The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1897-03-16
x RAYS BROUGHT JOY
.ALlTTLE GIRL NEED NOT GO THROUGH
LIFE A MoNSTRoslPY

i
She Has Three Right Hands IsxamIna.
ton Proves That TIVE Can he Removed
Safely and the Arm Reduced In Size.
| No Operation at Present.
The light of the penetrating x rays
thrown from the Crooles tube is to a
little girl of Long Island City, whose
name am not at liberty to mention, a
light that gives her assurance she'need
not go through life monstrosity. The
child is well known to the surgeons at
the Polytechnic hospital in East Thirty
fourth street, New York. all of whom
are deeply interested in her case. She
was first taken to the hospital in 1883,
when she was only years old.
The child was born with an abnormal
ly large right arm and three right
hands Her parents desire to have the
arm reduced to normal size and the SUI
perfiuous hands removed. The surgeons
believed the operation possible, but
were meyer able to determine exactly
what the internal conditions of the arm
were and CO.. Id not be assured that the
removal of two hands and the superflu-
GUS flesh and bones of the arm would
not destroy the nerves and muscles that
would be left and render useless the one
hand that remained
The x rays permitted the surgeons to
see clearly all the bones in the arm and
to know just what cutting would be
necessary.
DR.. George R. Fowler had charge of
the case. He delegated DR.. S. Ormand
Goldman to have photographs made.
These were made by Frank Martin, an
expert, and were exhibited at hospital
clinic 1t was then determined that a
successful operation was possible and
that the hand and parts of the arm that
would be left would be almost perfect,
but that possibly the hand would not |
be as free i'll motion as normal hand. |
The surgeons concluded that the opera |
ton might be performed at any time |
and that nothing would be lost by delay.
The child's parents were consulted |
They said they were satisfied to know |
that successful operation was possible.
1t will not be performed for the present,
but at any time, when the parents de-
sire. the surgeons will cut away all but
such bone and tissue as are needed in
perfect arm, and, following the photo
graph as a guide, are cUuiuant that
after the operation the girl ID lead of
being the monstrosity she no will
be only slightly deformed-so IT,. -htlv
in fact that the defect will BE- detr cted
by the closest scrutiny only
The. girl has been deeply interested in
the study of her case, and when she was
informed Of the conclusion the surgeons
had reached she danced with glee.
The report of the case states that the
x ray picture shows that there are in
The girls right shoulder arms and hands
one scapula, two glenoid fossG, two
lumeri, articulating with the glenoid
'ossa of the scapula; three ulnp two
adj and three hands, having together
10 fingers, two of which are rudimen.
AIRY. Ii
The outer hand is nearer perfect, but
acks power in the thumb. One of the v
wo elbow joints is slightly in advance |
# the other, thereby limiting greatly |
he normal f1exion and extension, these |
movements existing only to a slight ex-
ent. Each hand moves independently
# the others, and all can move in uni
on The child has probably three CEN
ers on the left cerebral hemisphere of
he brain.
asked DR.. Goldman, who prepared
he report on the case, TO explain the
additional nerve centers of the brain.
lie stated that as each finger moved sep
rately and independently each must
ave its own center in the brain. He
dded that it is probable that if the
I'm should be cut in two there would
G two arms that would move separate
!. New York Herald.