THE ELEGTHO-OSTEOTOME.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1631, 9 August 1887, Page 3

THE ELEGTHO-OSTEOTOME.

The invention of a fundamentally new instrument of precision has often boon found to result m opening up an entirely new field of knowledge ; or of increasing greatly the range of knowledge within the branch of science to which it applies. Wo therefore watch with special interest the introduction of any new Burgical m struraent or appliance which will attend to rodnce human suffering or lead to Improved methods m operative aurgery. We acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Dr Milton Joelah Roberto, of New York City, for having invented a now surgical instrument, which he calls ' electroostaotome, 1 with which he can make cross, oblique, and linear sections of bone with astonishing rapidity, while a mathematical precision can be obtained as to tho aeon racy of the cut, both m regard to direction and extent. Take, for instance, auoh a deformity p. a knockkneea, doe to a curvature of tho bonoß ; to remedy whioh. m the usual w»y, requires a long, tedious operation with a mulct and chisel, with which a wedpeohaped piece of bone ia cat away. 1; ii, perhaps, the most brutal and uuooientifio method which could bo adopted, and sounds like the operative butcheiy which existed m the last century. Yet that la now the pructice with Burgeons of tho present day who perform such operations. Dr Roberts reform** all this at a stroke. Hla electric ostou'ome is an instrument holding a circular mw at its extremity, which rovolvca with lightning speed by an electric motor. This, whan held against a bone, makes a clean cut through it m a few seconds ; m fact, iti action is almost instanlanroar. By holding the | electric osteotome m a slanting position, wedge-ahaped pieces can be out cv* with equal promptitude. There is no danger of the saw cutt ng the soft parts, as they are protected by a rntractor, an instrument which 1m passed down and nnder the bone. When such a wedge-ahaped p too of bone of proper an^le is removed, the remaining bones of the leg can be straightened, and the deformity is remedied for ever.—" Health."