WAR NOTES

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 1 May 1917, Page 2

WAR NOTES

SEVERED ARM REPLACED

OPERATION ON AN EX-SOLDIER

London. A man who is working at the Royal Mint has been the subject of one of the most remarkable operations ever performed. His asm was cut through completely in two places, and a portion was taken out. The severed arm was replaced, and the limb is now in working order. The man is David Ballantine, a son-in-law of Mr James O 'Grady, M.P., and a former lance-corporal in the East Surreys. He was seriously wounded in the fighting at Loos in September, 1915, and lay out on" the ground without water or food for four days and four nights. A shell fragment had smashed a part of his upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow and cut into his body, driving ouc a portion of his ribs. German machine-guns rattled over him as he lay. Sometimes lie was unconscious. .Subsequently he was taken up by the Germans and made prisoner, and sent into Germany. There he was in •hospital for a time, and eventually was sent home with a batch of wounded prisoners and brought to Millbank Hospital. He was discharged from the Army as physically unfit for further military service. His case was brought to the notice of a distinguished surgeon at the Middlesex Hospital, who took it up, and about four months ago performed the operation. He cut the arm through in two places, above th e elbow, and removed a portion of the arm, bone,

sineAV and all. Then he joined up the arm again, and flic operation was so successful that, although the arm is shorter than the other, he can use it to some extent. ' He can take up a cup of tea for instance, with that arm and raise it to his lips.

He has the piece of bone that belonged to tli e portion of the arm that was removeli. He keeps it as a souvenir. He is not capable of heavy labour, but is back at his old place—the Mint —where he has light work.