Lecture on the influence which the prevailing methods of education have on the production of deformity in young persons of both sexes / by Buckminster Brown.

  • Brown, Buckminster, 1819-1891.
Date:
[1868?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lecture on the influence which the prevailing methods of education have on the production of deformity in young persons of both sexes / by Buckminster Brown. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    and a curve is tlie result. This curve may commence in the dorsal region, between the shoulders, or it may begin in the loins. At first the bend is easily straightened. Afterwards the interver- tebral substances, which may be spoken of as cushions between the vertebrjB, become depressed on the side toward which the spine has curved, and this depression finally becomes permanent. The pressure being continued, the bone itself becomes implicated, and the sides of the bodies of the vertebrse become narrowed, wedge-shaped, and likewise the articulating processes are shortened. Worse than this, partly from the effect of position, partly from pecul- iarities connected with the supports by which the vertebrse are united, j a very curious change occurs in the relation of one bone to the other. 1 A vertical flexion takes place, a cork-screw-like or spiral twist, which is probably synchronous with, or pi’ecedes the lateral curve, — a twist so decided that the proper anterior surfaces of the vertebrae are turned partly round upon their own axes, and look toward the convexity, and the spinous processes toward the concavity of the curve. This, as primarily the effect of position, may be exemplified by the attitude generally taken while writing, drawing, etc. For example, in drawing, the right arm and shoulder are usually put forward; the hips remain square, or perhaps a little turned in the other direction. The right shoulder is elevated, the right shoulder blade projects, the head generally inclines towards the right side, and the upper portion of the trunk bends forward. Thus one part of the body fronts in a different direction from the other. I describe only one of the malpositions which are commonly assumed. In this way a rotation of one or more of the small bones upon another takes place. This rotation is very insidious. As a rule it alway ac- companies scoliosis properly so called. There is a simple lateral or serpentine curve of the spine which not infrequently takes place as a sequel to pleurisy, pneumonia, or other intracostal disease. In these and other rare cases arising; from inci- dental causes there is, generally, no rotation of the spine upon its axis. They are so different in their origin and in their manifestations from the class with which we are now concerned, that they possess no es- pecial interest for us at the present time. The spiral twist may make great progress, and not show any signs by which a common observer will suspect that it exists, and often it j will escape the notice of those much more accustomed to such things. ^ It will be understood how easily a person may be thus deceived by j looking at this plaster cast of a curved spine, which I procured in Lon- * don some years since. (See Plate I.) - It is very interesting in many points of view. Looking at it from j behind, we see that the projecting ridge of bone, the spinous processes, ^