The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-08
IMPROVEMENT IN SURGERY.
THEY MAY BE USED IN THE COMING
CAMPAIGNS.
Surgeon Kreider of Illinois Tells
How He Treats Injured Limbs
without Long Confinement 10 the


Springfield, H., May 2-Three notable
achievements Of modern surgery are to
! be introduced in the hospital field prac-
lice of the Illinois National Guard when
| Gov. John r. Tanner, commander-in-chief,
sends his well-drilled forces TO the front
in response to the call of President Nc
kinley. These methods are of such re-
cent development as not to have come
into general use in ordinary practice and
| are novel even to most members of the
medical profession. When the surgeon
Of the Second brigade, Lieut. Col George
N. Kreider, Informed his fellow officers
of the brigade staff a few days ago that
a citizen of Springfield was walking about
the city on a broken leg. the result of a
! fail from the roof of a house only three
or four days previously, the National
Guard officers Immediately anticipated
the benefits which the soldiers in the field
might expect from such advanced prac-
! tees. Sprains and fractures have been
seriously troublesome in past wars and
the possibility of getting wounded SOL
diers without loss of time into condition
|
| importance.
An official demand was made upon
Lieut.. Col Kreider for a statement of the
| processes by which member of the Hi
| nois National Guard may be given the
| benefit of the new surgery in the field
In response. DR.. Kreider has prepared an
address which is 10 be presented to the
staff officers. 1t is prepared in official
| style and is signed, Lieut.. Col. George N
/ Mt q
nois National Guard; DIR. Kreider says:
| In the event of war there will be some
| great improvements in the surgical SER
! vice as a result of new discoveries in our
! science and the elaboration of antlseptic
surgery.
zone of the most fortunate improve
ments will be our ability to treat near
! ly every sprain and fracture of the
lower extremity without confinement
to the bed Formerly, persons with in
! juries of this sort were confined to bed
| for six to eight weeks. Now, / usually
/ allow them to go about at once, or after
only few days confinement to the bed
II will first mention sprain of the an
| kle. The old saying, "A sprain is as bad
| as break was formerly only too true
| as the patient was kept in bed for a num-
Der of days, or weeks, and suffered great
| pain. When he was allowed to get up
with a plaster cast or rubber bandage
| on the ankle, walking was very painful
or very difficult for many weeks.
by the method devised by DR.. V. P.
| Gibney of New York, the ankle is so
supported that the injured member can
be used at once, and theNmotion made in
walking serves as a gentle massage to
assist in the absorption of the effused
blood
1.-The method of treatment is as fol-
lows: About twenty long narrow strips
of adhesive plaster are made ready and
held by an assistant, or hung on chair
| by the side of the bed. The first strip
encircles the heel and passes to the base
of the great and little toes. The second
strip goes under the heel, as far back as
| possible, and passes upon the outer and
inner side of the leg. The third strip fol-
| lows and 'overaps the first, and the fourth
| follows and oVerlaps the second. Thus
! the strips are alternated until the entire
! joint is enclosed in a sort of basket weav
| .ng Over this is placed a snug roller ban
1 dage
| ''The plaster and the bandage support
! the ankle as firmly as if it were held in
a wise and yet SO gently that the patient
| can usually at once go about with but
little assistance and, when confidence is
| gained, without cane.
! Il have treated in this manner sue
! cessfully persons over seventy years of
| age and firmly believe that there are few
/ cases of sprain which cannot be put on
| foot Immediately. syG.
! zone of the greatest smarvels of mod
ern treatment is the .ahbulent or walk
ing treatment of fractures of the leg.
I have recently shown you a man walk
| ing about with his leg bones broken be-
| tween the knee and the ankle. My plan
is to put these persons to bed for few
days until the swelling has fully developed
Then a long stocking is drawn on which
comes to the middle of the thigh have
at hand several wide plaster bandages
| and also some long strips of pine, as thin
| as a shaving, and one inch wide.
81 begin at the toes and cover the
stocking with a layer of plaster band
| age. On this l lay a strip of the wood,
| on each side and front and back, to give
| it strength, firmness and lightness. Fin
| ally, two layers of plaster are laid on and
the dressing allowed to dry. 1 have now
| a dressing which is not cumbersome and
| the patient can soon learn to go about
without even a crutch Sometimes this
| dressing is put on next the skin, after
having rubbed the leg with vaseline.
For fractures of the hip and thigh,
! Ii becomes necessary to use more com
| plicated apparatus, invented by an in
genious German, and known as Hessings
| splint. I have not Ventured to use this
|
it used, and believe it is very valuable,
! especially in the event of war
ct is made of light steel straps and
bandages. 1t is made in three sizes and
extends from the foot to the body. If
! the ambulance were equipped with a set
of these, a soldier could have, in a few
minutes after suffering a break of the
thigh bone, a dressing applied which
would enable him to travel to the hos
| pital in comfort and without danger.
There il could be more accurately adj
| justed and in a few days he could be
sent to the rear, or to his home, to en-
! joy the rest which he has so justly
earned, while he secures time to COM
| plete the cure of the broken bone
THUS. believe, war will be made less
horrible in the future than it has been
in the past because the surgical depart
ment will be able TO alleviate much of
| the suffering. which was formerly I'M
| avoidable."
Changed Feet, Not Hands.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
! Everyone has seen hundreds of signs