New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-09
IMPROVED SURGERY.

The following interesting article appeared
N recent issue of the New York Tribune.
On July 3 flames Demsey was oiling q
printing press, when the foreman, not know
ing that he was there, started the machiu
cry. Demsey was caught between two
levers, and before the press could be stopped
his right upper arm was badly broken. The
flesh was lacerated, the worst wound being
behind. The ends of the bone Of the upper
arm protruded from the anterior wound,
making very bad compound comminuted
fracture. Demsey was taken to the Park
Hospital, and there, after consultation,
the surgical staff decided that the arm
must be aInputated at the shoulder Joint,
or the patient would die.
The supervising surgeon, DIR. William z.
Fluhrer, dissented from this opinion for the
following reasons: There was great lacera-
tiop, but no important artery had been di-
Vided; the wounds were opposite and would
drain each other; the injury was to the
right arm, and the boy being the only sup
port of his widowed mother, the loss of his
right arm would deprive him of the mean
of earning livelihood even if he recovered,
and the liberation was so extensive that
at would be impossible to obtain flap large
enough to cover the surface exposed by the
proposed amputation. DIR. James L. Wood,
the chief surgeon, decided with the ma
jUrity Of the staff, and DR.. Fluhrer's obec-
tions were overruled. He, therefore, went
to the relatives Of Demsey and told them
that it had been decided that he must lose
his arm. Ii the arm was not at once taken
of Demsey had no possible chance to re-
cover, and he might die even in that case,
but he would at least have another chance
Tor his lie. The surgeon added that he
would expect their decision at p NJ.
At z. NJ. DR.. Fluhrer went to the hos
pital prepared to amputate Demseys arm,
not expecting that it was possible for the
relatives TO come to any other decision than
to acQuiesce in the opinion of the majority
of the surgical staff. They, however, re-
fused to permit the arm to be taken off, and
Demsey said to DR.. Fluhrer, "Why can't
You save my arm the same as you did
Johnny Jordan's9 l had as soon lose my
Hle as my right arm, and l will abide BIZ
the consequences if you will try and save it
for me- Demsey was determined, and
could not be moved to have his arm am.
qutateG; so the surgeons concluded to do
their best.
When DR.. Fluhrer was house SURGEON in
bellevue Hospital, he and the others of the
surgical stan were very enthusiastic upon
the subject OF fractures, and great deal OF
study was spent to improve upon the old
methods of treatment. Dr. Fluhrer con.
tended and demonstrated that a mathemat-
ical line running through the axis of limb,
cav the leg from the body to the foot, NAV
be length ened, shortened or bent This can
he readily seen by hexing and extending
the leg, and watching the changes in the
line of ones pantaloons. When the leg is
fixed the line in front is Heightened. that
behind shortened, and that running through
the centre bent This made basis for fu-
ture experiment. ANY fracture is a solution
of continuity. In fractured limb the line
il changed and takes other directions than
are found in sound bones.
DIR. Fluhrer believed that any apparatus
that compelled the line to remain i'll fixed
copdition-that is, SO that it could neither
be heightened, shortened, nor bent-must
restore the continuity OF the limb, and
cause immediate union of the fractured
bones. He took several long strips OF tin
or zinc and punched holes in them at dis
lance of half an inch or SO from each other.
These strips could be of any required
width. In a fracture of the bones OF the
leg three or four of these strips, about a
quarter Of an inch wide, would be laid upon
the front of the leg, and the same number
behind, extending from the thigh to the
foot. Counter extension could be made by
q simple upright post between the legs, and
a Glove hitch about the foot, running to
pulley. A plaster or starch bandage would
then be applied and the moment the ban.
dags had passed above the point of fracture,
the leg could be let 60 with perfect safety,
and no motion of the line could be as
Before using these strips it was
necessary to wait until the plaster should
harden. about an hour, before the patient
could be placed IN bed and made comfort
able. This was great step in advance,
and this new. and admirable, method of
treating fractures was considered so impor-
tant that photographs Of patients, showing
che msthod OF applying the -bandagee and
stiipe, were semitic the Vienna Exposition.
The cases were photographed in Bellevue
Hospital. and represented tie new applica.