The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-16
DIR. LoRExz-s BLooDLEss nErHon
The Operation Describes ky the
Doctor-The Old Plan with the
Knife.

III
The surgical world Is keeaiy alive -e
tile importance Of the method fer treat
ing ~conysnitai disloca.ion ef the hin
lrractIced by he viennese surkeon DIT.
Adolf Loreny- As our reader know.
he came 10 this country n few week.
ago for the purpose 81 treating 4 young
daughter OF Mr. Armcu- .. Chicago.
lSince. he has been visiting other cities,
giving demonstrations OF his method
and treating a many patients as he
had time and strength for. The New
York American gives an account By
himself Of the development Of Dr..
Lorenx's method-from TIE customary
use OF .he knife TO that now r1acticed
by him. In which the Anife IL not used
lat al. From this the following extract
will interest laynfen:
Seven or eight years I operated
upon the hips OF a chpd. There was
the c~ongenital reformation. ] Gu.
Through The skin and the sesh and
Ibared the bones. The femuT Of the
lt~highbone had never been Joined with
the hip. The leg had been pressed OFT
and I'D and the little sufferer was un-
able to walk. She was a years old
when l found her.
Some OF the muscles were contract
al and much shortened. I found ~
necessary TO cut some Of the tissues VI
these muscles before I could bring the
lthighbone down 10 its proper position.
Then / found that the head. or bail.
Iof the fsmur would not fl into the
socket for which IL was intended. The
lsoCket. or ~aCetabulum. had not been I'm
use and had developed noue sinc6 the
l~hifl was horn The head nf fh.s ehfrh-
bone had IN the meantime been grow
ing and was much TOO large now TO fit
II took an instrument and dug out
the socket until the ball Of the femur
would At into u. Getting everything
Into place. / closed the wound anc
sewed II up.
II performed about 500 of those ope-
l%rations. l discovered that they were
livery dangerous. Many OF my little
patients died Parents. | found. hest
tated 10 permit me 10 operate upon
their deformed children. I could not
say that l blamed them. The so-cailed
'hloody method OF treating ~eongenitai
hip disorders is very danger BUS. The
idefoTmity itself does not cause death.
Il merely causes lifelong suffering.
FINALLY decided ! would try h
new method. which we are Low de-
,scribing as bloodless surgery. I took
many weeks for Study and then 1 trIeJ
1t.
1.-The condition Of the ci lids defor-
nifty was much the same as was the
first one / operated on. Rut / went at
the oneration without n knife.
II knew thai the contracted muscles
would have TO be stretched or torn. i
was at first frightened at the STRENGTH
lit DOL to do the worA that the knife
had done.
Yet ] a decided that force should
he my instrument. had to tear the
tissues OF the shortened musc.es. The
limb. at first resisting all my efforts,
finally became pllable. l found that Z
lcould stretch the muscles a great deal.
but when they Quiz not stretch I
would have To tear them.
Finally the little deg was brought
into its normal position. But. as in my
first case. Inc head OF the fe-lur would
bloody method / had gouge9 out that
cavity with a knife. / could not do
that now. So I took the thigh bone
land by main force bored 1t into the
Icavity. This was shallow and OF in
sufficient depth TO admit of the whole
of the ball Of the femur. / found tina.
when the leg was at RICH angles with
the body the head OF the thigh bone
would hold close into the socket, but
that when / placed the leg in Its normal
position the ball would slip out. The
socket was too shallow TO hold Il.
20 i placed the reg IN tnAt position
in which the bali Of the femur fitted
most accurately into the cavity. Then
bound il and made Il rigid with a
l~plaster Of raris cast.
"As soOa as the soreness o. the torn
muscles and stretched ligaments had
disappeared / encouraged the child to
walk. An iron silt had to be placed
koa the sole of the little ones shoe. ana
with the thigh of her leg held by the
iplaster OF Paris at right angles with
her body she walked about for five
months.
Mature in the meantime had BEEN
performing the operation / had once
iGone with an instrument.
The hip socket through the COLI
Istant pressure OF the child's weight rad
been deepened. The outer ridge OF
tconey tissue had been spreading across
the ball Of the thl@h bone and forming
Ia Joint such as tn normal child has.
Finally ! rga70.af the plaster cast.
AS ! had expected. J found that the leg
remained in the sam2 position az IL was
before ] ~encTed the east. Gradually.
with 4 little oGteise resistance. Il came
around liz its gcE-ec: POSITION and two
Years afteT.@Ta that sHifd did not
.aEan linn -. TIT. OF ---n-