Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-05-06

the decalcified bone plate for lateral
anastomosls, the hydrogen gas test
for intestinal perforaGion in gunshot
land stab wounas OF the abdomen will
be an everlasting, monument His or
! lglnal labors presenting the method
of fixation of the fractured neck of
| the femur with the bone nail in
surfing permanent healing and normal
Iuncuon viii live forever. Space
| forbids enumerating his multiple or
iginal suggestions TO surgery. Senn's
| original labors We're of the most prac.
| teal and useful nature.
| In experimental investigations Sem
/ manifested an unusual and remark
| able interest from the beginning of
| his career, which resulted in rich
contributions to abdominal and os,
seus surgery from 1880 to 1890. Semi
experimental labors, founded on the
solid ground of nature, taught that
proficiency in abdominal operations
must be acquired by operations and
manipulations of living tissue on low
er animals.
Sem taught us that operation on
the viscera of animals is first re-
quisite to be successful on man-we
must learn deXterity by the use of
| instruments and delicacy of manipu-
lation of viscera in the performance
of different operations Gastro-in-
ties final surgery should be invariably
practiced on animals before it is
| attempted on man.
| Senn's experiments have proved of
fundamental value in surgery.
! Sem was inspired. His soul was
aflame with great missions His
! ceaseless mind was ever engaged
+! with some great work He was more
useful to the world than all the
+! crowned heads in the gilded palaces
of effete monarchy. He was bene-
factor to mankind
| Three basic, essential factors
clinical microscopy, animal expert
mentation and aseptic surgical tech
nique-Senn utilized in a most mag
nificently progressive manner In
all three he was a master, and to
| these he owed much of his world
wide fame.
| He realized their Importance and
scope while his constant devotion ana
ceaseless industry, continuing almost
| four decades, enabled him to accom-
plish vast tasks.
His skill with the microscope al
lowed him few rivals
Some of Senn's introductions to
medicine were decalcified bone plate
the hydrogen test for intestinal per.
foration, the bone ferrule and the
bone rod to produce fixation in frac-
lures. The bone nail especially to
produce fiXation during healing of
the fractured neck Of the femur.
Bone chips to fill bone cavities, His
productive labors in fracture Of the
hip joint established him as a bene-
factor to mankind with an imperish
able monument His methods of in
vestigation proved of incomparably
greater value than the data dis
covered.
1t is in the field of surgical
pathology that the profession owes to
Nicholas Sem a debt of obligation.
He introduced into Rush college the
study of the principles of surgery
and diagnosis, founded upon pathO-
logic anatomy, bacteriology, chemical
and microscopic findings. In these
days when surgeons have run mad,
when irrational, unnecessary and
harmful operations are being done
by the hundreds, it means much to
the future of surgery to have had
one strong hand at the helm, to have
possessed in the midst of great
medical center a man like Sem,
teaching and practicing scientif
ic, conservative surgery. He dis
cussed the reasons for using the
scaipe1 far more than the tech
nique of it's employment. A sharp
differentiation was made between the
medical and surgical aspect of the
case.
He taught that the sweeping re-
moval of organs was backward step
in surgery. He saved members and
organs which the vast majority of
surgeons sacrificed. He influenced
surgery and surgeons along rational
lines; maintaining that surgery is
TOR the patient, 20 repair, to pro
long life, to diminish suffering and
not to demonstrate perfect operations
He conducted his work into the realm
of physiology and with ruthless hand
demolished the heather gods as they
arose. His most conspicuous work in
this line has been his war against
fixation operations, teaching that
mobile organ should remain mobile
and not be forced into a pathologic
state of fixation, a phySiologic lesion
By these doctrines he made rational
dlagnOStlclanS, and placed Sufg1cal
pathology diagnosis, and prognosis
where they belong, superior to sur
gical technique, and this notwith |
standing the fact that he was most
dextrous operator, progressing rap
idly and logically from beginning to
end. His operative procedures were
remarkable for definite planning and |
perfect execution, making him a SUI
preme leader, peer Of peers, in
plastic surgery. A bold skillful, pro-
gressive, and yet conservative operat- |
or, master diagnostician with an I'm
usual accuracy in prognosis, founded |
upon his enormous experience, it is /
not too much to say that he was
the largest surgical genius of the
age.
For quarter of a century the
labors of this active surgeon and
Industrious student have enriched
the world of medicine. For a score
go