Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-03-10

Results Of the New York Experiment
Not entirely Successful
In the Medical Record or New
York DIR. A. M. Phelps publishes an I
account OF his experiment of grating |
a bone from q dog to that OF human
being. The published reports, the
Doctor SAYS. were incorrect. The
experiment was performed at the
Charity Hospital on Blackweips
Island in the latter part OF 1890. Ac-
cording to the Doctors report, the
patient, a lad named John Gethius,
suffered from comminuted fracture
OF the lower third Of the leg, the result
OF an operation to remedy an anterior
curvature OF the tibia which had ex-
listed from childhood. The muscles
of the boys legs were perfect.
The lad first came under DIR.
Phelps observation two years ago. A
number of experiments were tried
upon the leg, but failed to relieve the
patient or help the deformity. 1t
was decided, therefore, to try the
bone-grafting process. A dog two
years old was secured and pre-
pared for the operation. 1t was
washed in soap and water and
solution Of bichlorde of mercury.
The dog was then etherized and en-
veloped in thick layer of absorbent
cotton. 1t was placed in natural
sitting posture. Over the cotton were
placed few coats of plaster Of Paris.
The right foreleg Of, the animal
protruded through the dressings.
This leg was shaved and made asep-
tic with bichloride Of mercury. The
boy was also an9sthetized, and the
ends of the fractured bones were
"freshened." Two elliptical missions
were then made in the fracture four
inches in length. With saw the
ends of the bones were "freshened. :"
A space of one inch was made be-
tween them. The portions Of the
bone which were removed, the Doc
tor says, resembled ivory more than
bone.
The limb of the patient was then
enveloped in a plaster-of-paris ban
dage, beginning six inches above the
incision and extending to the upper
third OF the thigh. The foot and
ankle were also covered with plas-
. ter-of-paris bandage. An incision
was then made in the side Of the dog
for the purpose of cutting a piece
which would fit in the elliptical'
, shaped wound Of the patients leg
The elbow was excised next; the IA
dius and ulna were severed and the
humerus removed. The extremity
near the paw was amptutated. The
! attachment of the biceps tendon wa:
t also detached from the bone.
: The dog was then placed by thu
side Of the patients leg, with thu
I, head toward the patient. An alum
!, mum dowelpin was passed through
= the medullary cavity in the long axi
Of the bone. A steel pin, the Docto
) now thinks, would have been prefer
n able. The bones were forced to
4 gether by the pin. A silver wir
r was passed around the graft. 1t he'll
$ the bone firmly in place. A larg
. tube was inserted for the purpose @
= drainage. The patients" were pu
( to bed. at times they receive
It small doses Of morphine. Afte
o three days the dog and the boy, tn
Doctor says, lost their impotence an
became fast friends.
n In speaking Of the results OF tn
IL operation, which lasted about 81
q weeks, the Doctor says:
"The operation is success in
! fur as it establishes the princip
At that is possible to grow large mass'
l. of tissue from an animal to man an
I'd TO establish the circulation until II
re union takes place between opposit
10 species without danger to either.
q also demonstrates that o growth
~ new bone takes place when sectiC
:" of bone is transplanted and its n
triton maintained by the artery
ID the animal This, IL continued 4
ne four or five weeks, would probab
e. unite a fracture. Owing to the l
to efficient dressing, which is apt to Q
~ cur in early operations, the conta
~ of the transplanted bone could n
be continued sufficiently long
c. bone to unite to bone. But L
ng confident after viewing the spec
re men, and taking all the conditio
and surroundings into. account, TN
bOny union -wOuid nave Udkcn pa
a. il actual contact could have be
nm maintained for a longer period. L
stimulation of the graft, howev'
p- has excited a reparative process
ire the fracture, and it now promi'
'e- fair to unite. The boy walks WI
the aid of one crutch or a cane. :"
l no DR.. George F. Shrady, In writ
no NJ, editorially Of the experiment, co
Mo pliments DIR. Phelps, and says II
will the trial opens a field for fut'
till study and experiment. He ad
among other things:
he Notwithstanding actual union
are bone did not occur, such possi'
IN ity, with different conditions
tai surroundings, is reasonably hopel
lyn In this particular instance sutfici
time was not allowed for the conn
are ton OF such a process
ave
'eet
ban Forgotten Holidays.
Saint niataff's Day and Plough N