The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-01-22
tcrnoon session and adjournment was had
until evening, when they were to meet at
the Houston Infirmary.
EVENING SESSION

L
The evening session was one Of varied
character and something OF interest to nj
| present, surgeons, laymen, students ana
ladies. and II was with reluctance tina,
tho guests departed at 1890 o'clock 30 wei
were they entertained. The programme
called for a demonstration of torsion nj
| the operating rooms of the Houston In.
| Urinary. by DIR. A. G. Scott who nithourh
young man, has had large experienc.
In surgery, and occupies the importpn n,
position Of the chief surgeon OF tho CUR
Colorado and Santa Fe railway. his resi-.
dence being at Temple. The hour nm
nounced was 1880 o'clock and at that time
the infirmary was crowded with the via
| itors, many of the local physicians ana
| surgeons being present. A visit was made
| throughout each ward of the infirmary.
ana the strangers were shown a number
OF interesting cases now under treatment
| at the infrmary. They were then taken
| TO the operating rooms, which are two IN
| number where everything had been pre-
| pared Tor the demonstration by DR. Scott
| inc visitors expressed surprise at the ex-
| tent OF the institution. Many of them
had never visited the place and II enlight-
| ened them n great deal. Especially were
they impressed with the elegant rooms
devoted to operations. which are supplied
| with the latest Instruments known TO sur
| sical science. The floors are tiled and
| tho operations are performed upon n Ia bic
| or glass. A number of incandescent ligbts
| make the place bright so that opAations
when the emergency requires. can be per
| FORMED at night as well as in the dav.
Nhen Or. Scott was ready for the orern-
tioh canine subject was placed before
him. and he delivered n short lecture ex
planning torsion. This system Of taking
up arteries and blood vessels no said &c
USED by many In preference to the liga-
mcnls II is Il remedy Of nature to pre-
vent death from loss OF blood, and there
~ practical demonstration Of 1t in accl-
dents where limb IL amputated by the
wheels of a train. In II case of that kind
there Is very little flow of blood as nature
closes the arteries by the pressing to-
gether of the walls of the blood vessels
when the wheel passes over 1t, the prac-
tee OF natural torslon preventing bleed
ing. Torsion. as practiced by the surgeon
consists of n twisting of the end OF the
artery so that 1t is Theoretically sealed
no blood whatever flowing. He gave n
number of instances where 1t had been
used by him, successfully in a practice
OF ten years each operation being as sat
lStactory as any that had been performed
by the use OF ligaments His lecture on
the subject was impromptu. but clear and
easy TO understand. Assisted by Or. j.
Il. Stuart and Messrs Purcell and Hum
phries Of the infirmary. he exposed the
corotid artery and demonstrated the sys-
tenn OF treatment he spoke Of very Sat
isfactory. During the operation the sur
geons gathered about the table. watching
IL with interest.
The abdominal cavity was then opencd,
and Dr, A. G. Smith of Tyler demon
strated the intestinal anastomosis by the
Murphy button and potato rings. rms
" az very interesting, showing the best
treatment in cases of intestinal perforT,-
ton. II is n quick operation. and one
that requires the neatest surgical atten-
ton 20 he successful.
Tho visitors then adjourned to the par
Tor. whore the address Of Or. M. u. Knox
of llllsborO. president of the association
was listened to with great interest lie
said:
MNnbors Of the Texas Association of Rail
WAS Surgeons.
S.nco. it mas fallen to your unfortunate
lot TO have forced, by custom. upon your
nearing a paper read by your retiring
president. | shall make DreVity n prumi.
neItt feature and confine myself. il, this
nltempt To serve You, to what seems TO |
pc 10 b" &c me of the most essential feat |
uIes OF this association and the benefits
We hple 20 see grow out of such body.
me object attained in gatherings OF Shls |
hatur1. rom IA social point is a friendly !
ana pleasant acquaintance with each 9TH |
III, winch can only be made effective by !
J. ,Inl9hs OF this kind--l think annually |
w llrleilt-and 10 reap the benefits 10 |
vs. lch we are justly entitled we must of |
necessity get together. get well acquainted |
WIN each other In this way cmbarrnss- |
iH'iliH are removed ana III THIS !
nav" chance to learn something from
the most timtd and modest members (you
know as rule doctors are very much Hf-
iltctcd in that Way and from those Who'll
have rich experiences and who arc in n
position to give some very practical hlntsI
OF originality IN improvising methods. |
oltrntimeS leading to valuable results.
To read an article gotten up nv some
fci' mist or some would be teacher OF
men. or AN intern in some well appointed
hospital who has access to some lire Ii
itary and the time to carefully prepare A
paper, and who can tiuently quote foreign
arthors get up q paper teemiug with
and showing scholarly attachments in u
l.lgn degree Is very nice and may always
9e worth Your time to read, hu, Jnst here
! want To suggest a point-it is frequently
the seemingly learned physician who az
ears deeply versod In the art and Sci
el cc OF surgery who kccnly knows and
feels the sharp and caustlc criticisms OF
his peers. and when he goes to write the
case NJ does not always give It as II IS,
but makes his article lit .he case, aud the
article Is copied from some other fellow.
and any porceptihle deviation failure
TO follow the other fellow is called n Sigh,
mcditcntiun No doubt he has done the
job, but when he comes to write the thing
W. he then sees that IT does not exactly
nc, then his notifications and frequently
his own operation or frankly say that lie
was forced to do SO for the want of "A
better knowledge of the technique or the
scarcity of material to do otherwise.
DO not understand me for a moment as
nhiccting to following the plain and ac-
repted teachings. or to place premium
on ignorance. Var from that what | de-
sire to impress is this: | want the COM
mon sense crossroad surgeon to come for
ward and give lis experience. the sur
scon who has no Murphy button to call to
his aid IN time OF need. he who has no
-mcrgvuCy nag; has nothing placed to his
,aui roPdY for the work neither has he
iuNihiug 10 murder microbes with shuT
lt a hammer or hatchet, but he must dc
and do II at once even though
he may take chances of making som,
lllrht modification. l want him to ten
what he did do not what he would do
after consulting the text hooks Tell what
GU id. Ike the fellow who mmobii7cd
, limb for fractured femur with an uiu-
,rella secured with his pocket hanlkcr-
,hicr. until the poor follow could be con-
;eS ell to tho hospital, and. as one Of our
irOthcrs tn th!s association d!d out West.
oil the leg up with gtuzo from window
lanc until he coJld be shipped 10 the hos
)itul. Also let Is hear from the surgeon
Who baniuprd tn, leg for simple fracture
10 lightly that when tho unfortunate sn,.p
cached the hospital gangrepe had ret In
md amputation WAS necessary.
Tho greatest 0tridcs that have been
oh IA ~ late re /