Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-03-13

will be announced this week, possibly
by Tuesday or Wednesday,
all right for him to get about IL he did
not touch the leg to the ground. ana
he brought pair of crutches J'pon
cross examination witness didn't re-
member that he had ever said that the.
Two legs were of nearly equal length
DIR. Alonzo NJ. Garcelon Of Lewiston.
physician of 80 years experience, had
seen both the injured leg and the X-ray
photograph of the same. After the first
six weeks the bone should be fairly we'll
united. From six to eight weeks should
he the time OF recovery in such a case
as that of the plaintiff Witness would
not think it was ordinary care to have
leg in splnt two weeks and four
days without an opening or window in
the cast. Upon examining the leg he
found the right leg not in alignment
and about an inch shorter than it's fell
low. He knew of no way the leg can
now be put in alignment and made az
it was before
Upon crOss-eXamination witness stat
ed the reason he would advise a slit
or window in a cast and he admitted
that in a delayed union. where there
is no ossified callous, the bones can be
put in alignment The endeavor when
putting leg in a permanent dressing
is to have the legs the same length. The
purpose of examining a leg through a
window in a cast is to see if the hone
is in alignment and opposition and to
see if the limb is doing all right One
~ t.
of iodine on wound WITHOUT washing
it. A lime deposit would not be ex-
pected before the third week.
DR.. o. c. S. Davies of Augusta, a grad
uate of the Maine Medical School in 1ss3
testified that in AN uninfected wound a
compound fracture would usually become
simple in a few days. In compound
fracture a slit should be left in the cast
to get to the laceration of the soft parts.
When working on one leg which is short
er ihan the other he considered it better
to give the patient ether to overcome the
rigidity of the, muscles. He had meas
ured the legs of the plaintiff and found
a difference of five-eighths Of all inch in
length. He did not consider it advisable
to try to make the leg straighter than
it now is. He preferred cast that ex-
tends above the knee although upon
cross-examination he admitted that somo
reputable physicians use casts extending
only to the knee
Defense Opens
During the latter part Of the session
the case of the defendant was stated by
Attorney f. F. Merrill of Skowhegan and
seven witnesses. all physicians were
sworn. The defence claims that when "A
physician hangs out his shingle in a small
country town he simply processes to have
the ordinary skill and ability of ply
sicians in similar towns and that is all
he is required to have. DR.. Earle, who
had previously practiced in East China
before going to Canaan. was a graduate
of the Bowdoin Medical School and had
worked six months in the hospitals Of
New York City. On August 81. 1914, he
was called upon to treat the plaintiff Mr..
Elwood, who had received a compound
fracture of the leg. DR.. Stinchfield came
afterwards and they applied temporary
spints to the leg. Mr.. Elwood was then
taken to Mr.. Smiths home The de-
ed it would be better for Mr.. Elwood to
go to the hospital at Skowhegan, but he
said "No." Dr. Earle used the modern
method of treating the wound by using
iodine. They applied a splint, tin on
both inside and outside, perforated with
little holes to let the air in and out.
They reduced the fracture and upon
the legs the found them both
the same length. Dr. Earle called sew
eral times up to the 11th day. when Dr.
Stinchiield and he took off the temporary
splint. On measuring the legs both were
found to be the same length and Mr.
Smith remarked upon it. They put a cast
upon the leg. They did not consider It
necessary to have an opening in the cast
because it weakened the cast. A pair of
crutches came in on the stage and upon
request Dr. Earle carried them to the
plaintiff. One day DR.. Earle found Mr.
Elwood out under tree In the yard and
then he cautioned him to keep as quiet
as he could. On Sept. 30 DR.. Stnchfield
and DR.. Earle removed the cast and dis
covered that the bones were not in posi-
ton and one leg was about an inch
both physicians Mr.. Elwood went to tho
hospital at Lewiston, where Dr. Hawkins
operated upon the leg Dr. Hawkins
found very serious fracture. The large
bone was shattered in such way that
only two points Of the bone were left to
come together and form the union At
the time Mr.. Elwood left the hospital his
leg was straight. and according to the
defence the crooked condition of the leg
was brought about by putting weight
upon 1t earlier than should have been
done. The defence contends that Dr.
Earle did the best he could with his skill
and then sent the plaintiff to experts, ana
t further contends that the leg would be
no better If the plaintiff had been sent
to the hospital earaer.' .. -
From study of various statistics the
United States bureau of standards has