Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1878 — AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE. [ARTICLE]

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Transplantation of Human Skin—Sisters of Charity {jiving Skin, Flesh and Blood to Save a Patient's Life. [From the New York Herald.] An exceedingly remarkable surgical operation has recently been performed at St. Catherine’s Hospital, Williamsburg. On Friday, Aug. 3, 1876, while Dora Conrad, of No. 340 Mangin street, was attending a jenny in Waterbury’s bag factory, in Bushwick, her hair, which was hanging loose, caught in one of the spindles, and in an instant the hair and scalp on one side of her head were tom out. It was done so quickly that she felt only a tug. Tho overseer took her to St. Catherine’s Hospital, on Bushwick avenue, where the doctor# said they could not do anything for her. Two days after the physician in charge said, “lean save her, and if she can stand the operation I can give her a new scalp by transplantation.” The operation of transplantation of skin is an exceedingly delicate one, and has been but recently introduced into surgery as a remedy in cases of open wounds. The ghastly injury inflicted on Miss Conrad not only tore off the scalp, but destroyed a portion of the periosteum. No hopes were at first entertained for her recovery;* but as the days wore on her naturally good constitution enabled granulation to begin, and flesh commenced to form. Taking advantage of this the doctor took two pieces of Dora’s own arm, and cutting them in small pieces, grafted them on the periosteum, about a quarter of an inch apart, and in a row about a quarter of an inch from the line of the lower edge of the wound, holding them in position with small strips of plaster. In a few days minute ramifications extended from these little grafts to each other and to the sound skin, which gradually increased until they bridged over the space between them, and new skin was thus produced. This operation was carefully repeated during the seven months the girl lay in the hospital, the grafts for the purpose being freely furnished by Sister Dolorosa from her arms. Sister Joanna, another of the faithful nurses in the institution, also furnished material for grafts during the operation. The doctor was so skillful in his manipulations that every piece of skin grafted took root, and the entire skull was again covered with a firm, healthy, but hairless soalp. There are spots bereft of feeling; they are those connected directly with the skull, the periosteum having been destroyed just there. There was danger of the upper table of the skull dying in these places, but, fortunately, the oil dressing prevented that. The case excites much interest among the surgical profession.