Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-14

pieces out ne saw no traces of callous
formation on either bone He would
have expected to find it, however, in that
length of time
Afternoon Session
DR.. Hawkins resumed his testimony at
the beginning of the afternoon session.
He described the manner Of placing a
plate on bones. He had put three screws
in the plate on Mr.. Elwoods leg. Then
he put the muscles in place again and
stopped the bleeding. The danger is of
the infection Of the bone In a conf
pound fracture an open operation should
not be attempted until the skin and flesh
is healed. He found an aseptic condition
in the plaintiffs leg. Nature is a good
surgeon and sometimes will repair with
out an open operation. In this case il
was not possible to wire the bone. He
did not think he could have had any
better luck by operating earlier He had
examined the leg recently and found a
crooked condition in the lower third of
the leg. He testified that the X-ray pho
tographs show that the leg was straight
when Mr. Elwood was at the hospital
and his opinion was that Mr.. Elwood
put his weight on the leg before it was
firmly united. The plaintiff had left the
hospital against the doctors orders. In
the witness opinion the shortening of this
leg was due to the plaintiff getting upon
1t too early. And he commended the
use of the temporary splnts and the
plaster cast. 1t was not necessary to
leave a window in a cast upon a leg
where there Is no wound
Upon cross-examination witness stat
ed that he saw the plaintiff when he
came to the hospital. He had removed
one piece OF bone from the plaintiffs
leg and before the jury he identified
the piece Of bone. In the plaintiff
case he would not expect any union
with that piece Of bone in the leg. If
the plates are now on the leg the bones
are now in opposition but the bones are
not in alignment according to his testi-
mony. He testified that it was bad
practice to leave a loose cast on q leg
Tor eight days. A compound fracture
should be looked after daily until the
wound is healed. The plaintiffs frac-
ture was not compound when he reach.
ed the hospital
DR.. John e. Cortland Of Kingfeld
testified that at the time Mr.. Elwood
was at the Central Maine hospital he
was employed at that hospital. He had
dressed and tended the plaintiffs leg
after the operation. He had advised
Mr.. Elwood not to leave the hospital
until his leg became stronger and he
was able to walk out. The plaintiff
signed a release when he left the hos
pital to relieve the hospital Of any re-
sponsibility.
Upon cross-examination DR.. Cortland
testified that he had been present at
the operation upon the plaintiff. After
six weeks the plaintiff left the hospital.
An X-ray picture showed no callous
signs and the patient was strongly ad-
vised not to leave the hospital.
DR.. H. j. Frederick Of Augusta, op-
Grating surgeon at the Augusta Cen
eral hospital. testified that he had meas
ured the leg on the short side and found
a difference between the length Of the
legs Of six-eighths Of an inch. Tine
ture Of iodine is generally used as a
QlSlNIGCt6ut Oh q "OuuUs water WOulQ
weaken this solution. He considered
the Use Of the temporary splints a. ex-
hibited excellent treatment And he
testified that 1t would be very bad
practice to perform IN open operation
at once on a compound fracture. It Is
not necessary for q cast to have q win
dow or to be split unless there was .
wound. He described natures process
Of repairing broken bone. He consid-
cred 1t best to use as small plate and
az few screws as possible. In his opin-
ion the cause Of the leg bending was
putting weight upon 1t too soon after
the operation. From the x-ray picture
he could discern no callous formation.
1t takes the compound fracture about
three times al long to get we'll a. the
simple