History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

172 History of Medical Practice in Illinoisthat "the nutrient arteries of long bones are directed toward the elbow andfrom the knee and that the epiphysis toward which they are directed unitefirst,"regions.thus giving greater and longer growth in knee, shoulder and wristDr. McArthur also spoke of Virchow having shown that connective tissuesand cartilage are interchangeable equivalents which can replace each otherand which often proceed from the same source. "The doctrine was establishedthat not only periosteum, but the marrow, cartilage and connectivetissues are each and all osteogenetic. These tissues do not possess the boneforming power alike, nor are the circumstances under which they exercisethis power, the same." Surgeons are anxious at present that in fracturesand other injuries of the bones every vestige of periosteum be preserved.During the Civil War, however, our surgeons were encouraged to dissect asmuch as possible of the periosteum from the bones removed at the elbow,the hip joints, the hand and wrist, indeed wherever the bones were easilyaccessible.1873Dr. D. A. K. Steele was admitted to membership in the Society atmeeting.Dr. J.L. White of Bloomington was chairman of the Committee onSurgery and his report stated that in the last year, surgery had been uneventfuleven "in the literature within my reach I find nothing startlinglynew, challenging wonder and admiration." The main question before thesurgeon at that time was "What and how much can I save?" The answer—"Trust Nature even a little beyond what judgment dictates."Dr. White spoke on amputations: "Unnecessary surgery, either as to theoperation performed or the amount sacrificed, is butchery." He quotedDr. F. Seymour from the Half Yearly Compendium of Medical Sciences forJanuary 1873: "There is no such thing as union by first intention; that theflaps are not the sides of a wonder box, to be glued together and expectedto remain so; but that new matter must be deposited and organized physiologicallybefore a cure can be effected . . . and that especially in amputationof the thigh, it is better to defer the bringing together of the flaps until 10or 12 days have elapsed, and granulations are covered with creamy pus;and that their union will be prompt and danger from pyaemia avoided,thus lessening mortality in these amputations." The writer notes that thosethinking surgeons seemed to cling to pus bonum vel laudabile and yet torecognize infection and pyemia with no control over it. Possibly the creamypus mentioned was the result of milder infections of staphylococcus albuswhich was not so deadly.White also talked of exfoliation of the ends of bones. He mentioned abetter way than that devised by Mussey of Cincinnati who had proposedthis