The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-01-07

cation, previous to the time Of DR..
Lorenz, but no one has ever devised
any form Of apparatus or splint which
would hold the bone against the socket
long enough for it to get fixed IN this
new position.
Gas consequence Of this, when
the splints are removed, the dislo-
cation of the hip would occur again,
and very promptly. The chief obstac-
les to permanently overcoming this OBJ
staole are two in number.
"First: The muscles in the hip
joint have become contracted and
shortened while the head Of the bone
is out Of the socket.
Secondly: The socket itself, not
being occupied By the head of the
thigh bone, has gradually alled in,
and instead Of being deep hemis-
pherical depression, as it normally 10,
becomes q very shallow pit, not deep
enough to accommodate the head OF
the thigh bone when it is put back
into its proper place.
"Dr. Lorenz's operation overcomes
this obstacle by:
"First: Rupturing all of the mus
cles about the hip joint which are
contracted.
Secondly, by reducing the dislo-
cation by putting the hip and thigh
up in plaster Of paris, with the thigh
in such q position that the head Of
the thigh bone is held in the socket
for months OF o time.
''The pressure Of the bone in the
shallow socket gradually causes q
deepening Of this. cavity, so that by
the end OF six or twelve months, when
:Ae plaster Of paris cast is removed,
the socket is deep enough to hold the
head Of the thigh bone.
"Dr. Lorenz ruptures the contract
ed muscles about the hip joint by
putting them evenly on the stretch
until they give way-the child, Of
course, being under the influence Of
.chloroform.
"His assistant, Dr. Mueller, holds
the child's pelvis very firmly, while
DR.. Lorenz gradually bends the leg
until these muscles are stretched and
finally ruptured. This is done entire
ly by hand, and the operation is, Of
course, entirely bloodless. After all
Of the muscles are ruptured, it is o
very simple matter to replace the head
Of the bone in the socket. He then
puts up the thigh and body in very
heavy plaster Of paris cast, which re-
mains in place frequently for six
months or year without being chang.
ed.
"Dr. Lorenz has discovered that in
order to keep the hip from slipping
out Of place while it is in this splint,
it is necessary to bind the thigh at
right angles to the body, and to turn
it out strongly to the side. When
both hips are put in this exaggerated
position, the child looks very much
like frog, with hind legs spread wide
apart.
"This operation, although it is en-
tirely bloodless, is by no means free
from danger, on account of the vio-
lence it is necessary to use in stretch
ing and rupturing the muscles Of the
thigh. saw DR.. Lorenz operate on
two cases last Monday in the 42d
street hospital in New York.
SIN reply to a question of one Of
the physicians present, he said that
he had broken the thigh bcne seven
times and ruptured the main artery of
the limb three times in trying to effect
reduction. One Of the cases, in
which the main artery was ruptured,
proved rapidly fatal, the whole limb
becoming gangrenous. One Of the
other cases required immediate ampu-
tation at the hip joint.
when one witnesses this operation
he cannot help wondering why the
thigh bone is not broken in every case,
go much force being used by the opera
tor.
"This dislocation of the hip is very
much more common in the North than
it is in the South, for come reason I'M.
known to myself. However, it is not
very common condition anywhere.
| heard that there were only Is cases
available for DR.. Lorenz in New York,
with it's population Of over ,Shree and
o half million. The operation, how.
ever, is wonderful advance, because
it cures 90 ndition absolutely incur
able in the past, and DR.. Lorenz de-
aervea. mnch crad;k for b;a xvondore,,i