GLASS IN HER LUNGS. A Young Lady's Life Saved by a Daring Surgical Operation—Part of a Rib Cut Away to Facilitate the Work.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 200, 23 April 1887, Page 3

GLASS IN HER LUNGS. A Young Lady's Life Saved by a Daring Surgical Operation— Part of a Rib Cut Away to Facilitate the Work.

Medical circles in this city have again been startled by the remarkable operation of a bold surgeon, cays the Cincinnati " Enquiror "': It consisted of laying open tho chest, cutting into the lung and removing a foreign body ; the patient recovering. Abdominal surgery has become an every-day occurrence, but the procedure has never before been attempted. Tho chest cavity with its contained organs is a constant bugbear to the doctors. The patient is a young lady of about 20, the daughter of an Eastern stock-broker. When a child at play she was thoughtless enough to put a coloured glass bottle in her ii'outh. By some sudden motion or j< r the glass was broken, and part of it went into her wind-pipe. A violent lit of coughing ensued and small bits were expectorated, but from the symptoms manifested it was evident that a portion of the glass still remained in her throat. Severe hemorrhage onsued the next day, and was only checked by the most energetic measures. .The bleeding occurred the next day and the next, each time threatening to terminate fatally. At the end of a week the flow of blood was stopped, and the child showed signs of improvement. Its appetite returned and its usual fondness for play was seen, yet at times in the midst of its frolics the little one would stop, put her hand to her chest, and give evidence of themo.st terrible suffering. It \\ us hoped the child would outgrow the affection, a.s it was believed its condition was due to disease of tho luno*-. At the age of six years, however, the child had an attack of spasmodic coughing, which lasted about ten minutes, and terminated in the expulsion of several pieces of glass as large as the end ot a lead pencil. At this time sin* again nearly bled to death, but this was averted, and sho immediately grew bee tor. Her I convalescence was rapid, and in a month's time she was able to start foi school. She made satisfactory progress in her school work, and at last graduated, at the age of seventeen, with high honours. One year later a hacking cough appeared,accompanied by loss of flesh and strength, impaired appetite, pallor and all the accompaniments of ©arly consumption. The doctor in attendance wns firm in his belief that this was the malady so rapidly carrying her to the grave. Medicines were given, but without avail. One day while the physician was examin ing her a small red spot was noticed on the left side just below the arm-pit. It was veiy tender on pressure, evidently containing pus. The idea at once struck the doctor that a piece of the glass swallowed yeaiM before miglit have lodged in this spot, and after so long remaining quiet, had begun to make its presence known. With the con«ent of the young lady and her friends preparations were made for an operation with the view of finding out the cause of her disease, and, if possible, remedying it. Tho patient was etherised at 11 o'clock in the morning. Forty-five minutes later the operation was completed. After thoroughly cleansing the part with antiseptic solution, the knife wa> inserted just beneath the pit of the arm and dun* n downward two inches. A large quantity of offensive matter escaped. On introducing the finger into the wound a cavity was found as large as a small orange. This was lined by a very tough adherent tissue. At the point could easily be felt the sharp edge of a piece of glass. It wa,i impossible to extract it through the opening made without endangering the adjacent tissue. Consequently about one and a half inches of the rib opposite "was sawed off, thus giving the surgeon a good view and permitting the manipulation of instruments. The piece of glass \\<is attached so tightly that it had to be cut loose by curved scissors. Little or no bleeding occurred, however.