The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-12
DEFORMITY OVERCOME.
AN INTERESTING CASE.
a child Six Years Ola, Amicted with
Crooked spine, IL Strengthened
In Thirty Minutes.

z ''S''~~N~
Bourbon and Royal would proceed to straight
On, by a modus ope.cndi never yet tried here,
the crooked vertsbral column of young child,
six yeare OF age.
This ntarea ting surgical operation took place
before number OF eminent physicians. among
whom We remarked DIR. Gaudet. and his
nephew n young and promising physician.
and DR.. Ttudeau.
The urrss was also we'll represented. There
were also present some persons curious to wilt
ness the operation. together with two or three
parents Of children afflicted with disease OF the
spine. and wboslooked on with much anxiety
previous to trying the same operation on their
afflicted offspring.
At 2.so O'Clock the child was brought In by his
parents. who are Italians. natives of Genoa.
and very healthy looking. The patient is
little fellow ak years OF age. with dark hair and
expressive black eyes. whose expression Is one
of patient and helpless suffering.
DR. Formento assisted by DIR. Trudeau. then
proceeded to hang the little fellow In the man
ner described In the DEMOCRAT Of the twenty
seventh ultimo. and in tho address Of DR.. For
mento which we give below.
The boy when left to himself assumes
STOPPING position eevatee his head, stiffens
his dorsa muscles, and places his hands on his
thighs to walk. I'm order that the whole weight
arms in the position described. The patient
was then placed In the apparatus and hoisted:
Immediately he gave a. Sigh OF relief, and
seemed perfectly satisfied with his novel posi-
An outline of he deformed spine was taken
by means of flexible metallic bar. and tran
survstures with pencil previous C. the hang.
ing of the patient. After tho little fellow had
outline Of his spinal column was taken. and the
drawing compared to The previous one, show
ed a considerable gain of straightness In the
Al this stage of the proceedings bandages
were wound around the boy (who seemed per,
In half an hour he was taken down and put to
bed, whore he slept like little Trojan for at
least an hour. All present seemed highly in,
terested In the operation, which was ably and
scleniiGleally, conducted and which, 4 success.
full, will induce many whose children are
afflicted with spinal diseases to come to the
When the operation was oyer and the child
WINS sleeping peacefully, DR., Formento invited
NIL present to step In his parlor, where he read
the following instructive and highly interest
ing essay and reflections on the diseases of the
spine. commonly called Potts disease"
FEW REMARKS ON SPINAL DISEASES
There ie q disease that affects the vertebral
column and which Is known as Potts disease
Of the spine. from the physician who first
aso called sh' poeterior 1 and angular curvature.
because 1t produces "a a secondary result
curvature and convexity In the spine Said dis
vertebra. with subsequent softening and dsor
HaniEation OF the spinal column.
seat 81 the disease en- may BE- here In IN
order t. oeter Ss he oon and
given its name. In man i T. The first deye-
Ing In lie parliamentary state The form and ap-
pearanee of comma which is nothing else
than the primitive formation Of the yertebral
SNni rSttm nfNI1y n N n
is composed OF twenty. four bones, called YER
es Of ss s@n and sar
which are the continuation Of the column. This
COLUMN. with the bones Of the gelyis at If base
tanned ali the important organs of life, with the
exception OF the brain. lodged as you know, IN
the crdnitHa. or skull.
The perteora consist OF different parts sepa-
yanced life. The central portion ,is called Its
body. and presents an opening which forms BY
close connection with each other. a continuous
cavity or canal which contains that most i'm
portant organ. the medulla. or spinal marrow.
side and posteriorly that part of the bone called
transverse or spinous processes.
ribs on both sides. The bodies are Of a light
soft, spongy and elastic nature. better adapted
to project the spinal marrow and receive con-
9
denser and harder structure. To guard still
more against conclusion. nature has placed be-
which acts like an elastic rubber cushion and
prevents too violent concussion or Earring to be
transmitted to the brain and medulla;
The cartilages are so elastic that when pres
their original thickness. This propriety of
gree the fact that a man is eventually better in
rising than when he goes to bed at night after
standing all day. BY the juxtaposition of the
fron IF fha unrtn hrn 10 mad
the vertebral foromen (which gives passage to
the spinal nerves. which take their origin in
the, nsed'eila and are distributed In the trunk
and the eNtremities.
These few remarks are sufficient to show the
immense role the veltebral column plays in
our system and to better understand how an
injury or disease affecting II must necessarily
seriously affect the nerves and organs that take
organs st to which they ' are distributed For
many years and up to the h present time Potts
large as a constitutional affection of tuhercular
To convince ourselves that II is not always so,
great many persons affected by 1t live to an ad-
yanced age. greatly distorted. II is true, but en-
toying tolerably good health and to bear In mind.
also. that local treatment alone. in most cases.
most cas- es, theresult Of fall or blow. or Injury
q hs hase
come united. when the parts are soft. spongy.
asr n sd STe f rs
ouently In children Of reckless and wild dispo-
sitions and as a consequence. more frequently
among boys than among girls.
Potts disease" exists long before distortion
has taken place. although this deformity con-
stitutes for people in general the whole dis sase.
IT can often be discovered before the curvature
Is formed. Numerous and varied symptoms
occurring in regions of the body, whose nerves
take their origin in the spinal marrow at
points corresponding with the seat of the dis
eased vertebra. will lead an attentive physician
to suspect and find out the cause of the trouble.
These symptoms necessarily vary according to
the seat of the disease. When 1t Is in the neck
the patient will complain of the difficulty of
swallowing. Of choking sensation. Of coughs
etc.
When the disease is in the region of the back.
or lower there will be symptoms of indigestion
OF iatulence. OF worms very often. etc. If in q
patient presen ing any of these symptoms, no
disease Of the lungs. stomach, heart. or other