{46) niSrORT of the S CIE^K 



M^HamiPon fcobe, as illuftratmg the efforts of nature, to fupply the motion 

 between bones after dillocation, and where a procefs for forming 

 a new joint, that, fo far as I know, has never been defcribed, is 

 taking place. The bones are from a woman, who was diffedled 

 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 the head, which is changed in its fliape from the prefFure 

 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 proceffes of bone growing into the acetabulum 

 from the os femoris, and which at lafl 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 humeiTis 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 lofl. 



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

 -or lefs perfe(5l, and, when proper attention has been paid, the 

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

 alone our treatment of old diflocations ought to be directed. 

 The treatment of luxations muft differ according to the flate of 

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

 fafefl manner is the furgeon's obje(5l : And here we fhall make a 

 few obfervations, drawn partly from what we have already fhown 

 • to be the flate 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 firfl flep to- 

 wards 



