The Washington times., 1914-01-10

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Just recently DR.. Murphy began cut
ting down to those fractures, scrap
ing the ends of the bone with a
carpenters chisel, mailing the broken
ends together with his lead hammer
and his wire nails and sewing up the
wound. With those old ends fresh
ened the bones united quickly and
the patients were soon walking.
MAN PATIENTS NOSE
MADE FROM FINGER.
For many years surgeons Iabored
futilely against the inroads OF dis
eases which destroyed bones, ueces-
sitattng their removal and leaving
the patient incapscitated. Tubercu-
lar infections. giant cell, sarcona.
and other maladies were the bane of
those who suffered them, since their
far advance usually meant an in
valid chair or bed, or maybe an am
putatfon- But bone grating now has
done away with the terrors Of these
ailments.
In 1888 DIR. Murphy grated Sec
tiOn Of cartilage into the nose OF a
woman. This vas his first expert
ment. Two years later a patient
came to him without any nose. Dr.
Murphy fastened the mans finger to
his forehead, grated II. there. and
let it remain for two weeks until a
had grown fast. Then he removed
the bone from the finger, leaving the
flesh growing to the face Of the pa
uent, who then had been suupiie.j
with nose. This was the lirst OF
many similar operations which since
nave been performed and was one of
me pioneer steps in grating and
transplanting which nowshas become
the greatest science in surgery
In 1903 Dr. Murphy began seriously
to specialize in bone surgery. a
woman unable to cross her feet came
to him. She had fallen on a street
car year before. An x-ray photo
graph showed fracture at the neck
OF the femur. An operation was per
formed, the ends OF the broken
bone were chiseled on, ''freshened.
the surgeons cali It, and two large
nails were driven into them to hoid
them tightly together. Two weeks
later the patient had entirely reeoY-
cred. the use OF her limbs.
LEGS STRAIGHTENED
. BY USE OF HAMMER.
But that was just the beginning.
From mending bones with a tack
hammer it was but a step for the
wizards of the sealpeI to supplying
bones where they were needed.
Transplanting was the nsxt step.
Often the necessary bone was cut
from another part Of the patients
body to be inserted in the spot where
it was needed to replace a Sec
tion which had been removed. When
this was not practicable, 1t was taken
from the bodies of the freshly dead.
A few months ago research In the
new carpentry had so far progressed
that the following operation was
performed by the versatile DR.. MUIR
ply: A woman came to him with
one of her legs drawn tightly and
immovably up. as though she were
about to negotiate high step. She
had been in this condition for many
-,ears. Rather than use crutches she
wore an artificial leg attached to-
the double real leg. wearing a shoe
and stocking on the actual and the
artificial limb. The great tendons.
or ham strings were cut and
heightened several inches. Large sec
tions OF unnatural bone were found
growing firmly in positions which
prevented the leg from being
DIR. Murphy took up his chisels
and planes. and in moment. work
ing like an experienced Joiner, had
planed these down. Then, chopping
OF few inches Of bone ends at the
joints. he nailed them together and
the patient was taken from the op-
Grating room. Six months later she
was walking as though she had
never been the victim OF deformity
that would have kept her a cripple
forever had not a few of the leading
surgical minds OF the country de-
voted themselves to the unraveling
of the tangled bodies of those de-
formed victims Of III fortune.
JAW MADE OF WIRE
LOOKS GOOD AS NEW.
Perhaps one of the most remark
able pieces of bone carpentry mat
have been performed was the manu-
facture by DR.. Murphy Of new Jaw
for a girl in Chicago. Tho patient
was a sarcoma sufferer, and il was
necessary to remove her lower Jaw
This could have been done years
ago. but she would have remained an
sight for the rest Of her
life had not Murphy decided on a
plan. He constructed a jaw Of heavy
silver wire, with metal frame. This
was placed in the position formerly
occupied by the real Jaw and sewed
there The flesh was quilted through
the wire frame as a grandmother
works with her quilting needle; the
mucous membrane of the mouth was
sutuTed down on top CT the tissue
and the skin closed over the whole
There are pictures of this patient
in Mercy Hospital. Chicago. today.
ana L is impossible to tell, save for
a narrow scar under her chin. where
il is quite invisible save on eXamina-
ton. that she is carrying a manu-
factUred lower jaw. But that is not
ALL The new jaw works Just little
better in every respect than the old
one did