IN THE REPAIRING SHOPS 269 



he has made in the skin. The modern surgeon is so 

 certain of the absolute cleanliness of his instruments and 

 fingers that he never fears the introduction of germs 

 which may set up an inflammation that endangers his 

 patient's life. He binds the mended limb with splints 

 in such a way as to secure a free circulation of blood to 

 the injured parts and at the same time to prevent such 

 movements of the foot or knee as would undo his car- 

 pentry. But the surgeon does not really mend the rent 

 in the tendon or skin by his stitches ; he only places and 

 secures the torn or cut parts in their normal ^position. 

 Nature has then to do the welding and the mending. 

 Just watch how she goes about her work. First she 

 keeps messages going from the injured part to the ex- 

 change centres in the spinal cord that prevent the patient 

 from using his foot in walking and standing. Then she 

 turns on the stopcocks of the vessels which supply blood to 

 the site of the injury. Then, most wonderful of all, she 

 sets the tendon-builders to work. The living units on 

 each side of the rent or tear change their ordinary habits ; 

 their lives are suddenly quickened ; they multiply rapidly, 

 and thus breed new tendon units, which grow into the 

 gap from each side and so bridge it with tender new 

 tendon tissue. Subsequently consolidation commences ; 

 the tendon units or builders give rise to fibres which 

 gradually grow in strength. In six weeks or less Nature 

 has welded the ends of the tendon so that the "connecting 

 rod " of the heel can withstand all ordinary strains. From 

 beginning to end of the undertaking Nature was the black- 

 smith ; the surgeon was the assistant : he blew the bellows 

 and saw that she was not interrupted when at work ; he 

 saved her trouble by bringing together the torn ends of 

 the tendon, and hastened recovery by seeing that Nature's 

 behests were observed by the patient. There are surgeons, 

 however, who rightly maintain that repair is effected 

 equally well if they merely bring the torn ends as nearly 

 together as is possible by bending the ankle and knee and 

 retaining them in a bent position. They obtain almost 

 as quick and good repairs as surgeons who are more 



