The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-01-08
DR.. ADOLF LORENz.
A Henderson Young rlan Witnesses
Some Operations by this Eminent
Austrian Surgeon About Whom SO
Much Has Been Said and Written
Lately.

y OH I'LL uGhcI "do III IuhdCC
enough to be present at number OF
clinics held by DR.. Adolf Lorenz, the
eminent Austrian surgeon, and wit
ness his work by the now well known
method of bloodless operation for
certain deformities in children-con-
genital dislocation of the hip, club
foot, and the like At our request
DIR. Tucker has written the following
which we are sure will be read with
interest by readers of the GOLD
LEAF:
At two O'Clock on the afternoon of
December 10Th one Of the most noted OPP
Grating amphitheaters in the city OF New
York was crowded to every inch of its
available space by an impatient, restless
mass of doctors, coming as they had
from many parts of the continent to wit
ness the work of the famous Austrian
surgeon, DR.. Adolf Lorenz. For more
than all hour before the appointed time
for his operations to begin there was
scarcely standing room in the entire hall.
Doctors, orderlies and nurses were busy
in the pit getting things in readiness,
such as the operating table, sheets, tow
els, bandages, plaster, etc There was a
marked absence of the glittering steel in
strumpnts generally displayed at a surgi-
cal clinic.
AS the appointed hour came nearer one
could notice with what feverish eagprness
the crowd would watch each passage to
and out of the pit where at first only @
few of New York's best known surgeons
were allowed to stand so they might OBJ
serve more closely the work soon to
begin.
Occasionally, as some local surgeon or
physician OF note would enter, there was
quite round of applause from the i've
hundred or more doctors packed in the
seats above. At 3:15 DR.. Roosa, a New
York surgeon of International reputa-
ton, stepped out into the pit and an
nounced that DR.. Lorenz was in the Hos
pitaI and was being taken through the
children's ward, where he would select
from q number OF cases the ones he
would operate upon, and begged that
they would be patient u few moments
longer.
There is always that feeling of sup
pressed excitement and intense anxiety
in the human bosom, as it were, we can
feel and hear the very beating Of our own
hearts. when for the first time the cur
tain is about to be drawn aside and We
are to be brought into the presence of
the good. the great and the famous of
the world. So it is often portrayed upon
the cOuntenances of q number of men.
However, at $3.50 this feeling OF suspense
was over and there followed q scene
long to be remembered by those present,
Every man in the amphitheatre arose to
his feet and amid the wild applause and
cheers of ardent admirers the world re-
nOwnpd Vienna surgeon entered the pit
bowling to the right and left.
Twas truly Il grand sight to behold
with what unrestrained love and esteem
this great ard good man is held by mem
bers of his own profession, for with this
same enthusiasm. cordiality and admi,
ration he has been received during thu
past two months in most of our large
| cities from the Atlantic to the Pacific
coast. And though he came from q
| foreign land to our shores unannounced
wherever he has gone he has won a place
| high in the hearts of men. Coming to US
not as prince or ruler of men, with al
OF the false and snowy pageant OF weallf
and earthly power, yet rather as plain
humble man whose chief work and pleas
ure is found among Gods poor, un
fortunate and diseased children, who
except for such lives, are doomed to
crawl ANONYMOUSLY through the weary
days OF this life.
| DR.. LOrenz is a man of powerful phys
ique, tall and muscular, and with hie
long white operating gown he appears g
veritable giant among men. One could
hear on every side, my, what arms and
hands, But with all OF his glorious
strength which serves him SO well when
needed he has the gentle touch of a
woman. AS his picture has almost daily
appear.d in some one of our current pa.
pers or magazines it is doubtless familiar
TO ali
| He has long. light hair which is brush.
ed back from the forehead, a heavy. flow.
fng beard tinged with gray and bright
piercing steel gray eyes. At single
glance he is seen to be- a modest, retiring
man, neither wishing nor seeking the ap-
plause OF men, but anxious to demon.
strate and give to the world his life ) best
work III an unassuming way.
AS soon as the prolonged first applause
was stopped he spoke in q quiet manner
and with a foreign accent: Gen tlempn,
| am glad to be with you today in this
great city of yours and l thank you for
this reception Then turning to his ASST.
tant he asked if the child was ready to h.
brought in. He was told she was. He said
Hurry up, then, for we have no time to
lose,'' which evidently had been the
motto OF his life-''No time to lose.''
In moment the doctors and nurses
had filled the pit in their determination
TO see the great man and it was with diff.
tculty that place was made sufficiently
large to allow the anesthetist to ente,
/ t,rin tto h; 4
influence OF chloroform, in his arms tC
the operating table, She was a beauti
| full little girl of six years and as she was
laid on the table her body from the
waist up was symmetrical and normal
with a head of golden curls. However
the hips and drawn legs would reveal
that awful defOrmity which she was
born with and SO far in life had neve,
been able to take a step on account of a
rongenital dislocation OF both hips.
DIR. L0ranZ first demonstrated the con
ditlon OF the absence of motion in The
hips, etc, saying in conclusion: This
little girl it left unOperated on would &C
through life horribly deformed. We car
by operating at her age make her like
| other children, so that she can play with
her companions at school and from al
| appearances you would never know sbI
was thus afflicted at BIRTH
There was very frequent applause dur
ing his preliminary remarks utter which
he commenced the operation First hi
Strengthened the legs and then began tt
destroying all resistance to the different
positions and movements of the leg.
which is practically tearing some muscles
and stretching others
1t is a fearful procedure to watch for i
looks as if he will literally dismember TIT
child as his enormous arms and hands
pull and twist the little legs with gr-a
force in every DIRECTION, until finally al
resistance is overcome. Then he turn
to his audience and saws: Now tn,
child lis but clay in the potter's hands fo
we have destroyed all resistance ani
can mold her into normal shape" Ii
a few moments there is a click and 70
the first time the head OF the bone i
placed in a normal position in its relation
with other bones and from q deforme,