The description of an instrument, called a commander, for reducing a dislocated shoulder / [John Freke].

  • John Freke
Date:
[1743]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The description of an instrument, called a commander, for reducing a dislocated shoulder / [John Freke]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The 'Defcription of an Inftrument, called a Commander, for reducing a diflocated Shoulder 5 invented by Mr. John Freke, Surgeon of St. Bartho¬ lomews Holpital, and F. R. S. Gentlemen, I Should not have prefented this to you, but to (hew in how fmall a Compafs the whole Power which can be made ufe of in reducing a diflocated Shoulder can be contracted. If there¬ fore a Machine for this Purpofe be not portable, it matters but little to an afflicted Patient Ten Miles ofF, how good an Instrument is out of his Reach. This Machine (fee Tab. IV. Fig. 2.) which confifts of Two Boxes joined at the Ends by Two Hinges, contains, when folded together, every thing that can poflibly be wanted in the Operation before-mentioned; and it may fo eafily be made ufe of, without the Affiftance of any other Operator than the Surgeon employed, that I may venture to affirm, a Patient may be fet down, the Inftrument applied, and the Shoulder reduced, in One Minute, ordinarily fpeaking. The Length of this Inftrument, when fhut up, is One Foot Eight Inches, its Breadth Nine Inches, and Thicknefs Three Inches and a Quarter. When it is opened, it is kept fo by Two Hooks fixed on the Backfide of it; and, when one End of it ftands on the Ground, the other Hands high enough to become a Fulcrum, or Support of a Lever B £, which is fixed on a Roller h, by a large Wood Screw, which turning Tideways as well as with the Roller, it obtains a circumro- tatory Motion, fo that it will ferve to reduce a Luxation either backward, forward, or down¬ ward. . The Roller on which the Lever is fixed, is juft the Diameter of the Depth of one of the Boxes, into which are driven Two Iron Pins, the Ends of which are received by the Two Sides of the Box, which are an Inch thick. The Lever is Two Foot Four Inches, and is cut ofFand joined again by One Hinge C, to fold up fo as to be contained in the Boxes. On the Bacfiide of it is a Hook, to keep it ftrait; the other End of it is to hang over the Roller about an Inch and half, which is to be excavated and covered with Buff Leather, for the more eafy Reception of the Head of the Os humeri. r> nr G^eks D & are Fcrewed on each Side of the Lever, to receive through them an Iron Roller E, which has Two Holes through it, to receive Two Cords coming from a Brace R faxed on the lower Head of the Os humeri; for on no other Part of the Arm above the Cubit can a Bandage for this Purpofe be ufeful; for, if the Surgeon applies it on the mufcular Part of •rut1> 1C T»eTier *ads down t0 the Joint, before you can extend the Limb. 1 he Eon RoUer has a fquare End, on which is fixed a Wheel G, within the Cheek, notched round, which works as a Rotchet on a Spring Ketch underneath the Lever, by which it is flopped. as you wmd it with a Winchj and may at Pleafure be let loofe, as there fliall be Occafion for it, by difcharging the Ketch. I come now to defcribe the Brace F, which, compared with common Bandages, is of more ^onlequence than can eafily be imagined by unexperienced Perfons. It confifts of a large Piece _ Leathfr> blS enough to embrace the Arm, fewed on Two Pieces of ftrong Iron curved s, riveted together, one of them having an Eye at each End, to fallen Two Cords in; the xs dent at the Ends into Two Hooks, which are to receive the Cords, after they have ' V|> i the Arm above. to keep the Patient fteady in his Chair from coming forward, or letting the Scapula ’fo'' thC ’ aft5rJihe VTmb is drawn forward by the Winch, there muft be Ground on rh W1-th ^00^s at the Ends of it, long enough to reach to the JaJpurJofe her Sldc’ Wh€re 11 muft be h00ked int0 a RinS t0 be fcrewed into the Floor,