Wichita eagle., 1889-02-07
A SURGICAL TRIUMPH.
How a Young woman's Leg Was savco
from tse knife.


from the knife.
Mary c., aged twenty five, was ad
mitted 20 the Roosevelt Hospital several
months ago suffering with tubereulous dis
ease OF the knee joints, writes a New York
correspondent Of the ST. Louis Globe Dem
ocrat The articulation of the knee had DC
come so exten sively disorsanized that she
had been obliged 10 wear bannage on ths
leg made of plaster of paris spread on ganzs
to enable her to use the leg, and at length
the time had come when this ceased to do
any good, and the disease had made such
progress that her life was considered IN
peril. A consultation of physicians result
ed in the conclusion that the limb would
have 10 be sacrificed 10 the disease. They
advised its removal in the classical manner
at the thigh JOINT. The surgeon in charge
of ROOSEVELT Hospital thought otherwise.
He determined to demonstrate TO tho pro-
fession that her case could be treated
successfully in less radical manner by
removing the knee-ioint and joining tho
bones of the leg and thigh immovably to-
gether.
The operation was recently performed In
the larger amphitheater, before crowd of
students from the Collegeof Physicians aud
Surgeons, which is just across the street
from the hospital. A large number of well
known surgeons and medicos were present
also, and one could easily judge from their
looks that they doubted the issue Of tho
operation.
The patient was etherlzei ard placed On
the operating table. The leg was then ex-
posed and Its condition commented ON by
DR.. McBurney He then took keen-edged
scalpel, made an incision about the greatly
liar cd M md rf.,.tt "a
to the bone, taking care not 10 injgre tho
vessels contained ia the porlitcal space,
which is directly behind the joint on the
posterior aspect Of the leg he now
opened the joint freely, and carefully dis
sected away all vesuges of the diseased
tissues and membranes; then taking n
saw, not unlike such as butchers use. he re-
moved a sIloe Of bone drst from the tg5id.
or leg bone. With this he took good care to
remove the pItsliG. or knee pan bone. This
done, he sawed a similar since Of bone from
the lower extremity Of the fernlsr, which Is
the great bone Of the thigh. He examined
the cut surfaces, and finding them healthy,
applied hot spougcs 10 control the bleed
ing
This part Of the operation did not take
long. and when the sponges were removed
the wounded parts were thoroughly
washed out with an antiseptic solution Of
mercurious bichioridc, 1900 Now came
the more important part Of the operation,
the fitting together and securing OF tho
fragments. tie boxes were placed ia lux
Imposition aud two long shining nails. or
rather spikes, Of silver were driven ints
them 70 keep tbau in place, one On each
s.de, each being driven IN sanuagly, thus
immovsoly fixing the lex bone 70 the
thigh bone. The wounds Of the soft parts
were nett closed cad drainage tubes put
ia position 10 carry Of aay discharge
which might form N the process Of heal
ing.
TINS operation, though rather a rare one,
has been performed number Of times ia
THIS city, bat never befors on a case where
success seemed - hopeless. However, she
surprised every one with the exception u
the doctor by making a RAPID and excei-
lent recovery IN eighteen days, AZ the end
OF which time the wounds had healed aad
the bones were uniting hrnaly Al the
present time union Is perfect between
them, and, although the leg Is perfectly
sta At the knee lotat, she ~ much better
OF with IL % than she would De WI: "a cork
Leg, bad she hved through a hip joint opera
ton Her case may De set down among th.s
recent trrnmphs Of surgery.