Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-28
The Electric Light I'm Surgery.

Orthopedic Surgery and Mechanical
Therapeutics in the Post Graduate Medi-
cal School, has invented an instrument
which he called the electro steotome.
Yesterday he demonstrated the advan-
tage Of his discovery by performing one
of the most difficult operations in
economic surgery. The patient was
young man about twenty-five years
old, student in the Burlington (Yt.)
Theological School. A few days before
the holidays he fell on the college cam
pus, but got up readily. He felt
sharp pain for moment, but it wore
away, and at night he had almost re-
covered. Two days later, when he was
sitting in the lecture-room, he felt a
sudden pain the hip, which has not left
him since that time. The sufferer was
brought up to this city and examined
by DR.. Forrest, who failed to find any
cause for the trouble. lie advised the
young man to consult DR.. Roberts. The
patient did so, and two weeks ago a
bed was assigned to him in the surgical
ward Of the Post Graduate Hospital.
DR.. Roberts thought that there was
pus in the joint and that it could be
let out and the leg saved without saw
ing the joint away. The operation was
performed yesterday in a small room
on the top floor of the hospital. DR..
Roberts and three assistants were there
early, and by the time the surgeons
who had been invited to witness the
operation arrived there was nothing
left for them to do.
How are you going to see the ex-
tent of the injury in the cavity of the
bone ?" asked one Of them.
81 have provided for that little
emergency" smillngly replied DR.. Rob-
erts, and he held up a little incan-
descent electric lamp, not larger than a
pea. 6" intend to light up the cavity
Of the bone and let you all look into it"
Then DR.. Roberts described the odd
looking instrument that hung over the
operating-table. lie called it an electro
osteotome. 1t consisted of cylinder
Of hard rubber about eight inches long
and three inches in diameter. Inside
was a powerful Rumkorff coil. From
the bottom Of the cylinder q slender
steel shaft three inches long pro-
truded. II was so constructed that as |
soon as the cylinder was connected with |
a battery of fifteen cells it began to re-
yolve. DR.. Roberts said when at full
force it made $4,000 turns in a minute.
A current-breaker by means Of which !
the movements Of the shaft could be |
regulated was close to the handle, and
required only light touch to operate
it. Ether was administered to the pa
tent and soon he was unconscious.
The assistant washed the limb with
an anti-septic solution and DR..
Roberts laid a thigh bone that
bad been dried and cleaned over
the injured leg. This was done to
guide him in finding big bump, known
as the great tuberosity, which was the
landmark in the operation. With diff
Guilty be found it under the swollen It's
sues that hid it. Then he drove a long,
keen scalpel into the muscles and struck
it plumb in the centre. With two
strokes be laid the flesh aside and ex-
posed lhe bone for q distance of five
inches. An assistant lowered the
plates of the battery, and DR.. Ro-
berts adjusted thin gimlet
like cheese-tester in the shaft. He
pressed it against the bone, which is
extremely dense at that point, touched
the brake, and a whirring sound was
heard. In less than three seconds it
bored into the bone, and, the current
being broken, it was drawn out again.
Dr.. Roberts scraped off some Of the
powdered bone that chung to it, and an
assistant, DR.. Elliott, examined the
pecimen under the microscope. He
announced the presence Of pus.cells, as
Or. Roberts had predicted.
This settled all doubt, and DR..
Roberts proceeded. He changed the
inlet for q larger one and then at ,
ached steel drill which bored hole
hree inches in diameter in less than
bree seconds. After wiping away the
lood the operator introduced the little =
lectric globe int the cavity. The sur :
cons bent down low and looked inside. =
he bright light illuminated the whole
lterior, and the bony structure could
Q clearly seen. Everything was as
lain as If 9 streak of sunlight had en-
red. Without any difficulty the line Of :
emarcation between the healthy and
isessed bone was revealed. By means .
cleverly- shaped chisels the diseased
one was cut away and canal dug to
rain of the pus that might form in the
Itws. In twenty minutes after the
rst cut was made the operation was
'mplsted, and only required the intro I
lction Of drainage tube and band {
ying. II nothing unusual occurs the n
Itient viii be able towslk back In ten D
Tvs