeably like wn at he once was audi his new 110.se k •rcr-l-jiiily an improvement. In another instance a man had received -a "shell slap" 111 the lace ih:,6 is, a graze irom -an uuexpiotse.; shell—which had removed both hir> iii.s teeth and the front of his Jowei jaw. After a jaw and lips had been remodelledi and the teeth u>u; skin from the .sculp above the ear »> gri fted to the new flesh and an excellent moustache produced, which eIK . ; ually screened any possible seams in the mending. The ease of an officer may lie mentioned who was discharge,! from 'i«<!>it;>l so diisiigured flint he darel not -how his face, unable to masticate, having been kept alive for sixteen niou."> in which lie had lost five stoii". bv liquid poured through <i tube. II" i*. now in a hospital, his leoKr. r«*ti>:v • to him, and eating so heartily !• npjielite has to he restrained. Ainii'b • • :>ven sadder case of disfigurenieM.. ivho used daily to beg doctor* nur.-es to put him out of hi* mi-cry. law just written front j-.nglund that li ■ s engaged to lie married and the mppiest man alive. At homo most laudable ittrwj lave been made with tinted m tiring hack some human seuiblai'eo mutilated faces, to .save them from t 1 : ■ shrinking of those for wh< :u they

.>.i.«uiou, out the mail's u\vu luiu 01 ill ic..;ai«.s, aua his luo - liinl/ UJ OtiU Ox iLiiil and his luixovvb u/m cci'i.: 0 ao tie j-leiu, wiici'u Jiaiuic i£> Aiiaa. tiiO iiU i ui Ui« - ... lUiiUi l'L'iiivi,*..;. J litU i'U i.i« iuuii aie even pruud ox luc wuiii<<. uicir wun vnaiuy Juia pui lorinca. uuu ui ilium fijcciiit'U (jUJtcU claiiN by Liie rciieciiou Unit) Jjo was now vnvw jiili; Willi what- liati oiico ucon a ru> ; ;ijh aiH.'Llu-]- tiiMt ills ia-tuai appeara-m*' litwl beeu greatly improved by a piow oi liio sliin bone. i'or it is iioces&JJ-.* to usli living flesh to iii! in tiic gaps and that floisli ui' bou-e iiu<- Lo be taiiCi irom tiic patient's body, ti double operation being tints required, wimsometimes extends the length oi n several hours and makes more rettwi liable the lesultfi attained, seeing tna such patients have as a rule snlu severely i'roiu shock, -and their v resilience has been lowered by the <' oulty oi' feeding them.