A Practical Essay on Distortion of the Legs and Feet of Children, &C: With an Appendix Containing Sixty-Two Cases That Have Been Successfully Treated in Patients Between the Ages of One Week and Twenty-Five Years

Timothy Sheldrake

ISBN 10: 0461929066 / ISBN 13: 9780461929065

Published by HardPress

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Seller Inventory # 26405843601

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Practical Essay on Distortion of the Legs and Feet of Children, &C: With an Appendix Containing Sixty-Two Cases That Have Been Successfully Treated in Patients Between the Ages of One Week and Twenty-Five Years
• Publisher: HardPress
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461929066
• ISBN 13: 9780461929065
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

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Synopsis

A Practical Essay On Distortion Of The Legs And Feet Of Children, &C: With An Appendix Containing Sixty-Two Cases That Have Been Successfully Treated In Patients Between The Ages Of One Week And Twenty-Five Years by Timothy Sheldrake. This late-18th-century medical treatise analyzes deformities of the legs and feet in children, focusing on club-foot and related distortions. It documents a mechanical method of correction using springs, bandages, and specially devised instruments, which the author claims can restore limbs to their natural form and enable normal function, often with swift and durable results. The Preface recounts Sheldrake’s long clinical career and public testimonials, while the Appendix catalogs sixty-two case histories—from birth to twenty-five years—illustrating cures, relapses, and the variability of outcomes depending on age, compliance, and tissue elasticity. The work explicates three core interventions: reducing bones to their natural position, extending contracted muscles, and retaining the limb in its proper posture until muscular strength returns. It also surveys the anatomy of bones, ligaments, and muscles as a basis for therapy, warns against unregulated practice, and reflects early orthopedic debates and reception.