Medicine: Syringomyelia

Said Seattle’s Anesthetist Louis Herbert Maxson last week upon having a piece of dead bone removed from his foot without the use of anesthetic: “I’ll be a fine guinea pig.” Dr. Maxson had just discovered that he suffered from syringomyelia, incurable spinal abscess which renders limbs insensate and may require continuous amputations. Bleakly continued Dr. Maxson: “Well, it’s a slow disease. It may take 10, 20, 40 years to kill me. And I’m 52. So I’m not bothering my head about it much. Anesthetists work sitting down.”