Edville Gerhardt Abbott
Encyclopedia
Edville Gerhardt Abbott was an American
orthopædic
surgeon
. He was born in Hancock, Maine
, and educated at Bowdoin College
.
He was well-known through his mechanical so-called "Abbott's method" of treatment of lateral curvature of the spine. In 1913 he demonstrated his method in England
and on the Continent
. He was professor
of orthopædics at Bowdoin College and was connected with the Maine General Hospital, the Children's Hospital, etc. He practiced medicine in Portland, Maine
.
by lateral pulling and counterpulling on the spinal column by means of wide bandages and pads, until the deformity is over-corrected, and then applying a plaster jacket to produce pressure, counterpressure, and fixation of the spine in its correct position.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
orthopædic
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
surgeon
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
. He was born in Hancock, Maine
Hancock, Maine
Hancock is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,147 at the 2000 census. Located on the mainland at the head of Frenchman Bay, Hancock has commanding views of Mount Desert Island.-History:...
, and educated at Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
.
He was well-known through his mechanical so-called "Abbott's method" of treatment of lateral curvature of the spine. In 1913 he demonstrated his method in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and on the Continent
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of orthopædics at Bowdoin College and was connected with the Maine General Hospital, the Children's Hospital, etc. He practiced medicine in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
.
Terms
Abbott's method — treatment of scoliosisScoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
by lateral pulling and counterpulling on the spinal column by means of wide bandages and pads, until the deformity is over-corrected, and then applying a plaster jacket to produce pressure, counterpressure, and fixation of the spine in its correct position.