Long Island College Hospital - Lichonian Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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if ly ' ii V1 l 'I iv .i ii Q1 Hi ' i i '55 li All liil fill iii lx i lil rg-ji Q, ,Z all i l r i l ir, lm: lgil IW illii Nl, iii 1, l Wir li gi' 1 l ini 4, i Q52 ' A , FS 2131, i With a better knowledge of Orthopedics many otherwise chronic conditions will be recognized early, the prognosis proportionately improved, and many horrible de- formities prevented. What follows is a resume of the work done by the Orthopedic department, both in the Dispensary and in the Hospital, during the year 1922. The year 1922 has shown a daily attendance at the dispensary of 33 cases, with a total attendance for the year of 10,067 cases. The number of new cases totaled l,925. The hospital service has averaged 40 beds, giving 7,295 hospital days treat- ment both to adults and children. The brace shop has turned out 155 new braces, and there is need of more workers in this department. There have been no new members inthe department, however, correlation with other departments has been more intimate. During the coming year we hope to have a member of the department of pediatrics constantly in attendance at our clinic in order that children having pediatric problems can immediately be treated and so save a revisit. The immediate contact of this department will be of great value in studying those types of bone cases possessing a nutritional or systematic problem. The relations with the department of anatomy have become more intimate in the past year. One member of our staff devoting his time in anatomy exclusively to the structural body. A part of the junior year in orthopedics will be taken over bv the department of anatomy by a course in the physiology of the skeletal body so that the men will have a better foundation for their clinical course. The campaign on better shoes-better health has extended very widely through- out the country. Hundreds of thousands of pamphlets entitled DO YOU-KNOW have been distributed by request and one of our members gives almost his complete time to the education of the public in the matter of the care of the feet and proper shoes. The work done by the Visiting Nurses' Association in the field has been, as usual, of the greatest value to us during the past year. This association has done all our re-educational work, maintaining a staff of trained workers for this purpose, besides handling general nursing problems. A nurse of this association is in daily attendance at our clinic. ' We are indebted to the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities for maintaining an ambu- lance for the transportation of cripples to the clinic. The Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor has continued, as usual, their large contribution from the Fox Foundation. It is this contribution that makes possible our clinical and hospital work in present scope. We may add that the demands made upon this department are increasing daily and that unless provisions are made to meet them they cannot be met satisfactorily. For example, another worker is needed in the brace shop, facilities should be instituted to give treatments in hydro-therapy, mechano-therapy, physio-therapy and electro- therapy. J. C. RUSHMORE. 4'-1 '4 ij H 7 in i- ,lfprjiq-4 -waWi1fQfiflrfv?ff:2 , l3lSH0NlAE le 1-E fi aaa .1 pr ? i3' T IU J. L EPrscoPo. ii , 2' .til il ' 55311 gg.l..::.j -+-- - Page si.: ty fam

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-.. -.-sf.-. .7 .,.-.. --V, ,-,,,,..1- . W: aww -:.-NC ., Q-1 qvwfcrv-1 ei'-1-:Q- aw fT1:'s-fi-f..:+,I-1 1 ' 2 .lor .V L r .:. '- 4 cm .s ::.s-A , -:- .im .aim Jar 45191-,Jia ,f-:ei f ' ..-, YQ . ,. num,-. R I HGPEDICS . ll ai? K Iltw 1 RTHOPEDICSI I wonder how many.advanced 'medical students have 7 Y any idea of what the term really implies. Judging from conversation ' P with rthem, not' very much. I im? 'QQJL WE I lhe held is very large and comparatively new. Perhaps, if its prin- Hise---fy ciples and practices were better understood by the general practitioner, we would not have so many cults as Chiropractors, Naturopaths, Neuropaths, and other 'Paths with high sounding principles, which are widely advertised, to catch the gullible, unsuspecting, medically-ignorant public. l believe that physicians, in a measure. are responsible for some of these so-called healers of bodily ills. The field of medicine is so broad, that no one man is capable of being an expert in all its branches and the public is being educated to demand experts more and more. Usually, the first man called to treat a sick individual is the family physician, and he is the one who should and is best fitted to educate the laymen, that self-advertised specialists are not, as a rule, what they claim themselves to be and that if a specialist is wanted he should be consulted in selecting one. lf a physician has hada good fundamental training. he should very seldom need to call a consultant, except to divide responsibility and for psychological effect both on patient and family, Here, let us say a few words on what we believe is of particular interest to young men just starting out to practice medicine. This, in reference to orthopedics and which may apply to other specialties. The training that they receive in school is very limited. Uuring their short clinical course, the main principles and the com- monest conditions that come under orthopedics a1'e taught to them, which are probably very soon forgotten. They see cases. are shown how to make a diagnosis and the treatment is described to them. lVhile it is true that considerable technical and mechanical ingenuity and skill is required, which necessitates years of training to acquire, to treat many deformities, it is also true that there are many conditions referred to the orthopedic surgeon. which can be treated very easily by any practitioner with a little training and a knowledge of a few simple orthopedic principles, e. g., how to apply plaster of paris properly. Simple as this may seem. l' venture to sav that not very many know how to do it and make it do the work that it is intended to do. Another one is the recognition and treatment of weak feet. hflost of these are treated for Rheumatism. whatever that may mean. covering a multitude of diagnostic sins. without any relief to the patient, naturally, because a mechanical defect cannot be corrected by internal medication. How can knowledge of Orthopedics be spread? hflost young men, starting in the practice of medicine. have considerable time on their hands the first few years. Why' not spend some of that time in an Orthopedic clinic? I am sure it will be time well spent and no one will regret it, not necessarily to become an orthopedic specialist but to be a better general practitioner, or better in any other specialty. Page vixty-tlzvrec'

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PROFESSOR RUSHMORE and his Section in Orthopedics