The Republican journal., 1885-07-09
A Surgical Operation for Piano Players.

A Surgical Operation for Piano Players.
Tile skin Of a WclI-kIloWn physician in
this cry has cyIue to the rescue of a
number oi pianjsts and musical students
IN q most singular and interesting partic-
ular. The facts have just been made
the subject Of a paper read before the
county medical society. To comprehend
this assistance rendered by surgical sci
euce to musicians, very Wc!lknOWn
fact must be understood. When the mid
die finger and the little finger are brought
down by the tieXor muscles, and their
ends are held down against the keys OF a
piano, for the purpose Of producing con-
tnuous sounds, and it is necessary 10 eX-
tend and thea iieX or bend the third fin
ger, in order to produce accompanying
sounds, it will be found that the third
finger cannot be very effectively used un-
less after long and constant practice, and
often not then.
The reason for this stiffness is simple.
The tendons Of the little and middle fin
gers are connected With the tendons OF
the third finger 10y lateral or accessory
tend0nS, 50 that when the two former
fingers are held down the TWO accessory
tcndons hold in check the power Of the
muscular tibres acting upon the tendon
OF the third finger, and thus it can be but
ciumslly used. Such accessory tendOus
are sometimes found in one hand, some
times in the other but usually in the
right hand. They are a source of serious
annoyance and difficulty to musical per
formers.
Dr. William ;. Forbes the demonstra-
tor Of anatomy in Jefferson college, has
found a means of overcoming these diff
fculties IN a very simple but ingenious
manner. He says: "a few years ago a
Young musician, and a performer on the
piano, consulted me in regard to his in
ability to lift up, us he expressed it, the
ring-tinger of his right hand while the
middle and little fingers neighboring were
held fixed on the keys Of his piano. This
restriction did not exist in the ring fin
ger of his left hand with it he had nc
trouble. ! explained to him the presence
OF the accessory tendons in his right hand
with their restricting power, and told
him of their probable absence in his left
The doctor then proceeds to give an
elaborate and technical account of how
| he performed an operation that severed
or cut oil the accessory teDdons from the
| little and middle finger The liberation
OF the ring finger was complete. The
ball Of the finger could be elevated an
inch further from the plane of the hand
and the patient expressed his gratifca-
ton at the extended and great facility
with which he could use this ring finger
Oh the keys of his piano.
Referring to the complete success OF
the operation, DR.. Forbes says: 81 have
divided these accessory tendons for the
purpose of liberating the ring finger ir
fourteen persons, and in nine of these
the operation was performed on the ten
dons of both hands at one sitting. | dc
not think at any one of these operations
| half dram of blood was lost. In not ont
of them did any accident follow the oper-
alton. The issue in all of them was sue
cessiul In two persons who came to my
office together, strangers from distance
| performed this operation on the two
hands Of each of them in the presence o
my friend, DR.. Addinell Hewson, Jr
These two patients said with emphasis
that there was not only relief, in using
the ring finger, but there was also al
absence of eXertion, which before the
operation was constant and fcrcible along
the back of the forearm and hand ,
| Philadelphia Record.