The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-26
DR.. LORENZ'S WORK

For two months the newspapers have been telling OF
DR.. Lorenzs boodless" operations and have depicted
him a modern miracle worker says the New York
Evening Post In consequence many people think he is
the first congenta dslocation of the hip and
to straghten club foot; while others, rendered
skeptcal by papable exaggerations of the have
undervaued his services. 1t is worth while, then to
briefly sum up the results of his labors in America
Most of us know that the balike head of the thigh
bone in a cuplike socket Of the nip Sometimes
this joint congenally imperfect The socket for ex
ample. may range normal to a dmpe When
the shallow the thigh bone slips away and
Is held out place by contracting muscles Hitherto the
common of this defornity has been to open
the Joint cut the contracting muscles tendons and
pull the head into the socket If practically socket
exists some surgeons gOuge out one.
Another operation aims at the result without
cutting the The tissues around the joint
pu1ater actually apart until the bone
be thrust into position. This "boodless operation
has for years been pTactsed with varying degrees
Of success both here and abroad Dr. Lorenz however
has worked the details studied the manipulatons
till admittedly worlds in this particular
oDeration
OF course DR.. Lorenzs demonstrations will
discussion Of the relative the operations.
The open a manifest drawback in the danger of
bloodpoisonng Before Dr. perfected the blood
less method he tried the "open" 2GO times and had
four of blood poisoning In reply to this contention
the risk of poisoning is slight and they point
tearing tissues irregulary
under the skin, the open operator cuts with precision
He also the socket and determines whether ii needs
deepening Here again the friends of the 'boodless'
that chselng the bone may produce joint that
IS almost solid and therefore nearly useless DR. Lorerz
in his $50 had six Of this kind. Indeed
geons hesitate chise the bone for fear the joint
sodfy et when there is adequate socket the thigh
bone may slip DR. Lorenz admits that many of his
"beodless" operations have paFtlysometimes wholly
failed owing defective But he
by using the thigh as probe can tell accur-
ately the depth the and that with plaster
hold the leg place and with proper exercising
motion Of the leg supporting the wight of the
body viii actually develop something socket These
points and others that technical for layman will
afford material for gears Of debate and experimentation
In the light of present knowledge the probability
beth methods viii continue in use with advant-
ages for certain
Were the two methods equally free from risk and
sure in results the "bloodess would make powerful
appeal from the side of sentiment However confident
surgeon may be Of his hand and eye the average
instnctvely subject himself his children
70 the ordeal Of cutting accordingly prefer the
'boodless operation; if fail he still turn to
the knife las. resort The 'bioodless~ operation.
therefore as our surgeons become skilled in it. will be
generally thing tried child dsocated
hip cnbfoot
ii say that Dr. Lorenz will rank high that
roll Of physicians who have perfected important pro
have discovered notable cure Moreover the
chance that brought him America the daughter
Of a wealthy and prominent has contributed enoy-
mousy his usefulness. Public attention has been ar
and knowledge Of his method has rapidly spread
only through the medical profession but through the
masses Many children whose disocated hips and ell
,eet by ignorant parents regarded ncurahle will
doubtless be healed and made stronger and efficient
members OF society.
Nor should we forget that DR.. Lorenz has fastened
The gaze Of the the achievements Of
own orhopaedc surgeons and the possibilities vet before
hem But yesterday intelligent regarded clubfoo
and maladies hip spine hopeless our stat,
legislature which is unstined its for blind
insane doled only $4,000 FOR makeshift hos
pital. experiment. st Tarrytown- To-day ever,
schooboy knows that clubfoos in children is speaknl
broadly always durable that diseases OF hip ans
spine can if taken time either be wholly healed q
largely helped The presence OF Dr. Loreaz has drawn
from obseurity applicants for aid that Or New
ton ~ Shaner head OF the hospital for crippled
and deformed children, could in a month Ell five hun
dred beds with deserving instead the twenty