(46) HISrORT of the SOCIETT. 



A«m.nt of fcribe, as ilhiftrating the efforts of nature, to fupply the motion 



^gf^^,gg,^ bones after diflocatlon, and where a procefs for forming 

 a new joint, that, fo far as 1 know, has never been defer ibed, is 

 taking pkice. The bones are from a w^oman, who was differed 

 in the theatre here, about four years ago ; the tliigh had been 

 long diflocated, and the woman had been able to walk about. 

 The neck of the os femoris lay on the edge of the acetabulum, 

 while tlie head, which is changed in its fliape from the prefTure 

 of the furrounding parts, was on the dorfum ilii beyond this 

 cavity. The edge of the acetabulum filled up the hollow at 

 the neck of the femur, which is made deeper by its preffure. 

 There are two procelTes of bone growing into the acetabulum 

 from the os femoris, and which at laft would have formed a 

 kind of head to play in this the cavity of the old joint, and 

 thus have made a new one confiderably different from that in 

 the cafes already mentioned. By one or other of thefe different 

 ways, nature attempts to remedy the injury done to a limb after 

 luxation. At the time the head of the humerus is forming a 

 new focket for itfelf, the glenoid cavity is deftroyed, its fides 

 approach each other, and the hollowed part is filled up by gra- 

 nulations of bone. The burfal ligament adheres to the furface 

 ■of this cavity, and is thus to all appearance loft. 



" The patient continues in this ftate, with a joint either more 

 -or lefs perfect, and, when proper attention has been paid, the 

 new joint may be made a very vifeful one; and to this point 

 alone our treatment of old diflocations ought to be diredled. 

 The treatment of luxations muft differ according to the ftate of 

 the difeafe. When they are recent, redudlion in the eafieft and 

 fafeft manner is the furgeon's objedl : And here we fliall make a 

 few obfervations, drawn partly from what we have already fliown 

 to be the ftate of the joint and mufcles, and partly from experience. 

 " The head of the humerus being in all cafes pulled beyond 

 the glenoid cavity, and lodged on the fcapula, the firft ftep to- 

 wards 



