The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-11-12
HEALTH SCHOOL
Pennsylvania State Department
Of Health.
Questions.
TUBERCULOSIS OF THE SPINE
POTTS DISEASEl

away as his younger brother was
about to sit down; ut was just In
fun he said; of course it was-had
he realized that serious results might
follow, he would not have done it
|. and Bob was very sorry-ever since
he has been sorry.
Charles was severely Jared, he
cried a little, then forgot about it.
Several weeks After he complained
of pain in his stomach and his
mother dosed him with castor oil.
His back hurt, he did not want to
play. He fell into the habit of walk
ing carefully, as if he were balancing
something on his head; when he
stopped to. pick up things he did not
bend over as other children, but stoop-
ed with stiff back bending his knees
His pain became greater. A lump as
IL made by a knuckle of bone appear
ed over his spine as it grew he be-
| came shorter.
His parents lived a long way in the
country, roads were bad and doctors
were scarce; the child had no medi-
cal attention.
| That was twenty years ago-Charles
| lives today-a hunchback All his life
he has been handicapped by his APP
pearance and by the physical weak
ness resultant from his deformity
Hunchback is caused by 'Tubercu-
| losis of the Spine" known Familiarity
to medical men as POTTS Disease"
Injury to the spine, while not the
actual cause of Potts disease, by Of
| fering a spot of bone weakness af-
| fords the germs of tuberculosis a ia
vorable point for multiplication and
development. Tiny broken blood YES
sells allow a seepage of blood through
! the bone substance WHICH arrests the
| germs which may have found their
way into the circulation Nearly every
| case of Potts disease can be assOci-
ated with an injury of greater or less
| severity, sometimes months before the
| earliest symptoms are noticeable.
The weight of the head shoulders
and chest are supported by the spine
or back bone, which is made up of in
| dividual bones called vertebrae.
| If we were to superimpose num-
Der of fat padlocks, one over the
other, we would have column which
might be said in some degree to re-
semble the backbone. the fiat bodies
of the padlocks taking the place of the
bodies of the vertebrate and the hasps
| representing the ring of bone which
surrounds the spinal cord.
When the presence of germs of tu-
berculosis cause the bodies of zone or
more vertebrae to decay. the weight,
which the spinal column supports.
pressing upon the weakened bone
hastens the process; the bodies of the
vertebrae give way causing a forward
buckling of the spine and the charac-
| teristic deformity. y
| If the disease he recognized early
and means be employed to place the
affected p TT at complete rest. at the
| same time relieving it from the pres
sure caused by the weight Of the up
per part of the body, complete recov-
cry may be expected.
This effect may be accomplished by
the application of the plaster of paris
| jacket or by one or another of the
| various devices for relieving the spine
from the support fof the upper part
Of the body. Rest in bed-lying flat
is tiresome, but rational treatment.
The method of treatment employed
depends upon conditions surrounding
individual cases and should be left en-
tirely to the physician in charge.
When deformity is actually present
it cannot be corrected, but can be kept
from getting worse.
Pain is an early symptom of Potts
disease, but is not always associated
with the seat of the trouble: it may
be referred to the stomach, abdomen,
or legs, but sudden iarring such as Is
produced by stepping stiff-legged from
a step almost always causes pain at
the seat of the disease.
The same effect may be produced If
hrm downward pressure be made upon
the head, the individual in question
sitting up straight.
Injuries TO the back are not often
followed by Potts disease, but it is
We'll TO keep in mind, they sometimes
are, and that any part of the back
bone is liable to attack.
Children with slight injuries get
well quickly. If pain and stiffness
persist and they appear to get worse
instead Of better, medical advice
should be sought promptly.