The Art of the Bone-Setter: A Testimony and a Vindication

by George Matthews Bennett

“A neighbour of mine had a bad fall out hunting about two years ago, and injured his shoulder, and for several weeks was unable to raise his arm, and like myself, put himself under the charge of his usual medical attendant. As the injury did not seem to abate, I advised him to go to this same bone-setter, which he did, and in a very short period he quite recovered the use of the limb, and is now able to drive and ride as well as ever; the remedy he was ordered to adopt was hard friction, night and morning, with rum and neat’s-foot oil.

“I will mention an anecdote told me by this bone-setter. A poor servant-girl who had been an in-patient of a neighbouring infirmary for seventeen weeks, and had been discharged as incurable, consulted the bone-setter, who discovered her ankle to be dislocated. With a violent twist he replaced it, and she gladly left behind her, in his house, the two crutches she had used for upwards of four months!

“Although it seems almost incredible that regularly qualified surgeons do not understand the art of bone-setting, or adopt their somewhat rough usage, I believe they really dare not do so for fear of being accused of rude treatment, by ladies or persons of sensitive feelings. I believe the knack of bone-setting to be hereditary; at any rate it is so in the case of my bone-setter (which is literally true), who is of the third generation in this style of treatment.”

The following is a case related by Dr. Wharton Hood, in his work on “Bone-setting:”—

“A gentleman, whom I will call Mr. A——, when sitting on a stool at his office, hastily descended it to welcome a friend. As soon as his feet reached the ground he turned his body without moving them, and in so doing he twisted or wrenched his left knee. He immediately felt considerable pain in the joint, which lasted for an hour or two, but decreased as the day wore on, and he continued to move about as occasion required. In the night he was aroused by increased pain, and found the joint much swollen. Mr. A—— was the brother of the professor of midwifery at one of the principal medical schools in London, and he had the best surgical advice that London could afford. He was ordered to rest the limb and to apply heat and moisture. In this way he obtained some diminution of the pain, but the swelling continued. He at last sent for Mr. Hutton, who at once declared that the knee was “out,” and proposed to replace it. An appointment for this purpose was made, but in the meantime the patient had again seen eminent surgeons, and he wrote to prevent Mr. Hutton from coming. Two years of uninterrupted surgical treatment passed without improvement, and then Mr. A—— sent for Mr. Hutton again. On this the second visit I accompanied him, and what I witnessed,” says Dr. Hood, “made a great impression on my mind. We found the knee-joint enveloped in strapping; and when this was removed, the joint was seen to be much swollen, the skin shining and discoloured. The joint was immovable, and very painful on the inner side. Mr. Hutton at once placed his thumb on a point over the lower edge of the inner condyle of the femur, and the patient shrank from the pressure and complained of great pain. He (Mr. Hutton) made no further examination of the limb, but said: “What did I tell you two years ago?” Mr. A—— replied: “You said my knee was out.” “And I tell you so now,” was the rejoinder. “Can you put it in?” said Mr. A——. “I can.” ‘Then be good enough to do so,’ said Mr. A——, holding out his limb. Mr. Hutton. however, declined to operate for a week; ordered the joint to be enveloped in linseed poultices and rubbed with neat’s-foot oil, made an appointment, and took his leave. During the dialogue I had carefully examined the limb, and satisfied myself that there was no dislocation, and had arrived at the conclusion that rest, and not movement, was the treatment required. At the expiration of the week I went again to the house, and Mr. Hutton arrived shortly afterwards. “How’s the knee?” was his inquiry. “It feels easier.” “Been able to move it?” “No.” “Give it to me.” The leg was stretched out, and Mr. Hutton stood in front of the patient, who hesitated, and lowered his limb. “You are quite sure it is out, and you can put it right?” There was a pause, and then: “Give me your leg, I say.” The patient obeyed reluctantly, and slowly raised it to within Mr. Hutton’s reach. He grasped it with both hands, round the calf, with the extended thumb of the left hand pressing on the painful spot on the inner side of the knee, and held the foot firmly by grasping the heel between his own knees. The patient was told to sit steadily in his chair, and at that moment I think he would have given a good deal to have regained control over his limb. Mr. Hutton inclined his knees towards his right, thus aiding in the movement of rotation which he impressed upon the leg with his hands. He maintained firm pressure with his thumb on the painful spot, and suddenly flexed the knee. The patient cried out with pain. Mr. Hutton lowered the limb, and told him to stand up. He did so, and at once declared he could move the leg better, and that the previously painful spot was free from pain. He was ordered to take gentle daily exercise, and his recovery was rapid and complete. In a few days he returned to business, and from that time until his death, which occurred three years afterwards, his knee remained perfectly well.”

Another case was that of the Honourable Spencer Ponsonby, who is suffered to tell his own story. “On November 26th, 1864, in running across the garden at Croxteth, near Liverpool, I felt and heard something crack in the calf of my left leg. It was so painful that I rolled over like a shot rabbit, and could scarcely reach the house, a few yards off. I at once put my leg up to the knee in a pail of hot water, and boiled it for an hour. Next day, being no better, I sent for a medical man in the neighbourhood, who told me I had snapped a muscle, and must keep quiet for a few days. He rubbed in a strong liniment, there being no sign of inflammation; and put on a strong leather plaster. In a couple of days I was able to hobble; but being telegraphed to London, and going into an empty house, I knocked my toe against a tack in the floor, and hurt myself worse than ever. From this time (December 2nd) to the beginning of May, I was attended by Mr. A—— and Mr. B—— in consultation, who agreed in saying that the “stocking of the calf was split” (gastrocnemius, I think they called it) and treated me accordingly. Occasionally my leg got better; but the slightest exertion produced pain and weakness.

“On the 2nd of May, Mr. C—— undertook me. He agreed as to the injury, but thought that, constitutionally, I was out of order, and gave me some iron, &c., without effect. My leg was also fixed in an iron machine to relieve the muscles of the calf from the weight of the leg. Another eminent surgeon came in consultation on June 26. He agreed in Mr. C——’s treatment, and in the cause of the lameness; as did Dr. D——, who was consulted as to my going to Wildbad.

“August 14.—As I did not improve, Mr. C—— put my leg into a gum-plaster for a month. I then went yachting, so as to obtain perfect repose for that time. My health, which had been getting bad, was improved by the sea-air, but my leg was no better. The surgeon on board the yacht, Dr. E——, also examined me, and agreed as to the cause of the lameness, but said: ‘An old woman may cure you, but no doctor will.’

“On September 7 the gum-plaster was removed, and galvanism was then tried for about three weeks. At the end of this time I went on a yacht voyage for four months, and, during the whole of this period had sea-water douches. All this time I had been either on crutches or two sticks. My health was much improved by the sea-voyage, but my leg was the same as before, and had shrunk to about half its proper size.