292 Mr Thomas Oxley on Gutta Percha. 



tations, that I should think myself culpable in not giving the 

 facts early publicity. Its vitility in fracture of the lower jaw 

 must at once strike any surgeon. So well does it mould it- 

 self to every sinuosity that it is more like giving the patient 

 a new bone than a mere support. A man lately brought into 

 hospital, who liad his lov.er jaw broken by the kick of a 

 horse, and which was so severe as to cause haemorrhage from 

 the ears, smasliing the bone into several fragments, was able 

 to eat and speak three days after the accident, and felt so 

 well with his gutta splint, that he insisted leaving the hospital 

 within ten days. My mode of applying this substance to 

 fractures of the leg is as follows : — 



The gutta having been previously rolled out into sheets of 

 convenient size, and about one-fourth of an inch in thickness, 

 is thus kept ready for use. When required, a piece of the ne- 

 cessary length and breadth is plunged into a tub of boiling 

 water. The limb of the patient is then gently raised by as- 

 sistants, making extension in the usual manner. The sur- 

 geon, having ascertained that the broken bone is in its place, 

 takes the sheet of gutta out of the hot water, and allows it 

 to cool for a couple of minutes. It is still soft and pliable as 

 wash leather. Place it whilst in this state under the limb, 

 and gently lower the latter down on it. The gutta is tlien 

 to be brought round and moulded carefully to the whole of 

 the back and sides of the leg, bringing the edges close toge- 

 ther, but not uniting them. If there be any superfluous sub- 

 stance, it can be cut off with a scissor, leaving an open slit 

 down the front of the leg. You have now the leg in a com- 

 fortable, soft, and smooth case, which, in ten minutes, will 

 be stiff enough to retain any shape the surgeon may have 

 given it, and which will also retain the bone in silit. Place 

 the leg so done up on a double inclined plane, and secure it 

 thereto by passing tliree of the common loop bandages around 

 the whole ; that is, one at the top, one in the middle, and one 

 at the lower end. Let the foot be supported by a foot-board, 

 and a case of gutta put over the dorsum of the foot, to bear 

 off the pressure of the small bandage genei'ally used to se- 

 cure it to the board Having done this, the surgeon need 

 not cause his patient another twinge of pain until he thks 



