Pott's fracture
2
“POTT’S FRACTURE” I T is an old saying that “it’s an iI wind that blows no one good,” and this is especially true of an acci- dent that happened to Percival Pott. He was born in 1714. He was surgeon to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, from I -4.4 to 1787. One day he feI1 in the street and sustained a fracture of the fibula. \Z’hiIe confined to his room he took to Ivriting as a defence against ennui. Once launched upon the sea of authorship he produced rapidI\; and voIuminousIy. Many of his works have been called masterpieces I,>- discriminating authorities. In I”$6 he Lvrote a treatise on Hernia. This was followed b\- others: Head Injuries in 1-60, Hvdrocele‘in 1-62, Fistula in Ano in I-65, Fractures and Dislocations in 1-68, an account of chimney-sweep’s c c’lncer in r-75, and he reached his pinacle in ‘v-9 with his renowned brochure on caries of the spine with its resulting paIs\-. Pott was a many-sided man. He had a taste for literature. He \vas interested in the social life of his time. Charming in manner, kindIt considerate of others, he was the es&Ace of the English gentle- man of the 18th century. He \I-as interested in economic questions and various chnri- ties. To the Iatter he gave generously. After he passed middle life Pott had one of the largest surgica1 practices in London. He was a master of anat.om,v. He n,c)rked fast without sacrificing accurate thorough- ness to speed. His personalitp atTracted high and low aIike, and his earnestness inspired confidence, Lvhich wxs an all- essential before the da)-s of anesthesia, when the patient in need of surgery tvns in every sense a “victim.” After more than a century and a half he has been for the most part for;:otten, except for the fracture which bears his name. Perci\.nl Pott died se\.cnly-four J-ears. in I -88 :lt the age of 1‘. s. \V. 433
Transcript of Pott's fracture
“POTT’S FRACTURE”
I T is an old saying that “it’s an iI
wind that blows no one good,” and
this is especially true of an acci-
dent that happened to Percival Pott.
He was born in 1714. He was surgeon to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, from
I -4.4 to 1787. One day he feI1 in the street
and sustained a fracture of the fibula. \Z’hiIe confined to his room he took to
Ivriting as a defence against ennui. Once launched upon the sea of authorship he
produced rapidI\; and voIuminousIy. Many of his works have been called masterpieces
I,>- discriminating authorities. In I”$6
he Lvrote a treatise on Hernia. This was
followed b\- others: Head Injuries in 1-60,
Hvdrocele‘in 1-62, Fistula in Ano in I-65, Fractures and Dislocations in 1-68, an
account of chimney-sweep’s c c’lncer in
r-75, and he reached his pinacle in ‘v-9
with his renowned brochure on caries of
the spine with its resulting paIs\-. Pott was a many-sided man. He had a
taste for literature. He \vas interested in the social life of his time. Charming in
manner, kindIt considerate of others, he was the es&Ace of the English gentle-
man of the 18th century. He \I-as interested in economic questions and various chnri-
ties. To the Iatter he gave generously.
After he passed middle life Pott had one
of the largest surgica1 practices in London. He was a master of anat.om,v. He n,c)rked
fast without sacrificing accurate thorough-
ness to speed. His personalitp atTracted
high and low aIike, and his earnestness
inspired confidence, Lvhich wxs an all-
essential before the da)-s of anesthesia, when the patient in need of surgery tvns in every sense a “victim.”
After more than a century and a half
he has been for the most part for;:otten, except for the fracture which bears his
name. Perci\.nl Pott died
se\.cnly-four J-ears.
in I -88 :lt the age of 1‘. s. \V.
433
PERCIVAL POTT, F.R.S.
iI7’4-I7&81
