Medicine: Electric Knife

The inventor of a brand new way of operating on the gall bladder and the bowels with no risk of peritonitis is Dr. Lester Ray Whitaker of Boston. Last week Dr. Whitaker was in Manhattan telling the Academy of Physical Medicine of his latest surgical trick. For both operations he uses hot electric knives which sever, sear and sterilize.

As his electric knife cuts through the bowel it shrivels the severed ends, leaving them looking like the puckered ends of sausages. Thus no infectious intestinal material can leak into the peritoneum. After Dr. Whitaker removes the diseased segment of the bowel, he brings the healthy ends together and darns them in such manner that the burnt tissue lies within the passageway of the bowel. In 24 hours the burnt tissue sloughs off and passes away. The bowel no longer is obstructed, and in three weeks the patient is as well as ever.

Removal of an infected gall bladder, which is inextricably fastened to the liver, is simpler with the electric knife. After Dr. Whitaker cuts away all loose parts of the gall bladder, he sears the remainder in its liver bed. Thus he effectively prevents damage to the liver, dangerous hemorrhage, and dripping of infectious material into the peritoneum.