OPERATING ON THE HEART.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 4, 6 January 1916, Page 3

OPERATING ON THE HEART.

The British Medical Journal describes an attempt to remove a bullet from one of the chambers of the heart which brings out very clearly the insensitiveness of the organ to direct stimulation. Operations on the he'art are sufficiently rare to be of general interest; the record of cases in a short one, the record of successes shorter still. For this reason the attempt marks a period in surgical knowledge, even though, the operation with only partially successful, and the patient died four days later. The operation wag performed under

a local anaethetic —eucaine with 'adrenaline—and the heart was exposed. No wound could be seen, but on examination by the surgeon’s finger the vbullet was felt at the back of the heart, either in the muscle or in the chamber of the right ventricle. It was noticed that manipulation of the heart caused the patient no pain or discomfort of any kind, though the organ occasionally missed a beat, and this in spite of the fact that the anaesthetic had been injected only into the skin and muscles of the chest wall. The bullet was grasped, and was then felt to be inside the chamber, so 'an incision half an inch long was made in the heart wall and the bullet removed with forceps. Stitches were inserted. The heart was quite strong in action up till the time of de'ath. There is a record of the removal of a bullet from the right ventricle of the heart —where it had lain five months —by a French surgeon; and this operation was attended by permanent success. The point of chief interest elicited by the operation is the insensitiveness of the heart to direct stimulation. The organ was manipulated freely wtihout affecting its contractions or causing the patient, who was conscious throughout, the slightest pain or discomfort.