The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-02-05
mODERN SURGERY.

| Fho Saeeessfal Introduction Of Electrical
Instruments h Locating and Determln-
ing the Condition Of Diseased Bones--
| Novel Treatment Of . Diseased Hip.
New YORK, Jan. 27.-The introduction
of an electric light inside Of bone in .
mans body, after the bone bad been
drilled, was novel feature of an inter-
esting operat; IN performed Monday after
noon at the New York POSTGRADUATE med
ical school, on East Twentieth street, BY
DIR. Hamilton Josiah Roberts. 1t was an
operation to cure hip disease. A student Of
the Burlington (vt.) College slipped on
I the pavement about seven weeks ago and
strained his left hip. Soon the pain be-
came SO great that he could not walk. 1t
was considered essential that the diseased
portion of the bone should be removed.
He finally came to this city, and, in
| the presence of dozen physi.
clans, DIR. Roberts performed a sSillful
and successful operation. The young
man was laid on q bed spread with
blankets in the operating-room, while on
a table near by was collection OF steel
instruments. The patient, an intellectual
looking man of twenty-five, whose
sunken eyes told a story OF suffering,
watched his nandaged limb anxiously as
the attendants sought to place him in The
least painful position on the couch. DIR.
Forrest, his attending physician, without
a word Of ceremony, clapped cone OF
ether over the young mans face, and
while he was inhaling its fumes and sink
ing into Inconsistencies DIR. Roberts
gave history of the case and told what
he proposed to do. From his eNamna-
ton of the case he thought there was
suppuration of the tissues of the cancel
lous portions of the bone. This pro-
duced the painful reflex spasm Of the
muscles, the head of the hir
bone was probably suppnrating. OF
the cancellous tissues inside were rotted
/ and the joint not affected. The first
thing the doctor Intended to do was to
introduce a small drill into the bone
: which would pick up portions of it and
taking it out, the microscope would say
whether the Sc pieces were diseased The
instrument for drilling the bone, au in
vention of DIR. Roberts, is called the
electro osteotome, and is worked by an
electrical current, generated by a strong
primary battery or an accumulation. The
old STYLE system of saving and hacking
away at the bone. and plying ;he mallet
and chiseI, which is slow and often
bungling, is i'm striking contrast with
this. The electro.osteotome can
revolve drills, circular saws and
trephines at a speed OF $4,000 revo-
buttons minute. Five seconds is long
enough to saw through the biggest long
bone of an adult. and in two or three
seconds the bones of children may be cut
in two, leaving smooth surfaces. The
patient having become thoroughly un-
conscious. the bandaTeS on the leg were
quickly cut and a skeleton femur was laid
over his limb TO aid in picking out the
large tuberosity of the bone below the
hin Joint. The location being definitely
fixed, DIR. Roberts took his scalpel and
made an incision through the flesh about
three inches wide, LAYING bare the hip
bone. A fine drill was attached To the
electro-osteotnme. and the electric cur
rent from the battery sent it whiZZin" in
an instant through to the head of the hip
bone, about four inches in length. The
drill had scocped up pieces of bone in
its passage, and. the drill being with
scope. DR.. Elliot. after minute exam
nation, decided that they were diseased.
He was now ready to proceed still fur
Their with the operation. lie used Il
larger drill. and then still larger one,
ard the electric current rs Quickly drove
through the bone until there was
a hole in the young mans hip
bone bic enough to put ones finger
in. The blood was absorbed
bv spcrges every few moments, and the
hole was cleaned out as much rs pos
sibe by Introducing little sponges into it.
At this point occurred the most interest
ing piece of work. from 4 medical point OF
view, that was involved in the operation.
DR.. Roberts held in his hand a tiny cleo
tr;c light. lis glass alobulc no larger than
pea. and IFS carbon tilamcnt as fine as
a hair and so tender in its construction
that IL could bear current from the bat
terv only for an instant at time. This
light the doctor introduced inside the
Young mans bone, and as it
was "iashed up'' at a few
seconds interval. he was able
to see just what portions OF the bone
were healthy and what were diseased.
The light made the interior rs clear tc
the ordinary eve as il it were laid over on
the dissectIng table. The doctors were
delighted with its utility. Then DR.
Roberts rapidly cut away all those por-
tons which were discovered bv means OF
the electrc-osteotomc. Having obtained
satisfactory results from the operation at
this stage, a drainage tube was placed in.
side of the bone to carry away any
diseased matter that formed and the
remainder of the wound was nearly
all sewed up. Antiscptc handages
were applied and hyrodermic injection.
of morphine was male in the invald's
right leg to help him through when he
should regain consciousness. His senses
came to him soon after and his condition
was all that could be desired. The hollow
in the bone will soon heal M and new
tissues be formed. and it is believed that
the patient will be able to use his limt
almost as well as before the accident &C.
Cured
Serious Rear End Collision.
MUsCATINE, Ia, Jan. 27.-The passen
ger train for Chicago on the Rock Island