The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-03-14
Ably Discusses Disease
At Greensboro
BEFORE Gu|LFORO DOCTORS

LIN
Present-Das Management of Bono
Observation-Disclosures Were Lis
tened TO With Deep Interest.
At the Guilford County Medical So
clety last week. at Greensboro. the
subject for discussion was Surgical
tuberculosis and the papers deliv-
cred on the subject We're interesting
and comprehensive.
DR.. Hubert A. Royster. of Raleigh,
was present by invitation, and gave a
most interesting talk in regard to
The Present-Day Views on the Man
agement of Bone ~Tuberculosis.' DIR.
Registers remarks On the subject We're
listened to with the closest attention
by all the physicians and visitors pres
ent, as coming from one of the most
eminent physicians and surgeons in
the South, and therefore an authority
On the subject of which he spoke.
In his opening remarks DR.. Register
| said that he hoped to- prove by his re
marks that there was nothing new
under the sun, or, as he said. he pre-
ferred it, There is nothing new ex-
cept what has been forgotten. He
then proceeded to give q brief history
Of tuberculosis of the bone and pull
monary tuberculosis They are one
III lItC oolIS. Sd1O tIlS {.
Tuberculosis is tuberculosis, whether
it be Of the bone or Of some other
tissues Of the body" After a few in
troductory remarks, in which he went
rapidly owe the ground covered by
the physicians who had just preceded,
him. he went into the treatment of
these bon diseases, both from the
point Of view Of the practitioner and
the e
The speaker took up the subject as
it appears to the practitioner, the in
cipient stage, in which stage he de-
clared that the best treatment was
rest, absolute rest, of the parts affect
ed and of the patient as we'll. The
speaker declared that this method of
treatment had been used years ago,
then changed for some other treat
ment, and nov reverted to again as
the best of all treatments tried. Not
a new treatment he said. Just one
which has been forgotten for a time"
DR.. Register is Of the opinion that an
incision should rarely, if ever, be made
for bone tuberculosis in the incipient
stage. and DR.. j. w. Long agreed with
him when he took the floor later.
Both Of these two eminent surgeons
were against the knife in such cases.
In passing to the subject, where
surgery becomes necessary. requiring
such operations as missions, removing
portions of the bone and amputation,
DIR. Register was in his proper realm,
and his remark on this subject We're
] followed with interest by every one
present. THE idea said DR.. Roys-
ter, lis not so much getting rid Of the
pus, but promoting the growth Of
healthy Done and the reabsOrption of
the diseased portions"
The injections of bone pastes We're
in the right direction as regards the
treatment of bone tuberculosis, the
speaker declared; and here again this
was the r~eadoption Of the old method.
This bone paste contains certain medf-
cines, Vaseline, white wax, iOdoform,
bismuth and spermoceti in such guam
titles as to render them harmless to
the human system and at the same
time mildly antiSeptic. The incisiOn
is made. the diseased portion of the
bone is scraped away, the cavity is
thoroughly dried. las the dentist dries
the cavity in the teeth said DR..
Royster, and the cavity is then filled
with the bone paste. This paste is re-
newed at the end of five days and kept
up until the bacilli in the bone are
killed. Better renew the bone paste
ten times than to amputate the limb
said the speaker.
DR.. Register then briefly described
the instruments necessary for such
treatment, especially those he had
found most practical in his expert
ence. Where it becomes necessary
to remove the entire bone. ALWAYS
leave a part of the periOstium, filling
the cavity with the bone paste. in
which case it will always regenerate."
He told of a case which he had treat
ed in this way twenty-five years ago,
and which had thoroughly rebuilt the
bone shaft to its former strength.
"Final1y.' said DR.. Register, "the key
note of ~present-day management OF
bone tuberculosis is essentially con-
s~ervatism. We have come to know
that We are not to treat tuberculosis.
n fthe bone as if it were a malignant
disease. There may be some other
focus in the body to preclude this.