The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-07
USES
KNIFE TO SAVE
GLOVE CAREER
Boxer Left Operating Table
With 1863 Stitches Inside Of
| Puny Punching Shoulder
BY JAMES ]. CORBETT.
(copyright. 1898. by King Pastures
Svndinafa. Inc

Syndicate. Incl
TNHE medical fraternity, ais well
as athletic America, Is keeping
the optics focused just now
upon the activities OF Jack Zlvic. the
13b-pound wiggler OF brawney isis;
For this one-time international
champion Of amateur hghtWeignIs
soon viii demonstrate whether or
not surgical operation can cure
an arm from jumping out OF It's
socket each and every time It -
thrown forward with violence.
IL the operation, performed by
DR.. Wilfred g. Fralick, OF New
York. Is successful it means q rev.
0lution in the method Of treating
sstf1rown out, arms-and II means
also that many ball players, fight
ers and others who have gone into
retirement because Of bad arms,
can be salvaged.
Something more than year. ago
Zivic, playing basketball, threw his
right arm out of its socket and had
to park the arm for nearly two
months. He thought then that It
was all right-but threw It out In
his very next fight. The same
thing transpired In his next two
ring battles, whereupon Zivic cons
cllided:
TN have to quit the ring game. !"
CURED OTHERS.
But Jimmy Bronson, his mana
ser. had a different viewpoint. be-
cause he knew DR.. Fraliclk, ana
had heard something about the
miracles" which the physician had
performed upon Frank Chance,
manager Of the Red Sox;: Bill KLEIN,
the umpire; Jeff Smith, the middle
weight. and other athletes.
So Bronson hunted up DR.. Fra.
1lck and explained the situation 70
him. He pointed out that fistic ex.
perfs everywhere acclaimed Zlvic
one Of the best lightweight prospects
that had come forward In recent
years and he added that z1vic nati1r-
ally was useless performer with a
right arm which constantly jumped
rom its moorings.
Bring him around to my office,
said Fralick.
Zivic appeared DIR. Fra1ick ex-
amined the armand then declared:
The fault Is that the capsule
18ocketl into which the arm fits is
too large. That naturally causes the
arm to jump out Of its place at the
point of the shoulder. feel certain
that q surgical operation can correct
the condition entirely.
sIf this operation were being per.
formed on an ordinary person, It
could be done rapidly and without q
very big incision," DR.. Fralick added.
But you are an athlete and dare
not cut through any Of the shoulder
or arm muscles. II did, such ac-
ton might end your fighting career.
-
60 work around the various major
muscles which viii make the opera
don little more difficult. But
eln certain II win be successful just
the same. :
40 STITCHES.
DR.. Fra1ick performed the opera
ton last summer. When Zivic came
out Of the ether he had 160 stitches
inside the shoulder and arm and thir-
fy-six stitches on the outside total
Of ise. which probably is close to
record in the number of stitches re-
auired to sew up q surgical wound.
For nearly two months Ztvic did
nothing but reeupefate. Eventual
- he got around to q gymnasium
and performed light workouts. He
tried the arm gingerly at first,
ana found it could stand q mild
strain. Eventually he put it to
1he real test-and the arm stayed
1n place.
A month ago Civic went to
Pittsburgh and took on one OF the
toughest lightweights ever devolp-
ed In that action. It was slam.
hang fight from start to finish
and never at any moment during
the whole affair did Zfvic hum0r
his right arm. In fact, he let
loose harder and oftener with II
than ever before In his entire
career. He did 50 with the aasur.
ance from DIR. Fralick that he need
have no fear as to the consequences
that the arm would stay in
place and would perform perfectly.
Civic knocked out his man that
highland his arm has suffered
no evil effects from the battling.
Other physicians, curious to see
Just how Dr. Fralick performed the
unique operation, have since ex.
axnined 1t and have declared that
there seems to be absolutely no
chance Of the arm ever slipping
cut Of the socket again.
But the medical fraternity, az q
whole, ever skeptical, wants to sit
hack and wait q while longer 70
zee what happens to Zivfc's arm.
II It stays in place, It viii concede
that DIR. Fralick has created some.
thing new IN the matter OF surg
cry and that his discovery means
that athletes Of the future, whose
arms go wrong, need not 90 into
retirement-need merely the serv
ices of skilled surgeon to restore
the arms to their former greatness