The alleged malpractice suit : Thompson vs. Smith. Statement of experts and surgeons / Evidence reported by R.J. Hammond, reported for the Circuit court Nov. term, 1874, for Madison county, Iowa.

Smith, A. B. (Arthur B.)

Date:: 1875

Credit: The alleged malpractice suit : Thompson vs. Smith. Statement of experts and surgeons / Evidence reported by R.J. Hammond, reported for the Circuit court Nov. term, 1874, for Madison county, Iowa. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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$was tlieii l)andaged up witli tlie elbow to the side, witli the fore arm across the l)reast, wliere it remained for four weeks, the phiintilf most or tlie time going about, doing his chores, driving iiis wagon to town, &c. All tliis was testihed to, over and over again. Then we have the positive and unequivical testimony of nine surgical experts, that, under the circumstances, as de- tailed by the plaintitl himself, there could not possibly be a dis- location of tlie plaintitf's shoulder. These positive statements made under oath, were supported by reasons for making them, by a demonstration of the anatominal structure of the parts lowing the impossibility of the existence of a subcoracoid dis- location with the symptoms given by the plaintiffs We believe we haye presented the point fairly, giving the plaintiff the bene- fit of all he can claim from the evidence, and res])ectfnnv sul)- mit the question to to this court. Is the verdict sustained by the evidence? We think not. We are also as confident that the evidence as certainly shows that there was no dislocation on Oct. (ith, as that there was none Sept. 5th. Let us look at the evidence. On Oct. i'>{]\, (thirty days after the injury) we find the plaintiff, according to his own. evidence, with his arm in bandages, elbow down close to his side and forearm across his breast, able to use his forearm, and hand a little. He then submitted to an examination by Dr. Leonai'd and Cherry as testified to by Dr. I^eonard. They re- moved the bandages; feel around his shoulder; move his arm ;i!id rotate it in every directioni take liold of his hands as they were hano-ing down bv his side, and brouo-ht them straight out in front with the ]^alms of the liands meeting, while the other ''jiolds the shonhlers as near square*as possible. They do not yet discoN'er the trouble They then mani]mlated it and ro- tated it, '■ and Dj-. fieonard says, examined to see if there was any downward dislocation and found the difficulty was not there. Then they rotated both arms wliile Leonard held his fingers on the coracoid process and says he could feel a differ- ence in the rotation under the coracoid process; they tlien told the ])laintiff* thei'e was a dislocatioii. Leonard says, now the next thing is to reduce it. They then pulled on tlie arm and manipulated and rotated the arm: then another prolonged ef- fort at imlling and then vrhat!' D/d tliey know when the dislo- cation was rednce'l? Xi>! But when tiiey were through they all agreed it was i-educed.' Uediirf/o cul ((])f<ur(liiiih fte Sr25 (iM,$