The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English Part 152

POSTERIOR SPINAL CURVATURE.

(HUMPBACK.)

Posterior curvature of the spine, sometimes known as Pott's Disease, occurs most frequently in children, and is generally developed before the seventh year. Children of a scrofulous diathesis are especially liable to this affection. It is generally due to disease of the inter-vertebral cartilages and bodies of the vertebrae. It comes on in a slow, insidious manner, hence, it often makes serious inroads upon the spine and system before its character is even suspected.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1.

The above portion of the spinal column shows the manner of the breaking down of the vertebrae from caries, and the absorption of their bony structure.]

Generally the first point of invasion is the cartilaginous substances between the bodies of the vertebrae, beginning with inflammation, and finally resulting in ulceration and a breaking-down of the cartilages.

It next invades the vertebrae themselves, and producing caries, or death and decay of the bony substance, which softens and wastes away, as shown in Fig. 1. The vertebrae become softened and broken down, and weight of the body pressing them together produces the deformity known as "humpback." (See Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.)

SYMPTOMS. Among the various symptoms present in the earlier stages of the disease, and during its progress, we deem it necessary to mention only a few of the more prominent ones. While the patient is yet able to go around, the disease manifests itself by occasional pain in the bowels, stomach, and chest. Often there is a hacking cough, nervousness, la.s.situde, and a generally enfeebled condition of the whole system. The patient is easily fatigued; there is apparent loss of vitality, impaired appet.i.te, a feeling of tightness across the stomach and chest, gradually declining health, and loss of flesh and strength, torpidity of the liver, deficient secretions, constipation, and morbid excretions from the kidneys. The victim, in pa.s.sing chairs, tables, and other objects, instinctively places his hands upon them, and, as the disease progresses, when standing, leans upon some support whenever possible. In walking, he moves very carefully and cautiously, with elbows thrown back and chest forward, to a.s.sist the body in keeping its equilibrium. The body being kept in an upright position, the patient bends the knees rather than the back in stooping, as ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 5, and the body is frequently supported by the hands being placed upon the thighs or knees. Sudden movements or shocks cause more or less pain.

The development of the disease then becomes rapid; suffering increases, and pain about the joints and lower extremities and muscles of the posterior part of the pelvis is experienced; numbness and coldness of the extremities are felt; locomotion becomes more difficult, and a slight projection is observed upon the back. Even in this somewhat advanced stage of the disease, when the symptoms are so apparent, many cases are shamefully neglected because an ignorant adviser says it is nothing serious and that the patient will outgrow it. The pain and tenderness not always being in the back, the inexperienced are very often misled as to the true character of the trouble. This distortion or deformity of the back now becomes painfully prominent; the diseased vertebrae quickly soften and waste away; the pressure upon the spinal cord increases, and paralysis of the limbs supervenes; the power of locomotion is lost, and, at last, the danger is realized and the struggle for life begins.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3.]

Thus, through ignorance, neglect, and improper treatment, the poor, helpless victim is doomed to a life of hideous deformity and suffering.

We would, therefore, urge upon parents whose children are afflicted with this terrible disease, the great importance of placing them under the care of surgeons who have for many years made the treatment of such cases a specialty, and who have every facility and all necessary surgical appliances for insuring success in every case undertaken.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 4.

Appearance of a child suffering from Pott's disease of the spine.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 5.

Mode of stooping adopted by a child suffering from spinal disease.]

TREATMENT. The great essentials for the successful treatment of disease and deformities of the spine are first, a thorough knowledge of the structure and parts involved by the disease; secondly, the adjustment of mechanical appliances perfectly adapted to the requirements and necessities of each individual case, and the proper use of our system of "vitalization," applied to the spinal muscles to strengthen the weaker and relieve the undue contraction of the stronger. For many years our specialists have experimented, and have given the various appliances in common use in these cases most thorough and practical tests, and have found them very defective, being generally constructed upon wrong principles. The physician who sends to a mechanic for an appliance, such as are now made in the shops of most instrument makers, and uses the same, is doing himself an injustice, and barbarously torturing his patient by forcing him to wear an apparatus which is heavy, clumsy, and inevitably injurious, instead of being beneficial in its results. In the treatment of diseases and deformities of the spine, there should be no compromising; the appliance that fails to give complete support should not be worn. In our treatment of these maladies we employ only appliances which are constructed under the personal supervision of our specialists, upon principles dictated by common sense and the actual necessities of the case. We do not confine the body in an iron jacket.

Our apparatus is light, yet durable, and is worn by the most delicate children without pain or inconvenience. It gives proper support to all parts, and is so nicely adjusted as to produce pressure only upon those points which should receive support, leaving the muscles of the spine freedom of action, thereby a.s.sisting in their development. In many hundreds of cases treated by our specialists, the disease has been entirely cured and the deformity removed. After seeing the patients and adjusting the appliances, they can generally be treated at their homes.

LATERAL CURVATURE OF THE SPINE.

(CROOKED BACK.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 6.

Lateral curvature of the spine. E to F, the primary curve.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 7.

A mild case of lateral curvature of the spine.]

This deformity appears more frequently in anaemic persons, in whom the flexibility and elasticity of the muscles are weakened, than in those of a plethoric habit. It is generally contracted during youth, between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Persons of sedentary and indolent habits are especially liable to this deformity, hence, girls are most frequently its victims. It is never seen among the natives of tropical countries who habitually live in the open air, and seldom among the barbarous races of northern lat.i.tudes. A distinguis.h.i.+ng feature of the American Indian is his erect carriage. The _primary_ curvature is generally toward the right side, as represented in Figs. 6 and 7. Figs.

8 and 9 show the disease in a more advanced stage. The ribs are thus forced into an unnatural position, and the vital organs contained in the cavity of the chest are compressed or displaced, thus distorting the form of the whole upper portion of the body.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 8.

Lateral curvature in an advanced stage. ]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 9.

Lateral curvature in an advanced stage. ]

SYMPTOMS. The first indication of lateral curvature of the spine is a marked projection of the right scapula, or shoulder-blade. It is sometimes first observed by the dressmaker, or, accidentally, while bathing. The right shoulder is slightly elevated, while the left hip is depressed and projects upward. If not corrected while in its earlier stages, it progresses very rapidly, and a second curvature is developed.

The symptoms vary in different cases, and in the early stages are somewhat obscure and undefined, but generally the patient feels a sense of uneasiness, languor, stupor, and nervousness, loss of energy and ambition, general debility, poor appet.i.te, gradually declining health, loss of strength and flesh, and, as the disease progresses, a slight elevation of one of the shoulder-blades is noticed, as well as the deviation of the spine to one side. The curve, or distortion, of the spine increases more rapidly as the body becomes heavier, the spine often a.s.suming the shape of the letter S, and, from compression by torsion of the vertebrae and distortion of the ribs, the vital organs are encroached upon, causing serious functional derangement of the heart, lungs, liver, and stomach, producing, as its inevitable consequence a list of maladies fearful to contemplate.

CAUSES. In rare instances, the lateral curvature of the spine is due to defects of certain bones of the pelvis or limbs. Cases are recorded in which this deformity was caused by diseases of the abdominal organs, but, as we have intimated, it is generally due to a lack of tonicity of the muscles, or, as a late writer has expressed it, "Want of correspondence in the antagonism of those muscles which control the motions of the spinal column." Habitual sitting or standing in a leaning posture, or standing upon one foot, thus constantly using one set of the muscles of the back, while the other becomes enfeebled by the lack of exercise, is a common cause of this deformity. The habit which so many school-girls contract of drawing up one foot under the body while sitting, often produces a lateral curvature of the spine.

TREATMENT. No disease or deformity of the spine is so easily cured and perfectly corrected, if the proper plan of treatment is pursued. To correct this deformity, many ingenious forms of apparatus have been devised and invented by our specialists, which should be carefully adjusted to each individual case. In addition to this, our method of treatment by "vitalization," and by mechanical movements and manipulations, is almost indispensable in these cases. It never fails to give relief, and, if properly pursued, invariably results in a permanent cure.

DEFORMED FEET, HANDS AND LIMBS.

There are thousands whose feet, hands, and limbs are almost entirely useless, besides having an unsightly appearance. Their condition has been helpless so long, their treatment so varied, and their hopes of relief or cure have been so often disappointed, that few can believe the truth of our statement, when we positively a.s.sert that we can correct and cure nearly all cases of talipes, club, or crooked feet and deformed hands, and make them as perfect in appearance, and as useful in action, as feet and hands which have never been deformed. While this may seem miraculous, or even impossible, to those who are unacquainted with the wonderful improvements and rapid progress made in this department of surgical science, it is attested and verified by living witnesses whose feet and hands were once deformed and useless, but which have been made perfect by our new and improved method of treatment. We do not make these statements in a spirit of vain boastfulness, but having devoted many years to improving and perfecting surgical appliances and apparatus, and having had practical experience in the successful treatment of thousands of cases, we do say that our manner of treatment is original and employed only by us. We entirely ignore the ineffectual methods usually employed in such cases. Our treatment causes no pain, and little inconvenience, yet the curative results are speedy and certain, and a hundredfold more satisfactory than those obtained by any other course.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 10.

Talipes Equinus.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 11.

Talipes Calcaneus.]

We have most thoroughly tested all the best forms of treatment heretofore devised and employed in this cla.s.s of diseases, and have adopted the best features of all the various methods heretofore pursued.

We have combined these with our own improvements and, as the result, we have perfected a thorough and efficient system of treatment, based upon scientific principles.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 12.

Talipes Valgus.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 13.

Double Club-foot.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 14.

Bow-legs.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 15.

Knock-knees.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 16.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 17.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 18.]