THE MAGNET IN SURGERY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue XXII, 20 November 1897, Page 686

THE MAGNET IN SURGERY.

A young laundress thrust a broken needle into her right hand while washing clothes. The needle having disappeared in the flesh, the surgeon. who was consulted several days atter the accident, refused to perform an operation, fearing lest he should l>e oblige*l to make a large number of incisions amid the ligaments of the articulation. Two months afterwards the girl lost the use of her right hand, and the least movement of the fingers caused her exquisite pain. Drs. Gorinewski and Cerestin then determined to extract the needle with the aid of a magnet, drawing it into a fleshy region w here an incision could be made without danger. To cause this movement they chose a very feeble electromagnet. But a difficulty arose ; the needle having entered joint first it would have to l>e drawn out backward, the broken part in advance. The first trial lasted two hours, with short intervals for rest, without appreciable result. Before the third trial, the girl said that she felt a pricking in the palm of the hand near the place where the magnet had l>een applied ami where the needle ought to appear. At the ninth sitting, finally, the needle ajqieared lieneath the skin and came out whole, broken end first, without pain ami without loss of blood.