Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-02-25
MANUAL SURGERY.
a New Method for Liberntlng the hi"s
Finger OF PiAnoforts Players.

MANUAL
. x.v u.,,,oa for LiberstIng the Ring
Finger OF PiAuoforts Players
The method of liberating the ring
finger Of musicians by dividing the ac-
ccssory tendons Of the cxtcnsor commu-
mis- digitorum muscle is attracting III.
creasing attention. The weakness ot
the third or ring finger is due to TWO
accessory tendons connecting It's mo.
tive muscle with those Of the second
and little fingers.
In consequence Of this connection.
the ring finger is incapable Of free and
independent motion. Every one hrs
probably noticed his own inability to
raise his ring finger any distance above
he plane of the hand when the neigh
boring digits are not similarly elevated
and. II a musician. has found II great
inconvenience. Occasionally these
tendons are found to be present only
In one hand. which is usually the right,
and in rare eases they are entirely
absent. The restriction which they inn
pose upon the motion of the ring iinger
can be somewhat lessened by incessant
practice, but can never be entirely
overcome. 1t is q continual disadvan-
tagc. both in music and In other art.
TO free the ring finger by dividing
the binding tendons is not d new snc'
ges,ion. but It has only been dunng tho
past year that the operation has come
into any prominence. DR.. William s.
Forbes. of Philadelphia. has given tho
subject particular attention. The opera
ton, rs practiced by him, is very SIM
pie, but should only b. undertaken by
one well acquainted with the anatomy
of the hand. A narrow. pointed biz
toury is inserted into an inclsion less
than one.sixtcenth Of an inch in length
made through the skin and fascia, Just
below the carpal articulation OF tho
metacarpal bone Of the third iingcr'
and above the radial accessory tendon
of the hand. parallel with the cxtcnsor
muscle. The blade Of the bistoury ~
kent horizontal. and the handle
somewhat depressed. In this position
the blade is moved beneath the acc
ccssory tendon, and so far down TIC
hand as to bc little above and ne
tween the knuckles Of the third anu
middle fingers. The instrument u now
turned with the edge toward the SKIN.
The middle finger being strongly
ncxed, and the accessory tendon inace
taut by extending the ring finger, Is
gentle saving motion OF the blanc
sewers the tendon at once. The bi'-
toury is turned Hat again and viii.
drawn through the incision. The teh-
don ON the opposite side of the cStcn.
sor muscle. that is, between ih. third
AMI little fingers, is divided IN
n similar manner. Not a quarter OF
drachm of blood is spent by the orera.,
ton. Each incision is covered by
piece Of adhesive plaster, and n bGur'-
of-eight bandage carried around the
wrist ana hand. Two days after tic
operation, the patient is required to e>-
ercise on the piano in order to prevent
the tendons from reuniting. A slight
swelling remains for perhaps q week,
Mt the end of which time the liberation
Is complete, aud the ring finger can "a
elevated an inch further above to
plane of the hand. Dr. Forbes writes
us that up to December 10. lssJ. ha
had performed the operation upon
iiity.two patients, and that In all cases
the result was perfectly satisfactory.
The operation has raised great deal
OF opposition among more conservative
musicians. who maintain that partial
freedom bought by years Of constant
exercise Is preferable to perfect libern.
ton gained by few minutes surgery.
Others, again, contend that the method
is unnatural. and tends to interfere
with the designs Of creation. But this
is an objection which We need scarcely
argue. Such question should give
rise to no partisanship. II the meth'd
be good it should be accepted. II .t
does not prove efficient. the suggestion
has done no injury. The favorable tx.
perience of so large number OF pa.
tients Is certainly strong argument n
its favor. All Of these people testify
that the freedom resulting from the
operation Is most gratifying, and that
they have experienced no loss OF power
In any other direction.
The discussion has also been taken
up with much interest on the other side
of the water. One of the most ccl'-
brated English surgeons. Dr. Nobic
Smith. has repeated the operation with
perfectly satisfactory results. He re-.
ommends, however. that IL be per.
formed by an experienced operator,
and in cases where the accessory tcn'
dons are we'll defined. He regards the
risks of the operation as infinitesima!.
but very properly adds that the pa,iert
should, nevertheless, be warned that
no wound can be made without sone
danger.-Seientifc american.