The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-02-05


ne ousoesseul In1roductlon ~ ElsctFooa1
Instrsmsnts n Locating and netesnsen-
Ing tho Cendlt1on % Dlssssed nones-'
f;ovsI r. eatmsnt ofa plsessed Hip
NEW York, Jan. 37.-The introduction
Of an electric light inside Of q bone In Z
mans body, after the bone had been
drilled, was q novel feature Of an inter-
estlng opcrnt. IN performed Monday after
noon II the New York POSTGRADUATE med
ical school, on East Twentieth street, by
DR.. Hamilton Josiah Roberts. II was an
operation 70 cure hip disease. A student Of
the Burlington (vt.) College slipped on
the pavement about seven weeks ago and
strained his left hip. Soon the pain be-
came 80 great that he could not walk. II
was considered essential that the diseased
portion Of the bone should be removed.
lie finally came 70 this city, and, In
tho presence OF dozen physi-
clans, DR.. Roberts performed a skiliful
and successful operation. The young
man was laid on a bed spread with
blankets In the operatiug-room, while on
a table near BY was a collection Of steel
Instruments. The patient. an intclIcctual-
lookin. man OF twenty-five, whose
sunken eyes told a story Of suffering,
watched his pandaaed limb anxiously as
the attendants sought 10 place him IN The
least painful position on the couch. DIR.
Forrest, his attending physician, without
a word Of ceremony, clapped n cone OF
| ether over the young mans face, and
while he MAS inhaling its fumes aud sink
ing into unconsciousncss Dr. Roberts
gave a history Of the case and told what
he proposed to do. From his cxamina-
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 hip
bone was probably suppurating, or
the cancellouS tissues inside were rottcd
and the joint not affected. The first
thing the doctor intended 10 do was to
introduce q small drill into the bonc
which would pick up portions Of Il and
takin. II out, the microscope would say
whether the Sc pieces were diseased. The
instrument for drilling the bone, an in
vention Of DR.. Roberts. Is called the
electro-osteotome, and Is worked by an
electrical current. generated by a strong
primary battery or IN accumulation. The
old style system OF saving and hacking
away ut the bone. and plying the mallet
and chiscl, which Is slow and often
hun-ling. Is In striking contrast with
this. The lcctro-ostcotomc can
rcvolve drills, circular aws and
trcphines M a speed OF $4,000 revo-
buttons a minute. Five seconds is long
enough % saw through the biggest long
~ . a. .frfs aud ~. MOO - tLfu.n
seconds the bones OF children may be cnt
In two, leaving smooth surfaces. Tie
patient having become thoroughly nm.
conscious, the bandaces on the leg we're
quickly cut and a skeleton fcmur was laid
over his li,b 70 aid in picking out the
large tubcrosity Of the bone below the
hip joint. The location being definitely
fixed, DR.. 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 70 the
electro-osteotome, and the electric car
rent from the battery sent II whizzing In
an instant through 20 the head Of the hip
bone, about four inches in length. The
drill had scooped mp pieces Of bone IN
its passage, and, the drill being with
drawn, they were put under q micro
scope. DIR. Elliot, after a minute exam
nation. decided that they were diseased.
He was now ready TO proceed still fur
Their with the operation. He used a
larger drill, and then a still larger one,
and the electric current As quickly drove
through the bone until there was
. hole in the young mans hip
zone big enough 70 put one's finger
In. The blood was absorbed
by spongcs every lew moments, and the
AI -. 49,. u
sihlc by introducing little sponges into IL.
Al 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
trio light, its glass globule no larger than
a pea, and its carbon nlamcnt as fine as
a hair and so tender In its construction
that II could bear a current from the bat
terry only for an instant ut a time. This
light the doctor introduced inside the
young mans bone, and as IL
was "nashcd M" at q few
seconds interval, he was able
10 see Just what portions OF the bone
were healthy and what were diseased.
The light made the interior ~ clear TO
the ordinary eye as " 1t were laid over on
the dlssecting table. The doctors were |
delighted with its utility. Then DR..
Roberts rapidly cut away all those por-
lions which were discovered by means Of |
the observation-disclosures. Having obtaincd
satisfactory results from the operation at |
this stage, a drainage tube was placed in
side Of the bonc to carry away any
diseased matter that formed and the
remainder Of the wound was nearly
AL sewcd up. Antiscptic handages
were applied and a ~hypodcrmic injection
81 morphine was made in the invalid's
right leg to help him through when he
should regain consciousncss Hts senses
came 70 him soon after and his condition
was all that could DC desired. The hollow
IN the bone will soon heal up aud new
tissues be formed, and II Is believed that
the patient will be able 20 use his limb
almost as well as before the accident oc.
Cured.