The diagnosis of Pott's disease of the spine before the stage of deformity / by V.P. Gibney.

  • V. P. Gibney
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The diagnosis of Pott's disease of the spine before the stage of deformity / by V.P. Gibney. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    CASE IX. SIMPLE ANTERO-POSTERIOR CUKVATURE OF RACHITIC ORIGIN. Jane II., aged twenty-two montlis, is but one of a large number of children brought to the hospital for spinal caries. This child is presented February 12, 1879. There is a marked exaggeration of the dorsal curve, and the child is unable, by reason of this mal- position, to stand alone. The epiphyses of the long bones are enlaiged, and the history is so clearly ra- chitic that we have no difficulty in making a diagnosis of rachitic kyphosis ; besides, the curvature can be over- come by traction. A light steel brace is applied to overcome the deformity, and further treatment is con- stitutional. The progress was com[)aratively slow, and it was not until January 29, 1880, that all deformity had disappeared, and the child was walking freely. The apparatus was removed, and a careful examination failed to discover any signs of bone disease. CASE X. FIRST DIAGNOSIS, LATERAL CURVATURE FROM RACHITIS ; ELEVEN MONTHS LATER SPINAL CARIES DETECTED. Jas. C., aged four, was admitted to hospital July 24, 1874. He had a bad family history, and his personal history was wretched. The child had a chronic ble- pharo-adenitis with pannus, and it was not long since he had had the measles, with slow convalescence. Dur- ing this convalescence he began to walk unsteadily. He stands with body shifted, as it were, over to the side of the pelvis, his abdomen is tympanitic, and there is no angular prominence or exaggeration of normal curves. An apparatus was applied, and constitutional treatment was faithfully carried out. The blepharo- adenitis gave much- annoyance, and his improvement was often interrupted, so that by June 27, 1875, we had nothing specially encouraging to report. His lat- eral curvature had been overcome, but now he was observed to stoop very stiffly and with great effort;
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