The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-12-14
100
DIR. SWEET.

WINleE Wy WIN L. N"''iSo"' w lax Ao
orator, while absent from his editorial
post, contain such important facts,
that | believe editors, especially in that
region, would confer a favor on commun-
ity by passing them round. And think.
ing that some who read this paper may
possibly be benefited, l deem 1t best 10
publish the following. The deaf, dumb,
and blind, have gone from this State to
New York and Connecticut for aid !; and
if DR.. Sweet is what he is represented TO
be, it is possible that some who may be
seriously manned, may go to Franklin
CT, for surgical aid. l would then say 10
each reader, peruse the articIe-you will
find it interesting, whether you receive any
other compensation or not.
FRANKLIN, O., Oct. Is, lS43.
My DEAR FRIEND:
Having stated, in my last letter, that |
was about proceeding with Mrs. Garrison
to Franklin, Connecticut, from North.
ampton, for the purpose OF Obtaining The
opinion of Dr.. STEPHEN SWEET, the
great natural bone.selter,' losing this
term as significant of something not to be
Obtained in the school of sulgery,) re.
spectlng the nature OF the injury done 10
her right arm by being thrown out of "a
vehicle Two months since, l will now
give you the result of our visit to this
place.
Alter driving our carriage to the top Of
a high hill in franklin, (trom which is
seen one of the finest prospects in all N.
EngIand0 and not knowing where the
object OF cur search resided, | hailed a
man who was industriously al work with
his scylhe in a field near the roadside,
and asked him whether he could tell me
where Dr.. Sweet was to be found. Il
am the man. said he. Then you are
the man l want to see, l replied. We
were quite fortunate 10 finding him at
home,-for we had come at a venture,--
as he is constantly sent for in all direct
ions, by those who are acquainted with
his extraordinary skill in all dislocations
and fractures of the bones. We drove up
to the door Of his house, IA large, misshap-
en-, ~anliqua!ed dwelling and soon intro
duced ourselves TO him, aud were in turn
introduced 10 his family, consisting OF his
wife and a troop ofchildren, some of whom
are already beginning to prove that, in
the work of bone-setting, as well as In
ether particulars, they are ito use a home
ly but familiar illusLration,) chips OF the
old block
You will recoIlect that our physician at
Northampton decided, that the injury
done 10 Mrs. G's arm was a fracture ofthe
coronoid process of the ulna, at the elbow;
and that, for about five weeks, the arm
continued to grow worse, instead of better,
wilhou, his discovering his error. For.
tun0tely, our anti-slavery friend, DEED,
Hudson, who was absent from the Com
munily' at the time of this accident, was
induced to look at the case. After a care
full examination, he stated that, in his
opinion, there was a dislocation, but no
evidence of any fracture, and advised US
to procure forthwith the best surgical aid,
as it was then a difficult affair. This led
us 10 consult Dr.Sweet, as our first choice.
AS soon as the bandags was removed, on
taking a single glance at ,he arm, without
touching it, he said it was a plain case of
dislocation. The humerus, or fore arm
bone, was driven ont of its place, and lay
over the radius and ulna more than an
inch. There was no fracture. This
was the third or fourth case he had been
called to remedy, of precisely the same
character, within a short time, every one
of which had been ignorantIy treated by
the attending physician as a case OF trac-
ture! What d satire on the Boosted
science OF the schools He declined at
tempting to reduce the dislocation at that
time. on account of the great suffering
that must unavoidably be inflicted by such
a harsh operation, but prescribed the fire..
quent application of his liniment to the
arm, for some ten or twelve days, in or
der to soften and elongalo the contracted
cords aud tendons; at the end Of which
period, we again visited him. Seven
weeks had now elapsed since the accident
happened; during all which time, ossif-
cation had been going on around the low.
er part OF the humeruS, thus tending to
bind it firmly 10 the radius and uIna, and
also in the socket, from which the humer-
US was driven. This is always a formi-
dable obstacle in replacing dislocated
bones, as every surgeon knows. DR..
Sweet is not a man 10 make any flourish.
es, or to boast of his skill. Ga asking
him at onr first visit. whether he tbourht
he could effect a cure, he simply replied,
Il have never yet failed to do so, in a
similar case but | can tel! better after |
have made a trial. Every thing depends
on the ossificalion that has taken place,
as nothing else lies in the way have
now tho unsneakahla satisf,ction tn inform