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Is it not probable that there is a regeneration of the 
cartilage as well as the bone ? for it is well known to 
every- body converfant in anatomy, that the ends of 
iome bones, which are joined to no others, are co- 
vered with cartilages ; but thefe are never wanting on 
the ends, and in the cavities of fuch bones as are de- 
figned for motion ; and I cannot fee in this cafe how 
the motion could be preferved fo complete without a 
cartilage j and indeed without a burfal ligament, or 
fomething analogous to it, to contain the fynovia, and 
keep the bone in its place. 
As this is the firft operation of the kind that has 
been performed, or at leaf!; made public, I thought 
the relation of it might polTibly conduce to the im- 
provement of the art. That ingenious furgeon, Mr. 
Gooch, has Indeed related three inftances of the heads 
of bones being fawed off in compound luxations. In 
one of thefe cafes the lower heads of the tibia and 
Jihula were fawn off, in another that of the radius^ 
and in the third that of the fecond bone of the thumb; 
but thefe were, in many refpedfs, different from the 
prefent cafe. 
I believe it will feldom happen that this operation 
will not be greatly preferable to the amputation of the 
arm at the Jcapula, as this laft is generally performed 
for a caries of the upper head of the os hivneri ; and 
as the prefervation of a limb is always of the utmoff 
confequence, and what every furgeon of the leafl; hu- 
manity would at all times wifli for, but particularly 
where (as in this cafe) the whole limb and its adlions 
are preferved entire, the cure no ways protradfed, and 
the danger of the operation mod: undoubtedly lefs. 
For though amputation is often indifpenfably necef- 
fary, 
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