CAREFUL SURGERY. Operations Upon Children in the Roosevolt Hospital.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 243, 25 February 1888, Page 3

CAREFUL SURGERY. Operations Upon Children in the Roosevolt Hospital.

Dr. Henry B, Sands performed two inter, eating operations recently at the Roosevelt Hospital. He was assistod by Drs. Hall, Hartley, Huntingdon, and Tuttlo, and the surgical staff of the hospital. Over a hundred medical students and practionors were present. Dr. Sands entered the amphitheatre clad in a long black gown, reaching nearly to the tloor, over which was a white operating gown. He was followed by his assistants, and a stretcher, carried by two of the hospital orderlies, upon which lay a little girl of 4 years and 6 months. After the child was placed upon tho table the doctor turned to the students and said : "Tho case beforo you is a very marked ! example of gonuralgum, or knock knee. ! There is no history of rickets, and yet the i intor/erenco between the knees is so groat as to make walking difficult. " ! Tho doctor then called upon Dr. Hartley to operato upon the case. Taking a scalpel, Dr. Hartley made an incision three in6hes ! long, running up the leg just above the knee. Then taking a chisel and mallet, he cut a small, wedgo-shapod piece from the bone, after which the leg was easily brought into line. The wound was then dressed with antiseptic gauze, and the leg placed upon the hard rubber splints and cased in a plaster of Paris dressing. "The next is a curious case, said the doctor, "as it involves amputation of the leg in a child only eight months old. The child was brought to mo some weeks ago with what I thought waa tubercular swelling on th© l«=ff» jusfc in front; of and below the knee. I sent the case to Dr. Hartley, in the Outpatienb Department, for treatment. After examining the case, he came to the conclusion that the swelling was cancerous. Dr. Hartley thon sent a small portion of the growth to Dr. Pvoosevelt, the pathologist of the hospital, who pronounced it sarcoma. After gaining the mother's consent to do as I thought best, I decided to operate, promising to save the leg, if possible. The child's life is at stake, and I I must do what I can to save it from further i invasion of tho disease." I The child was then carried in by a nurse and placed on a table, where an assistant administered ether to it. As soon as it had become unconscious the doctor carefully examined the swelling. "This ulcer," said ho, "appeared suddenly four months after birth. I think there is little hope of saving the leg." Taking a scalpel, he made a deep incision in the swelling, which he examined with great care. "The tumor extends deep into the tissues and appears to be subperiosteal," said he. Taking a knife, he amputated the leg about two inches above the knee, and after carefully tying the arteries with catgut ligatures he Bewed the two sides together. "Thi3 is the youngest child upon whom I have^ performed the operation of amputation," said the doctor. "I am suro the child will get well." The next case was that of a boy 8 years old who three years ago swallowed some strong lye. Two years ago he was brought to the hospital suffering from stricture of the oesophagus. He was unable to eat and was slowly starving to death. By the use of cesophagical sounds the stricture was dilated, and last summer tho stricture was cut by Dr. Hartley. After gauging the size by means of different-sized bougies, Dr. Sands introduced an instrument carrying a concealed knife and divided the stricture. The boy winced, but did not seem to mind the operation much.