WONERFUL SURGICAL OPERA TION

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 165, 6 April 1871, Page 6

WONERFUL SURGICAL OPERA TION

Th -re lives in this city a voting lady nun. !il Liczze lhvineham. Some voars'

a^o, when she was but a youiij girl., s'io wa-i attacked vvit'i an ulce ration of the face, w u'i'S entirely destroyed her lmse, upper lip, and nearly all the ad-ja-ent bon 's. By the tima that toe ravages of the disease were arrested she was the most hideous beinjf that was ever gazed upon. Her eyes ;ind forehead were visi •!<•». but in place of her mouth ami nose there was a larsre unsightly hole, in which the raw and purple fl' i sh was visible away into the throat. None could look upmtJier without turning away in horror. Her parents were poor, and she was compelled to leave her home. She sought labour, as she was aide and willing to work, but her presence was so disagreeable, on account of her terrible affliction, thct she could not. obtain a situation. About four years ago sho r o md herself out of employment, wiih no home. She was advised to <;o tot'^e poor house. Despair and wretchedness seein-d to be her lot. Shunned as she was by society, and abondoned by all, her sensitive nature vv is r.vc ;ed hy torment, and she seriously contemplated suicide. Jtift at this time, a fiiend suljnested to her that probably Dr. Wright of this city, might be able to remedy her deformity, and improve the appearance of her fa'-e. With te.irs ill her eves and with but fiint hope, she ealL'd up >n him. At first the Doctor fc iou cht it a hop »less c. is », hu v , 1101 10 des-poii-liit r :m I drsj) liriu ,' con Union of the girl's mind in luivd hi'ii to ta!ce the case under sr>ii.>us consideration. Fie consulted w'fli Dr. J. M. Rainey, dentist, in re. a -.1 to the feasibility of supplvinr teeth an I the upper jaw, which had been entirely eaten away. After examination, Dr. liiiii'V thouiht he would be aide to sup| ly the de-fic'en-v. Dr. W"i^ht then determined to cut t upon the work of making a new face for the vounj; worn. in.

T ie first business was to supply nn u:vK't' iij). T.'is whs an ex<'cedin_ilv iiffi'-ult operition. T'le disease h:ul not only destroyed the lip, imf it h a- 1 resulted in tbe he.»lin.j p:o -ess, in connecting the fl-»tu of each chock to tbe stub of the upper jaw-bone, in an uniritur.il niiiun i r. It w/is necessary t-> cut tip flesh loose from the bom 1 upon the insi le. After this was done, nn.l the W'unJ healed, a piece of flesh was Ink on from to hack, part of the check ;in<l t aispharel to form a lip. T iis was a mist extraordinary operation, hut wa; completely successful.

Tie lip being formed, tbe next step was t) supply a nose. Tin's required several 0; orations. A piece of flesh was taken from the forehead in such a manner as to scarcely leave, a sr-ar, and brou ;;!it < o vn, and made to irrow wher.) th • no^e shoul 1 be. Other pieces w'M'e taken from ea -h cheek, and applied in the same inanii"r.

It wis n j eessary that months should intervene between each operation, that the parts mi'.r^t become pc "fei-tly healed. The different operations were eminently successful, and the work is now complete- Dr Riinev has supplied the lertli ani a bridg? for the nose, which holds it out in the natural manner. A stringer now meeting her would ne.ver imagine that she wis oive without a uosg or an upper lip. She would j)ass in company without any speci.il observation 011 account of any deformity.

We regard this ca°e as the mostwon lerful anl interestin r in the annals of surgery. Dr. Wright has already won an enviable fame us an eminent surgeon, but tbis case gave him pre-eminence. Dr. Raitvy is also deserving of the greatest credit for the skill an I iujfen lity displayed in his part of the,, work, and both gentlemen aro entitled to the highest praise and warmest thanks of the public for their generous and invaluable services to this poor and almost friendless young woman. — Canton (III) Register, Oct. 18.