The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-05-06
PROGRESS Of SURGERY
Broken Legs No Longer an impeachment
10 LOCOmotiOn.
LONG COMPLIMENTS NOT NECESSARY
Directions for the Growing ana
Cultivation OF CauiifIower-wom
en- Are Longer Lived Than Men
New Idea In Coffee.

New York SUM- That man who is
unlucky enough TO fall and break q leg
doesn't any longer have to spend weeks
imprisoned in bed waiting for the fractur-
ed limb to mend, bh may be up and
about sometimes within twenty-four
hours after the accident, was made plain
to the doctors assembled Saturday night
in the surgical section of the Academy of
Medicine. A workman who had fallen
off Of scaffold fortnight before walked
about the room without the aid OF
clutches and with only the slightest per
ceptible limp, although his left leg, which
had been broken, was still done up in
plaster OF paris.
He was one Of two patients introduced
to the surgeons as visible proof of the
efficacy of the ambulstory system OF set
ting broken legs, which system was pre-
sented as a vast advance on the old
method of treating such fractures by
keeping the unfortunate victim in bed
"hNh VIZ iatluitu oohCs ICuultu. Auc
subject of the upto date treatment was
presented in a paper by DR.. James Porter
Fiske, Of the staff OF attending physicians
of Roosevelt hospital. He gave the re-
suit OF 300 operations in which the am
bulatory splnt had been used successfully
in the hospitals. The problem that con-
trnntpI tho in otrh ha
said, was to get injured patients up and
about their business just as soon as pos.
sible, and by the new method flattering
results have been attained, particularly
in the case of disabled professional men
Its efficacy in the case of laboring men
was only little less apparent. In the
nature of their occupation the full use of
fractured limbs was not SO readily at
tanned. II the injury was treated promptly
the recovery was very rapid, excepting in
the case of alcoholic patients, in which
the danger Of delirium tremens setting
in after the fracture was the obstacle. In
healthy persons, male or female, the
method had secured admirable results.
The ambulatory system has been in
use in Berlin for some time. 1t is quite
simple. In the case of the fracture of
either OF the bones of the lower leg the
patient is placed in a recumbent position
aud the injured bones are set in place
and bound securely with an ordinary
muslin roller bandage. No cotton what
ever is used in the binding. Outside OF
this roller plaster of paris Rauze band
age liz wound. This hardens and leaves
the limb encased in plaster cast which
generally extends from the toe tip to the
knee Joint. 1t holds the broken parts of
the limb immovable, and hardens rapidly.
The best quality of cast and bandage
is always employed, and the patient is
encouraged to walk without clutches
after twenty-iour hours. Care is taken
Of course, to avoid all possibility of in
flamation setting in. The reason that
the patient can walk 80 soon ia that the
weight OF the body is supported upon the
ambulstory cast, which acts az crutch.
DIR. Fiske cited a case where patient
seventy-two years old had been able to
walk within eight days after the applica-
ton of the ambulstory splInt. The heal
ing OF the bones goes on while the patient
is walking about just "a if he were lying
down, as the fractured limb is in no way
disturbed by the exercise. In fact, the
reuniting OF the fractured parts ia hasten
ed, and the stiffness of Joints resulting
from the old method Of keeping patient
in bed and quiet is greatly reduced.
Within six weeks, often sooner, the bones
will have united and then the limb is
subjected TO hot and cold douche baths
and to brisk massage treatment to restore
it to its normal condition. The average
time the ambuIatory splint was worn in
$50 cases quoted was from % to 80 days,
and many of the patients were able to
20 about much the same as usual during
this period.
DR.. John NJ. Woodbury., of Roosevelt
hospital, said that IN none OF the cases
cited by DR.. Fiske had any patient re-
turned to the hospital for treatment for
malformstion Of the limb. Even in the
case Of serious double oblique fractures,
where the weight of the body is liable to
dslocste the set limb and drive the bone
through the flesh, the process had worked
successfully. This was important from a
medico-legal standpoint, for it protected
the surgeon from the risk OF damage
suits for faulty surgery.