Young Child Gets Pig Eye, Corneal Transplant

1914

Operation in Baltimore Hospital the First of Its Kind in United f States.

Baltimore, Md. — What is believed to be the first operation of its kind in this country was performed at a local hospital when the cornea of a pig's eye was grafted on the sightless eye of a three-months-old boy.

It was said that previous operations, in which rabbits' eyes had been used, were unsuccessful, but that experiments with pigs' eyes had led scientists to believe that they were more adaptable. Two cases are said to be on record where the grafting of human cornea gave sight to totally blind eyes.

In the operation the pig was chloroformed, the eyeball taken out and the cornea cut from it. An extraordinarily fine needle and fine silk were used in sewing the cornea in place. The eye will remain bandaged for about a week.


How to Wed Happily

1914

Princeton, New Jersey — "To assure happy marriages all applicants for marriage licenses should file declarations of intentions a month before the license is granted," said Prof. R. M. Ross, in a lecture on social economics.

Noted Surgeon Produces a He-Hen

Causes Biddie to Grow Spurs and Crow

The experiments of Dr. Victor D. Lespinasse of the Northwestern University in tinkering with the sex of the common hen and his demonstrations before medical experts have aroused the interest of chicken growers.

"It was a simple enough operation," explained Dr. Lespinasse; "just the transplanting of the interstitial glands of a rooster to a hen. But the result was surprising and perhaps no one was more surprised than the hen herself. Within a few weeks she began to develop all the characteristics of a chanticleer.

"She grew a comb and wattles. Saddle feathers appeared next and finally a pair of spurs. She took to strutting pompously about the barnyard, lording it over the other fowls.

"Instead of cackling, our near-rooster would essay a feeble kee-a-kee. A full sized he-crow is about the only think that's lacking to complete her -- or, I might say, his -- roosterhood."

The he-hen is now on a farm in the suburbs of Chicago.

In further experiments with animals, Dr. Lespinasse succeeded recently in producing "Siamese Twin" dogs. These didn't live long, but were perfect specimens.

In his laboratory, just at present, he is working on the ovae of pigs, attempting to bring forth a baby pig without the usual formalities.

"Lower forms of life," says Dr. Lespinasse, "have been produced from germs. It ought to be possible to produce the higher forms."

--The Saturday Blade, Chicago, May 22, 1920, page 7.