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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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General Surgery 169<strong>in</strong>g upon phimosis, copied from Erickson, was described. Transplantation<strong>of</strong> cuticle for heal<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> chronic ulcer was reported by Dr. Pr<strong>in</strong>ce whostated that "these transplantations failed <strong>in</strong> the presence <strong>of</strong> suppuration."Inhalation anesthesia was discussed. Chlor<strong>of</strong>orm was said then to beSy 2 times more dangerous than sulphuric ether. Dr. Fitch admitted his preferencefor ether. This year probably represented the first more or lessgeneral change to ether from chlor<strong>of</strong>orm.Dr. Andrews recommended a row <strong>of</strong> gas jetsan endoscope for use <strong>in</strong> the urethra and other parts.10 <strong>in</strong>ches long to illum<strong>in</strong>ate(This may well havebeen the first conception <strong>of</strong> modern cystoscopy.)A report on a fracture bed was made by Dr. C. Truesdale <strong>of</strong> Rock Island.This consisted <strong>of</strong> a double <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ed plane with a pelvic post <strong>in</strong>serted aga<strong>in</strong>stthe femur and was adjustable. "In treat<strong>in</strong>g oblique and compound fractures<strong>of</strong> the leg, when there is shorten<strong>in</strong>g, extension (he meant traction) is madethrough the medium <strong>of</strong> the foot board and counter-extension by the thighplane.In treat<strong>in</strong>g compound fractures <strong>of</strong> the leg, I place it <strong>in</strong> a shallowfracture box made <strong>of</strong> wood or t<strong>in</strong>, partly filled with bran, which makes thebest possible cushion for the leg.Extension can be made as early and effectuallyas without it."Dr. Kittoe <strong>of</strong> Galena reported on a new apparatus for fracture <strong>of</strong> thebars connect<strong>in</strong>g below the foot by a cross bar.leg consist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> two steelA foot piece on this fitted with a threaded bar could be attached to adhesivestraps for traction. Counter-extension was made by two pads attached torods by set screws which rested aga<strong>in</strong>st the bulge <strong>of</strong> the side <strong>of</strong> the knee.This could be suspended like Smith's anterior spl<strong>in</strong>t.Dr. Andrews exhibited a new mouth gag. In a most timely paper he alsodeclared that he had abandoned the use <strong>of</strong> chlor<strong>of</strong>orm <strong>in</strong> Mercy Hospitaln<strong>in</strong>e years before because it was dangerous <strong>in</strong> surgery. But it was acceptable<strong>in</strong> midwifery. He now used sulphuric ether. Recently this same change hadbeen made at the Cook County Hospital. There was at that time no largehospital <strong>in</strong> Chicago us<strong>in</strong>g chlor<strong>of</strong>orm as its anesthetic. He published a list<strong>of</strong> collected anesthesia adm<strong>in</strong>istration from the United States and fromEurope: 92,815 anesthesias by ether, 117,078 by chlor<strong>of</strong>orm <strong>of</strong> which 43died, a ratio mortality <strong>of</strong> 1:2723.Dr. Pr<strong>in</strong>ce presented a report on orthopedic surgery. He also talked atlength on how "to dis<strong>in</strong>fect sutures and ligatures." He said that "the superiority<strong>of</strong> silver sutures had been established but that it was still desirableto obta<strong>in</strong> the flexibility <strong>of</strong> l<strong>in</strong>en, silk and cotton with the non-irritat<strong>in</strong>gcharacter <strong>of</strong> silver. ... If we can have a suture which is as unirritat<strong>in</strong>g tothe liv<strong>in</strong>g tissue as silver wire, and <strong>in</strong> addition to this negative quality <strong>of</strong>not excit<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>flammation is also a dis<strong>in</strong>fectant(hav<strong>in</strong>g a positive quality<strong>of</strong> prevent<strong>in</strong>g putrefaction), we have an improvement upon the silver wire."

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