State of New York, Supreme Court : in the Supreme Court, James L. Van Ingen against Joshua Bennett.

Date:
[1855?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: State of New York, Supreme Court : in the Supreme Court, James L. Van Ingen against Joshua Bennett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    the cure here was an exceedingly fortunate and happy one, I think the proof will most abundantly show. The defendant complains that the injured leg is short- er than before, whether this is really so I am not pre- pared to say; but the injury was one that not unfre- quently requires amputation, and had the defendant fal- len into the hands of some professional men, his leg would now be much shorter. Some two years ago, a distinguished member of the Albany bar was thrown from his horse, and received an injury at the knee-joint—not a fracture. He is now and will doubtless ever continue lame. Any one who has ever examined the knee-joint of an animal, knows how perfectly smooth the surface is, and how delicate the texture that lines it. Nature has not left it simply covered with a texture called the sinovial membrane, but has supplied the joint in Addition, with a transparent liquid to obviate the slightest friction. [Here a diagram and the corresponding bones, were shown and explained, illustrating the character of the fracture in the defendant's case.] You will see, therefore, when the bones of this joint are fractured, how exceeding careful and skilful must be the operation and treatment to restore the joint to any- thing like tolerable usefulness. Now, in the defendant's case, one would not readily detect any lameness, especially when he thinks no one sees him. If his leg had been amputated, he would have paid his bill with cheerfulness ; but because he limps a little he seeks to recover of us. I do not so much blame the defendant for this treat- ment, for I believe he would have paid his bill had he not been advised by medical men unfriendly to Doct. Van Ingen, to contest it. The injury was of such a character as to render it al- most, if not quite, impossible for any surgeon to effect a perfect cure. The result shows Doct. Van Ingen to have
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