Volume 2

Spinal curvature : its consequences, and its cure ... / by John B. Serny.

  • Serny, John B.
Date:
[1840]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Spinal curvature : its consequences, and its cure ... / by John B. Serny. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    44/144 (page 16)
    young lady, whose figure Dr. Harrison had restored, (by which means she had been rescued from pulmonary consumption), in- formed Dr. Harrison of Sarah Hawkes, and desired him to “ visit the poor girl, as an object of compassion and wonder,” not having the slightest idea that any relief could be administered. Dr. Harrison, HAVING CAREFULLY EXAMINED INTO THE CASE, UNDERTOOK THE CURE. November 15, 1831.—He commenced the treatment, by thrust- ing folds of soft linen between the knees and the ankles, in order to separate them. On the day following he could stir the arm a little. Upon the 19th, the limbs being considerably parted, he had the pleasure of removing the arm from its long imprisonment ; but so great was the pain, upon taking it from its confined situa- tion for a few minutes only, that she wrgently desired to have wt replaced. Having disengaged the arm, Dr. Harrison directed his attention to the back, in order to ascertain the extent of, the turning her over for this purpose, great irregularities were found in all the cervical vertebrae ; one of the lower was driven forward, leaving an evident hollow behind. He resolved upon stretching the neck, hoping by this measure to replace all the vertebre, an experiment, which led to the immediate restoration of the natural state and the appearance of the neck. Frictions, from the first, were almost continually applied to the arm and the scapula, in which parts the power of motion was rapidly increased; and, on the 22nd, (seven days only from Dr. Harrison’s beginning to attempt relief,) the arm was finally released, and restored to perfect liberty ; and, though weak, she could move it in every direction, as well as the other. | November 24th.—Sarah Hawkes was this morning carried from her bed, (where she had lain, without removal, curved in her body and limbs, as described, for more than three years,) and, soon after the removal, she threaded a needle with her right hand, which had [wood cut No. 3, p] been fixed between her thighs. 27th.—She had been turned upon her face for the three last days, in order to permit a sketch to be taken of her back, as well as to have it and the cervical vertebre well rubbed. In this