The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-02-14
COWS RIB IS MADE
PART OF MANS SPINE
FOURTEEN INCHES OF AMI
MAILS BONE is USED IN THE
GRATING PROCESS.
OPERATIONS ARE SUCCESSFUL


Three Times Edward Cosgrove, of
Lynn, Mass, Is Placed on Table.
Now Walks With Clutches and Is
Gaining in Flesh.
LYNN, Mass.-How would you
feel walking about with a 14-inch sec
ton of a cows rib as part of your
spine? Edward ("Spider Bill'O Cos
grove. formerly blacksmith and liv-
ling at p Church street, three times on
the operating table at Massachusetts
General hospital, answers that he is
feeling fine" and has no desire to
"moo" when a bottle of milk is set
before him.
Once declared by physicians and
surgeons doomed to be a cripple for
life and spend his time in bed, now
each dav in his home be hobbies about
with the aid Of his crutches and with
in short time expects again to be
walking the streets which he traversed
before a horse kicked him in the back.
Cosgrove's time is spent making dolls
furniture, and only on cold days is he
much Inconvenience.
The cold gets in my legs and |
don't care much about moving" he
told reporter who called to see him.
When the accident happend, twelve
wears ago, Cosgrove weighed 104
pounds. Today he weighs 159 pounds,
having added pound since New
Years. He says he is going strong. )"
Injured by Horses Kick.
at is II years since the horse kicked
line" said Cosgrove AT first it caused
me some pain, but | wasn't more than
temporarily inconvenienced. Later |
suffered two more injuries to the spine,
but continued at my work. | drove a
Iiitney bus for several months and the
Iiolting of the automobile resulted in
weakening my back even more. A
few months later my limbs became
lparalyzed in the legs, | was obliged
stiff leather jacket to protect the ten
der part of my back, but, suddenly
parar1vzed in the legs, | was obliged
to give up work and throw myself up
on the mercy of physicians and sur
Igeons."
His ailment was diagnosed as Potts
disease, or tuberculosis of the spine.
The operation, the doctors said might
save his life for few years, but with
little possibility OF his ever again put
ting his feet upon the floor, But ex-
lperience of some of the surgeons on
the battle fields during the world war
had taught them many new things,
and they decided that a portion OF Cos
groves spine should be cut away. A
strip about 10 inches long on one side
of the spinal column, covering all OF
lone side was cut away and replaced
with a rib OF COW.
For four weeks | lay on my back
strapped to a cot, until the stitches
were healed, and then | was allowed
to move about" said COsgrove. "A
section of the rib bone OF young
Cow was Whitfield and chiseled into
1.-THE proper shape to replace the dis
leased portion of the vertebrae remov-
led and few inches added for good
measure and to give strength to the
substitute spinal column. | was allow
led to watch the surgeons perform the
preparatory work on the rib, but after
THAT was done there ensued FIVE hours
of darkness while the physicians per-
formed the operation"
Incision IA Inches Long.
An incision IA inches long was made
lat one side OF the spine so that the
muscles and flesh directly over the
grated bone could be pressed firmly
Into position after the operation.
Then Cosgrove was put in plaster
cast and the knitting process on his
Ispine began. In a few weeks, long,
Ianxious weeks for Cosgrove's family,
the surgeons pronounced the opera
Ition a success. The first operation was
performed September, 1919, another
lin October 1920, and the third on
February q, 1921.
One of the unusual features OF the
Operation, aside from the patient 5
rapid recovery, was the use OF the
beef bone. Most grating operations
lreauire only two or three inches OF
substitute bone, and silver from the
Ipatients shin is generally used. The
Ibeef rib used was similar to that OF
1.-THE rib roast to be found in any butch
er's shop. The bone was heated, then
chilled, before being used, just as a
Ipiece of steel is chilled.
/ Cosgrove lives in a pleasant home
with his wife and three children, one
girl and two husky boys. He is a
/ brother of James J. Cosgrove, Tor
whom one OF the squares in Lynn was
named after he had lost his life in the
Argonne sector during the war. "Spi-
der Bill" attempted to join the army
at the beginning of the war, but his
It1bercu1ar spine barred him.