ITS SURGICAL AND MECHANICAL TREATMENT. 83 



by this gentleman. Mr. Pollock enjoyed the benefit 

 of Mr. Avery's friendship, and assisted him in some 

 of his operations on the hard palate, and to this cir- 

 cumstance Mr. Pollock attributes in some measure 

 his own success in this operation, which appears to 

 have exceeded that of others. But Mr. Pollock 

 attributes some measure of his success to the instru- 

 ments he uses, which have been made according to 

 his own directions. On this point he remarks, 

 " The first consideration must be paid to the instru- 

 ments which are necessary in these operations; a 

 consideration of the utmost importance ; as much 

 so, indeed, as any other point in connexion with 

 the treatment of these cases. The broader cutting 

 edge should be chiefly employed, in preference to 

 the narrower blades, as it secures greater expe- 

 dition with less chance of bruising the soft parts. 

 I prefer throughout the detaching process, the 

 broadest edged blade that can be conveniently used. 

 I have had several new knives constructed." In 

 this paper Mr. Pollock records two cases of his own 

 which were successful, and since that paper was read, 

 Mr. Pollock has reported in the Journals other 

 cases in which he has operated successfully. 



I now proceed to trace the history of the mecha- 

 nical treatment of cleft palate. Since the first 

 surgical attempt to remedy this lesion dates only 

 as far back as 1760, we may expect to find the help 

 of the mechanic invoked to overcome the most dis- 

 agreeable and inconvenient efiects of cleft palate, 



g2 



