In the St. James Hospital, Chicago, an immense operation was performed last week. It was the largest case of acute appendicitis that has ever required the attention of a U. S. doctor. The operator sliced through twelve inches of fat; the patient was removed from the table by means of the hospital derrick. She was Edna Karnes, professional fat† lady.
† Another phenomenon of adiposity died in Los Angeles last week. He was Theodore Valanzula, who three weeks ago was side-showing at Coney Island, N. Y., as “Tom Ton, 960 Ibs.” He had begun to get fatter, felt miserable, wanted to see his wife and three children. So he took a baggage car across the country. Home, a baggage truck transported him from train to hospital, where the institutional derrick hoisted him to bed. He had gained 100 pounds in the fortnight of illness. Doctors say his mortal half-ton died of myocarditis, dropsy and suffocation of the heart.
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