The treatment of fractures : some practical points / James P. Warbasse.
- James Peter Warbasse
- Date:
- 1909
Licence: In copyright
Credit: The treatment of fractures : some practical points / James P. Warbasse. 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.
3/12
![THE THKATMEXT OF 1^1’TIJWES; Sbf PEACTICAL Wl NTS' -1^ '' ^ ?.■}< *> i ^ JAMES P. \VAPvI^\S!^:, fhi»f Suifjeon, (iernian Hospital: At t^iSiiis:'Surs;oon. Seuey ,51. K. I Idspital nUOOKlAN 'J'lio most important step in the treatment of fi'ae- tiires is that the surgeon shall have made a diagnosis of the condition whicli he is about to treat. To under- take tlie treatment without an adequate picture in one's mind of the hon}’ lesion present detracts materiallv from tlie satisfaction in one’s work and conduces some- times to poor results, on the one hand, or to unnecessarv confinement of the patient, on the other. So important is this that when the surgeon is not able to satisfy him- self as to the full character of the injury by means of the ordinary methods of examination, the two artificial diagnostic aids should he called on, and either genei’al anesthesia or the .r-ray employed. Still, the old and simjile methods of diagnosis are of the greatest value. In many of our hospitals young men are subjecting all their fractures to the .r-ray for diagnosis. I'his is most valuable for corroborating tbe diagnosis^ for bringing out the details, or for clearing up dilbculties; but to employ the .r-ray de novo as a routine, results in a blunting of tbeir diagnostic sensi- bilities and ])laces tbem at a disadvantage when re- fpiired to treat fractui’es when they have not access to the .r-i'ay. bet us not fall into the error of thinking that, be- cause this subject of fractures is one of tbe oldest branches of surgery and deals with tbe commonest of surgical lesions, it has attained to anything like its ultimate perfection. It is still in the lui/cy stage of de- velopment. I have no hesitancy in stating that some of * Itpnrt bofoi-p the Associated I’liysicians of Lour Island, (tarden City. Oct. .31, ino8.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22413327_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
