Sophronia almost died, and Joseph went through a major operation directed by Dr. Nathan Smith. He was the only doctor at the time in the whole world who knew how to perform this needed operation, and he lived in the area. Joseph had a special mission to perform on this earth and the adversary certainly did not want him to grow to maturity, but the Lord intervened and performed a miracle. Through what Joseph endured we can clearly see young Joseph’s noble character, his courage, his love for the Lord, and his love for his mother and father.
Joseph’s Operation
After three weeks we sent for the surgeon who made an incision of 8 inches, on the front of his leg, between the knee and ankle. This relieved the pain in a great measure and Joseph was quite comfortable until the wound began to heal, and then the pain became as violent as ever. The surgeon was called again and this time he enlarged the wound, cutting the leg even to the bone.
As soon as it began to heal it also began to swell again and the swelling continued to increase until we deemed it wisdom to call a council of surgeons who decided that amputation was the only remedy. In counseling with them in another room so that Joseph could not hear the conversation, not knowing of their decision, I asked them what they planned to do about my son’s leg. They answered that they couldn’t do anything because after cutting it open to the bone that they found the bone to be so infected that they considered his leg incurable, and that amputation was absolutely necessary to save Joseph’s life.
This came like a thunderbolt to me. I appealed to the principal surgeon to try again, and this time cut around the bone and take out the diseased part to see if the leg will heal that his leg may be saved. I said, ”You will not, you must not, take off his leg until you try once more. I will not consent to let you enter his room until you make me this promise.”
After consulting a short time with each other, the surgeons agreed to do as I had requested and then we went in to see my suffering son.
One of the doctors, on approaching his bed, said, “My poor boy, we have come again.” “Yes,” said Joseph, “I see you have, but you have not come to take off my leg, have you sir?” “No,” replied the surgeon, “it is your mother’s request that we make one more effort, and that is what we have now come for.”
My husband, who was constantly with Joseph, seemed to see in an instant my intense anxiety written on my countenance, then turning his eyes upon his boy, all at once his sufferings came together and rushed upon him. He burst into a flood of tears and sobbed like a child.
The principal surgeon, after a moment’s conversation ordered, “cords be brought to bind Joseph fast to a bedstead;” but to this Joseph objected. The doctor, however, insisted that he must be confined, upon which Joseph said very decidedly, “No, doctor, I will not be bound, for I can bear the operation much better if I have my freedom.” Then,” said Dr. Stone, “will you drink some brandy?” “No,” said Joseph, “not one drop.”
“Will you take some wine? You must take something, or you can never endure the severe operation you must go through.”
Again, Joseph emphatically declined and said, “No, I will not take one particle of liquor, neither will I be tied down, but I will tell you what I will do – I will have my father sit on the bed and hold me in his arms, and then I will do whatever is necessary in order to have the bone taken out.”
Joseph looked at me and said, “Mother, I want you to leave the room, for I know that you cannot bear to see me suffer so; father can stand it, but you have carried me so much, and watched over me so long, you are almost worn out.” Then looking up into my face, his eyes swimming in tears, he continued. “Now mother, promise me that you will not stay, will you? The Lord will help me, and I shall get through it.”
To his request I consented and getting a number of folded sheets and laying them under his leg,
I left the house and went several hundred yards to be out of hearing. The surgeons began operating by boring into the bone of his leg, first on one side of the bone where it was affected, then on the other side, after which they broke it off with a pair of forceps or pincers. They took away large pieces of the bone. When they broke off the first piece, Joseph screamed so loudly that I could not stop from running to him. As I entered his room, he cried out, “Oh mother, go back, go back; I do not want you to come in – I will try to tough it out, if you will go away.”
When the third piece was taken away, I burst into the room again – and oh, what a scene for a mother’s eye to behold! The wound was torn open, the blood still gushing from it, and the bed was literally covered with blood. Joseph was as pale as death, and large drops of sweat were rolling down his face, and every feature showed the utmost agony!
I was immediately forced from the room and was not allowed in the room again until the operation was completed. When they were finished, and Joseph was put upon a clean bed and the room cleared of every appearance of blood and all the instruments that were used were removed, I was allowed again to enter.
Joseph immediately began getting better and from this time forward he continued to mend until he became healthy and strong.
When he felt well enough to travel, Joseph went to stay with his Uncle Jesse who lived in Salem near the ocean where the sea breezes helped him recover.
Having passed through about a year of sickness and distress, health again returned to our family. We truly realized our blessings and felt to acknowledge the hand of God in preserving our lives through the tremendous afflictions that we had passed through. We knew that the Lord had been with us all along the way.
End Notes: Joseph had osteomyelitis which is a bacterial infection within the bone and bone marrow of his left leg and ankle. Present at the operation were Dr. Nathan Smith, Dr. Cyrus Perkins and Dr. Stone and medical students making a total of 11 doctors that came from Darmouth Medical College. The standard operation at the time was amputation. The procedure of Dr. Nathan Smiths of cutting out the dead bone was not done anywhere in the world at this time. This method of surgery did not catch on until 1874 and did not become standard practice until World War I, over a hundred years after Joseph’s operation. Dr. Nathan Smith was a generation ahead of his time. After Joseph’s operation 14 pieces of bone worked themselves out of the incision as it was healing. Joseph walked on crutches for 3 years and walked with a slight limp all of his life. He began walking without crutches when the family started on their trip to Palmyra, New York. (“Joseph Smith Papers,” pg. 268, “Deseret News, Joseph Smith’s Doc Only Man Who Could Save His Leg”, July 12, 2008.)