El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-19

4 American Surgical society meet
ing in Denver today, followed
by that of the American Medical
society in Los Angeles next week, will
give opportunity for the exchange of
new ideas and discoveries in the
healing art, as obtained from the
practical experience of the leading
medical men in America.
At the convention Of surgeons many
new ideas will be. brought forward re-
garding the different methods of an
esthesia, which is perhaps the most
important development of modern sur
gerry Every Capable surgeon has
now some special idea of his own in
regard to anesthetics. Some rely
almost entirely upon local applications.
which do not require Inhalation and
do not in any way affect, the consci-
BUSINESS of the patient A New York
surgeon recently performed an alb
domina1 operation aided only by a To-
cal application of an original combi-
nation of cocaine The patinet ex-
perienced no pain and was able TO be
of real assistance to the surgeon by
answering questions during the opera
ton.
VIII Obvfate Haste.
The development of this sort of
anesthesia is the latest aDd perhaps
the most important step in the surgi-
cal advance. One of its advantages
is that it will do away with the nee
essity for unqualified speed, which
accompanies operations made while
the patient is in a state of uncon-
seriousness. While it is desirable that
operations should be performed as
rapidly as is consistent with best re-
suits, there is no question but that
the nervous haste caused by the dread
of the patient coming out from the
influence of the aneSthetic before the
end of the operation is responsible
for many of the failures and fatah-
ties attending surgical cases
America has led the world in the de-
velopment of anesthetics, and is still
taking front rank in this respect The
use of ether, which at the time Of its
discovery revo1utionized surgical
science, is conceded to be Of Ameri-
can origin. Tt is generally supposed
to have been discovered by two dem
lists of New England, although it
was subsequently found that a south
ern physician had been using the for
mula for some time without making
ii public. The London surgeons who
tested the Yankee method" in the
early part of the nineteenth century,
were unanimous in approving it, but
the appropriations made by the ,~United
States congress as reward for the dis
covery of ether never was claimed be-
cause it never has been absolutely
proved who first discovered it.
Using Gloves I'm Operations.
The use of rubber gloves is another
American invention. which has great
ly helped surgery during the past ten
years It is much easier to render
the gloves sterile and antiseptic than
the surgeons hands, and the danger
of Infection to both the patient and
operator is considered lessened. The
possibility of a ring slipping from
the surgeons finger and being sewed
up in the patients interior, requlr-
ing another operation for its remoy-
al, an occurrence which recently caus-
ed a lawsuit in Paris, would be en-
tirely obyiated by the use of rubber
gloves.
At the convention of surgeons and
also that of the medical society, the
subject of local anesthetic will be
much discussed, as this is the prob
lem most in the minds Of both clas-
ses of practitioners at present
surgeon from Washington. D. c., who
will present a paper at Denver, late
ly attracted no small amount OF at
tention by his skilled work in bone
manipulation. One of his recent oper-
ations consisted in moving section
of the large bone of the leg below
the knee and replacing it with
section of the smaller bone from the
same member of the body. He &C
complished the whole task, including
the saving of the bone, with no other
aid than a local anesthetic. Ehe pat
lent has recovered entirely, and suf-
fers no inconvenience from the fact
that a part of the bone was taken to
supply the lack of the other. 1t is
curious fact that in many cases.
piece of bone taken away in this
manner is perfectly supplied by a
natural growth. AS a brilliant sur
geon remarked at recent banquet:
we surgeons really do is to place her
on the right track and start her Off.
Growing New Elbows.
When it is proved by practical dem
onstration that a new. elbow or knee
Joint can be grown to replace one
which was so shattered that, all the
fra gments of bone composing 1t had
to be removed, the surgeons state
ment will not be disputed. The sur
geon removed all the fragraments of
the broken elbow, prepared the ends
of the bones of the upper and fore
arm and brought them together in
proper position. In a few weeks, an
entire new elbow joint was formed
with the movement as perfect as be-
fore. Now the waiter balances the
heaviest kind of a tray upon that arm,
which, save that it is an inch or two
shorter, is for all purposes just the
same as before the accident
Bone grating is comparatively
new surgical development which is
quite as practical as skin grating,
though, less talked about The up-to-
date surgeon no longer uses silver to
replace a missing bone. He takes
the section required from some other
part of the patients anatomy or from
any other available source. tits possible
to take bone from dead person and
graft it into living body. man re-
Gently brought into a city hospital
had to have his entire knee joint re-
moved because Of the disease affect
ing it. Another patient in the same
ward died that morning, and. with the
consent Of his relatives, the knee
joint was taken from the corpse and
set in to replace the one missing from
the living man. The bones quickly
united. and within three months the
man walked without limping. The
dead mans bone renewed the joint SO
that it was as good as the one he had
lost.