Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-02
A NoTABLE OPERATION.
Introducing an Electric Light Into
Diseased Bone During Exclusion.
From the New York Star.

From tie New York Star.
In the POSTGRADUATE Medical School
Hospital in East Twentieth street an
operation was performed yesterday that
will introduce a notable innovation in
modern surgery. The instruments were
operated by electricity, and the surgeon
with the aid Of claverly constructed
electric candle was able to explore the
cavity of bone and work away just as
If be had a superficial abscess to deal
with.
The patient was a robust young man
about % years old. Up to seven weeks
ago he was student IN the Burlington
(Vt.) theological Academy, and regu-
larly attended lectures.
Shortly before the holidays he fell on
the campus, and sprained his thigh. He
sustained an injury to the hip Joint, and
ever after thai, night and day, waking or
sleeping, he has been in physical torture,
suffering the most excruiatlng pain.
The local doctors could not do any
thing for him, so they sent him to this
city, where he became patient of DIR.
Milton Jonah Roberts, who is professor
OF orthopedic surgery in the Post-Gradu-
ate School. 1t was decided to investi-
gate the nature of the injury by eXplOr-
ing the head OF the bone. as DR.. Roberts
thought he could save tue poor fellows
leg and avoid the necessity Of excising
the joint. II an instrument he had recently
invented would perform what he expected
of it.
For long time the doctor has observed
the clumsy instruments used by surgical
specialists, and he studied out an i'm
proyement, calling to his aid electricity.
the latest power devised. Upon that
principle he constructed a gutUa percba
cylinder eight inches long and three in
diameter, In which an electric machine
was placed. To this he attached a slen-
der steel shaft, so arranged that it would
reyolye 1000 times per minute when
under thestimulus OF a powerful battery.
At2 O'Clock yesterday afternoon, in the
presence OF about twenty of the leading
surgeons of the city, DR.. Roberts per-
formed the operation The patient WAS
placed upon table ana put under the iu-
flueuce OF ether, and AS soon as he was
unconscious the surgeon introduced a
knife into the hip over the big tuberoslty
OF the bone. tie carried The knife five
inches further down, exposing the bone.
A gimlet was attached TO the steel shaft,
and Ia less than three seconds II sank a
distance OF four inches into the hard
bone.
BY degrees the opening was enlarged
until IL was three-eighthe Of an inch in
diameter. IL WAS carefully swabbed
out, and then DR.. Roberts astounded the
spectators by introducing an incande-
scent electric light the size Of pea iutO
the cavity. which was lighted up by the
bright glare. IL was now easy work TO
bore the diseased bone away aud remove
all the fecrossed cancellOus tissue. IL
took less than fifteen minutes 10 do this,
whereas In the Olh.fashioned way, with
hammer and chisel, such procedure
required several hours.
The surgeons congratulated Dr. Rob.
erts on the success OF his invention, and
prophesied that 1t would be big feather
IN the cap OF American surgeons. II
nothing unexpected happens, the patient
will be able 70 walk about in ten days
With his leg as good as ever.