Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-01-28
WALKING ON BROKEN LEGS.
Astonishing Results Of New Process In
Surgery.

That a man who is unluckv enough
10 fall and break "a leg doesn't any longer
have to spend weeks imprisoned in bed
waiting for the fractured limb to mend,
but NAV be up and about sometimes
within "a hours after the accident, was
made plain to the doctors assembled IN
the surgical section Of the Academy OF
Medicine in West Forty-third street. A
workman who had fallen off scaffold
fortnight before walked about the
room without the aid of crutches and
with only the slightest perceptible 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 ambulatory system OF set
ting broken legs, which system was
presented as vast advance on the old
method Of treating such fractures by
keeping the unfortunate victim IN bed
until the fractured bones reunited. The
subject Of the up TO date treatment was
presented in paper by DR.. J. P. Fiske
Of the staff of attending physicians Of
Roosevelt hospital. He gave the result
of $50 operations in which the ambu-
latory splint had been used successfully
in the hospitals The problem that con-
fronted the surgeon in such cases, he
said, was to get injured patients up and
about their business just as soon az pos
sible and by the new method fiattering
results had 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. If the injury was treated
promptly, the recovery was very rapid,
excepting in the case Of alcoholic pa
tents, in which the danger Of delirium
tremens setting in after the fracture was
the obstacle. N healthy persons, male
or female, the .4ethod had secured adj
mirable resulta
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,
and the injured bones are set in place
aud bound securely with an ordinary
muslin roller bandage. No cotton what
ever is used i'll the binding. Outside Of
This roller a plaster Of paris gauze band
age is wound. Yhis hardens and leaves
the limb incased w. plaster cast, which
generally extend IRON the toe tip to tina
knee Joint. Ii ho..B the broken parts Of
the limb imp 'vable and hardens rapid.
Is. The best quality Of cast and bandage
is always employed, ana the patient j.
encouraged to walk without crutches
after "a hours Care is taken, Of course,
TO avoid all possibility Of Inflammation
setting in. The reason the patient can
walk so soon is that che weight Of the
body is supported upon the upper part
of the ambulatory cast, which acts as a
crutch.
DR.. Fiske cited case where a patient
~ years old had been able to walk
within eight days after the application
Of the ambulatory splint. The healing
Of the bones goes on while the patient Is
walking about just as if he were lying
down. as the fractured limb is in no way
disturbed by the exercise. In fact, the re-
uniting Of the fractured parts is has
tened. al d the stiffness Of joints resulting
from shc I'D method Of keeping a patient
in bed al quiet is greatly reduced. With
in six We ekS, often sooner, the bones will
have united, and then the limb Is sub
jected to hot and cold douche baths and
to brisk massage 10 restore it to its nor
NAL condition The average time the
ambulatory splint was worn in the 250
cases quoted was from rs b. 80 days,
and many Of the patients were able to
90 about much the same as usual during
this period.
DIR. 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
malformation Of the limb Even in the
case Of serious double oblique fractures,
where the weight Of the body is liable
TO dislocate the set limb and drive the
bone through the flesh the process had
worked successfully. This was impor-
tant from medico-legal standpoint, for
it protected the surgeon from the risk
Of damage suits for faulty surgery
NpW York sun