The Detroit times., 1913-05-27
|DR. MURPHY MUM
ON SUBJECT OF
ROOSEVELT SUIT
Chicago Physician Says He Has
Made Deposition, But Will
Not Discuss 1t
TELLS BIG AUDIENCE
ABOUT JOINT DISEASES
DIR. Daniel La Ferte Shows How
Leg Tendon Can Be Made
Of Silk Cord


John b. Murphy. Of Chicago, had to
say about diseases OF the joints.
1t was DR.. Murphy who treated Col
Roosevelt, in Chicago, after the
colonel had been shot In Milwaukee
II was DR.. Murphy who said that Col
i. Roosevelts physical condition was 80
good. due to his abstemiousness, that
there would be no evil effects from
the wound. DR.. Murphy refused to
discuss Col. Roosevelt5s libel suit.
Monday, saying: Il have made q depo-
sition in the case, and II will be read
at the trial. have been instructed
To say nothing about it,
Dr. Murphy Is a short, stocky man,
nearly bald. his face covered with a
short beard. He speaks In a high,
thin voice which no one would sup
pose TO belong to man Of authority !;
but his voice Is forgotten two min.
utes after he has begun to speak, for
his audience realizes, from his snappy
utterance, his decisive phrases, the
sureness and quickness Of his de-
cisions. that he has a commanding
knowledge OF his subject.
"All acute conditions OF the joints,
including inaammatory rheumatism, -
said DR.. Murphy ARE due to infec-
ton from other parts of the body.
This metastasis (change In the seat
\ Of disease) occurs within definite
y period. You will hear that an infiam-
nation was caused by the patient get
ting caught In rain. OF driving
through snow-storm. or from swim
ming; but this Is not true, AS you will
And from the patients history. In
typhoid. metastasis occure within 81
TO 80 days: in grip and pneumonia. In
IL to 10 days; In streptococcus infec-
ton. within 48 hours.
II will cite you the case OF q man
who had an attack Of grip. On the
eleventh day, he was husking corn;
and on that day he was caught In the
rain. Rheumatism set in, in the knee
joint. Ankylosis resulted (union OF
the bones OF the joint 1t was not
caused by the rain, but by infection
from the nose and throat OF the pa
tient
Every acute metastatic infection Is
essentially a mechanical case, and Is
TO be treated as such"
| DR.. Murphy explained how inflam-
nation In the Joint causes the produc-
tion OF pus, which. because Of the in.
elastic. leathery protective cover Of
ftne joint, cannot escape, but is held
Within the joint, causing q tremendous
pressure. II Is OF no use to put in
drainage tubes because they let in air
TO the endothelial cells, which are de-
styoder, producing ankylosis. He rec
commended an injection OF mercury. or
carbolic acid, or, preferably, formalin
into the joint to neutralize the actios
going on within and the use of boy
extension An appliance by which
pressure can be brought to bear on
the joint, varying from so pounds for
child to $50 pounds for an adult.
Don't give morphine to relieve the
pain Or. Murphy said. THE physi-
clan Is often tempted to reach into
his pocket for his hypodermic needle.
You'd be surprised TO see how many
victims OF the morphine habit come
TO US for treatment, whose start
came through the use OF morphine in
just such a case.
You can't hide your failures In
cases OF ankylosis; you meet them
every day on the street, TO remind
You Of your mistakes.
II have the greatest confidence in
auto.vaccine. but It must be timely.
and you must remember that Ia the
early stages you can't get vaccine
from the joint.
III you put in drainage tubes. 80
per cent OF your patients will have
bony ankylosis. You can't have more
than that percentage OF failures II
you let the patients alone
DR.. Murphy will give another lec-
ture on bone transportation, Monday
evening, In the Detroit Museum Of
Art.
Dr. Daniel LaFerte held a clinis on
orthopedic surgery. to open Mondays
series Of clinics. A number OF chill.
dren from the Children's Free hos
pital were brought I'm. DR.. LaFerte
Showed how a silk tendon could be
inserted in the leg. on which q deposit
would form, so that In about year
the silk tendon would become as
large as an ordinary tendon. In
time, the patient Is able to 90 about
without a brace.
A man was brought In, itno whose
foot two nails had been driven to
hold the bones together.
81 hope they won't bother him. DR..
I.aFerte said. I'VE won't take them
put until they do"
n DOy vi duOut ~ ySuiS, oihiNSVo
with tuberculosis Of the spine. Potts
disease, was exhibited, and DR.. La
Ferte explained how a piece OF bone
was taken from the tibia (the big bone
Of the lower leg) and grated into the
spine.
A nurse carried in a four-weeks-old
baby that had six well-formed fingers
pm each hand and six toes on each
loot. DR.. LaFerte showed by an x
ray photograph how the extra toe was
caused by division Of the metatarsal
bone. Amputation and a chipping to
correct the bone must be accom-.
plished.
DR.. Angus Mclean told how cancer
Fan be located b ythe symptoms OF
he patient. He showed woman
who had had three operations, with
put relief-one for gall stones. one
Tor appendicitis. one for liberation OF
he stomach. A fourth operation. for
Inspection OF the spine. must now be
Undergone. and DR.. Mclean described
how a study-of- the history OF the
fase should have made most of these
operations unnecessary.
The Monday afternoon program In.
fludes a clinic on infectious diseases.
by DIR. Guy L. Kiefer, at the Herman
xiefer hospital.
81