The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-25
DIR. WESTLAKE'S JAWS.
Made Of Metal and Supplied in Any
Number Required.
VICTIMS OF SARCOMA MAY NOW
EAT WITH A SPRING.


To Make Life Worth Living to One
Glass of Sufferers--The Appliance
Takes the Place of Portion of the
Jaw Removed In Operations for sarco.
ma-Interest in the Discovery
New York, December 24.-It looks as
though happy day of emancipation
was approaching for that unfortunate
class of inyalids whose distinguishing
mark is a visor-like hood and chin rest
of leather. They are victims of sarco.
ma, cancer, which fastens it's malignant
roots to the jaw of the sufferer and
yields only when removed, bone and all,
by the lsurgeon's knife. What has rem
dered this operation particularly dis
tressing was the hideous and lasting dis
figurement which it Ientailed. Once the
knife had cut away half of the lower
jaw, the unfortunate victim bade fare
well to solid food for all time to come.
Mastication was impossible, and the re-
naming half of the jaw could be held
in place only by grewsome harness
holding the head and bracing the cleft
chin.
DR.. Charles McBurney. of No. 2S West
Thirty-seventh street. with the .knife,
and Surgeon Dentist Westlake, of No. 81
West 37th street, with a remarkably
ingenious, yet simple mechanical inven-
ton, have changed all this, and unfortu-
mates minus half a lower jaw can now
be readily rehabilitated, with the powers
of mastication retained as well as with
all tie outward semblance of health and
anatomical completeness.
This was experimentally determined ia
quiet way one year ago. when Mrs.
Kiddoo, of Savannah, Ga, submitted to
an operation by DR.. McBurney.
The second test, which, if successful,
will establish the efficacy of the opera
ton, was made yesterday at Roosevelt
Hospital in the presence of 250 surgeons
and physicians, representing all sections
of the country
Nellie Tampnay, % years old, of Flat
bush, L. L.. was the subject, while DR..
McBurney was the operating surgeon.
Miss Tampney developed sarcoma on
the right lower jaw three months ago.
The bone was successfully removed yes
terday, and within month unless Drs.
McBurney and Westlake are greatly at
fault in their calculations, she will be
The appliance destined to save Miss
Tampnay from the disfiguring hood and
its accompanying necessity of liquid
food is simplicity itself. After the bone
is removed, the patients lower Jaw, or
what remains of it, is fastened firmly in
proper position by means of metal
plate, which holds it firmly to the upper
jaw. This is to prevent the distending
of muscles, which would naturally follow
an operation. During the two weeks
which this plate remains in undistutbed
position the patient is fed through
small aperture placed at the centre of
the mouth.
When the plate is removed, the teeth
in the upper Jaw over the'amputated half
are firmly capped with gold. So also are
the teeth on the lower jaw, close to the
place of amputation. This accom-
plished, it only remains to connect the
gold-capped upper and lower teeth with
a fine but strong spring, and the work is
practically done.
That delicate spring is the key to the
puzzle which for years has defied solu-
ton. 1t takes the place of the amputat-
ed bone, holds the half jaw in position,
aud does its full share in the work Of
mastication. So much depends upon
this spring that surprisingly delicate
test is employed in determining its prop
er strength. The aim is to have it con-
form in this particular to the muscular
power of the remaining half jaw. To
properly determine this, delicate liga-
lures of silk are first fastened to the pa
tient's teeth, upper and lower. The free
ends of these threads are coiled around
an exceedingly sensitive scale, and the
patient is ordered to move his remaining
jaw in all directions. Registered on the
scale are the degrees of force exerted,
and this record is used as guide in fix
ing the strength of the all-important
spring.