The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-22
LORENZCURESCANALLER'SBOY
WHOSE MOTHER WROTE TO MRS.
ARMOUR ABOUT HIM.
sunday ~ the State Hospital for Crippled
Children-littie Alvin Lewis blacks
BAD Leg Put In Place In Very Few
Minutes-NO Clutches Needed for Him.

DIR. Lorenz paid visit yesterday to the
New York State Hospital for the Care of
Crippled and Deformed Children at larry
town, as the guest Of DIR. Newton NJ Shaffer
OF this city. the superintendent and surgeon
in-chief. He performed a successful opera
ton, with most promising indications for
the patients future. in the presence OF
several New York city surgeons, and more
surgeons from other parts OF the State.
Afterward he was the guest of honor at
luncheon given by DR.. Shaffer at the
Ardsley Club, where a score of the surgeons
who had just seen his operation were his
fellow guests. On the way to Ardsley the
luncheon party stopped at Sunnyside
where Mr.. A. ID. Irving received the Vienna
professor and showed him through Wash
ington lrving's old home.
The day not being a crowded one, as had
been it's six predecessors. DR.. Lorenz had
time to disclose a little Of the more sociable
and kindly side of his nature, and he made
himself more Of companion than a scien.
tifc lion.
The operation at the State Hospital was
upon little Alvin Lewis Black. son OF the
canalboat captain Of Rondout. whose wife
wrote Of her crippled boys plight TO Mrs.
j. Ogden Armour, after having read in the
newspapers of DR.. Lorenz's operation on
Lolita Armour. Mrs. Black sent a doll to
Lolita Armour As a present from her own
crippled son, having read that the Armour
ohild's only pleasure after the operation
was to play with her dolls. MIR. Armour
recommended the Blacks to DR.. Lorenz.
through DIR. Shaffer, and the result was
yesterdays operation on the boy.
The dislocation of his left thigh bone " as
reduced in a very few minutes. As the
femur head slipped into it's socket, DR..
Lorenz found that the anatomical condi-
tons were favorable for the stability of the
joint, and he exclaimed: This boy will be
quite well. without any doubt"
After the operation DR.. Lorenz talked with
the surgeons who had watched him about
the cutting operation for reducing a h,p
dislocation and he declared it to be as dam
gerous as laparotomy. In all cases where
death had ensued, In his experience, 1t had
been caused by sepsis, and try as one might,
difficulties OF this nature or anchylosis,
which is the stifening of the joints, could
not be confidently guarded against.
You can never be so sure as to bet your
head. said he. falling into the Americanism
and causing amusement to his professional
The doctor dwelt more pointedly than
usual on the injunction that the boy must
walk after three or four days in bed.
and he must walk without crutches,
he said she must not have crutches. You
seem tn be a nation for clutches. / never
saw so many crutches In any country as
here. Something happens to you. you
get a pain In your ankle. and at once you
go for clutches, and So
And DIR. Lorenz bumped his shoulders
and sank upon imaginary bridges beneath
his armpits Then a reminiscent smile
stole over his face. Il will tell you some-
thing he said. 1T was out at Salt Lake
City. was asked to see young lady. She
] went to hotel and saw her in the parlor.
She was weeping, oh, how she was weeping,
deeply. In another chair was boy, and
he was weeping, too. weeping so hard: !
him: What is II the matter with you?'
oh. not mel he said, not me; it is for
my sister there weep That was brotherly
sympathy.
so, on crutches. two .crutches; She had
been hurt two years before, and had walked
on her crutches always since. examined
her. and / could find not a single thing the
matter with her, not thing wrong with
he! s h Evs Gs part was Take s gour cruche.
and throw them out the window. Go and
walk"
As the doctor said this his eyes beamed
as they do when a femur head jumps into
ltS socket, ana rs ne spoke tne IdSt WOTu
he pointed noble forefiuger at the zenith.
There was murmurous applause. but the
doctors disciples were not without their
Thomas. who spoke, up Immediately and
asked: did she walk"
-She walked" said DR.. Lorenz. THAT
was the onlywonder performed inAmerica
And again the great forefnger pointed
skyward, while the company laughed and
applauded him. In a moment he added
as his eyes beamed gain: Maybe she
was Christian Scientist"
The doctors mellow and genial nature
had opportunity to continue to play yester-
day, and after he had inspected the hospital
he went again among the twenty-six in
mates, who have to be accommodated
in twenty-five beds, and babe each child
good-by, taking some OF the little faces
Between his hands and saying a word to
cheer the small and crippled owners The
hospital has hundreds Of applications for
admission from all parts Of the State, which
so far its facilities are not sufficient to grant.
President Roosevelt and Gov. Odell have
both befriended the hospital.
DIR. Lorenz after his inspection Of II sat
down and wrote this letter to DR.. Shaffer
Mr. DEAR PROF. SNAPPER: 1t has pleased
Crippled Children at Tarrytown The i little tile
crippled children you have gathered there
hospital is most fine, and the work you are
doing must commend itself.
The pity is that u is so small ] myself
in your country who need great care which
they cannot now receive. and for the State
to care for them ia most prGiseworthy.
| hope y know after | return home that
your hospital has been made much bigger,
and I hope you may have great success
shall tell my own Government OF your hos
pital. and ! hope we may have one like IL in
Austria. Your friend ADOLF LoRENz,
Professor Of Orthor N lie Surgery. Uni
versity Of Vienna.
TARRYTowN. Dec 81, 1902
Two of the most interested spectators
at DR.. Lorenz's operation on Alvin Lewis
Black were Drs. q. Chandler and A. A .
Stern Of Schenectady. who were the first
ones consulted regarding the boys de-
formity, and who were therefore especially
glad to see its reduction by the Vienna
operator.
Among DR.. Skaters other guests who
saw the operation were j. Hampden Robb,
j. Adriance Bush and George Blagden
Jr., trustees of the hospital: Drs Wisner
r. Townsend. Virgil p. and Homer Gibney,
r. II Sayre, T. Halsted Myers, Deas Murphy,
P. H. Fitzhugh, Henry Scott, Charles L.
Dana and DR.. Wesse OF this city: DR.. A
Schuyler Clark of New Brunswick, Dr.
CrandaIl Of Kingston. DR.. T.. j. Smith of
IrvinRton. Drs Todd and Judson of Dobbs
Ferry. Drs. r. b. Coutant. j. W. Robertson,
II. L. Coles "A. j. Smith and Todd Of Tarry-
town; DR.. Aueller and Newton NJ Shaffer, Jr
On the drive over to Ardsley, DR.. Lo-
REM, whose admiration for American