THE WOOD CORSET. 
WITH IMPROVEMENTS, FOR THE TREAT- 
MENT OF LATERAL CURVATURE AND 
POTT'S DISEASE OF THE SPINE. 
BY A. M. PHELPS, M. D., NEW YORK. 
REPRINT FROM THE 
New England Medical Monthly 
For February, 1892. 
Danbury, Conn., 
THE DANBURY MEDICAL PRINTING COMPANY, 
1892. THE WOOD CORSET. 
WITH IMPROVEMENTS, FOR THE TREATMENT OF LATERAL 
CURVATURE AND POTT'S DISEASE OF THE SPINE. 
THE question of a suitable spinal 
support in lateral curvature of 
the spine and convalescent cases of 
Pott's disease has been before the pro- 
fession from the earliest time, and 
not until Dr. Sayre devised the plas- 
ter-of-Paris corset did we have a 
brace that accomplished nearly all 
that is desired in a support. 
The plaster-of-Paris corset I believe 
to be one of the most efficient of 
supports. It certainly has the ad- 
vantage of cheapness, and is well 
adapted for use in clinics and dispen- 
sary practice. It has, however, the 
disadvantage of weight. Steel braces 
have been made. Many of them, 
when suitably applied, furnish very 
good results. Dr. Vance constructed, 
to take the place of the plaster-of- 
Paris corset, a paper corset. 
If the profession could have at 
their disposal a corset which com- 
bines strength, durability, porosity, 
and lightness, it would meet a long- 
felt want. I had heard something of 
the wood corset but knew nothing of 
its construction. Therefore, three 
years ago I visited Europe for the 
express purpose of learning the de- 
tails of its construction. On my re- 
turn, I presented the corset at the 
New York Academy of Medicine, 
Surgical Section. 
I visited Dr. Waltuck, of Odessa, 
Russia, and from him personally I 
learned the details, after several days 
of hard work. I found that Profes- 
sor Lorenze, of Vienna, had been us- 
ing the corset for some time, and was 
much pleased with it. At that time, 
however, many of the corsets proved 
to be inefficient on account of errors 
in their construction. We have used 
the corset constantly since that time, 
and with'the modifications which we 
have made, it is the most efficient, 
comfortable, and suitable spinal 
brace that I know of. 
It has been with the greatest diffi- 
culty that we have succeeded in get- 
ting the proper materials for con- 
structing the corset, and even now 
it is cheaper and better to import the 
wood from Vienna. The spruce tim- 
ber which grow there makes a better 
shaving than any timber that we 
have attempted to use which grows 
in America. It is tougher, and works 
better with the glue. 
The materials necessary for mak- 
ing the wood corset are: One dozen 
plaster-of-Paris bandages; one tight- 
fitting shirt, fifty pounds plaster-of- 2 
Paris, two pounds oakum, two yards 
of raw unbleached linen, a blue pen- 
cil, one pound of Cologne glue, a lit- 
tle glycerine, a knife for splitting 
wood, a glue-pot, a hammer, a large 
clothes brush, some towels, two sand- 
bags, a quantity of wood shavings, 
some shellac, an eyelet punch, a 
line, stir water into the plaster-of- 
Paris and oakum until it is of the con- 
sistency of thick mud. Apply this 
over the inside of the corset to the 
thickness of three inches. After it 
is set, remove the corset, and a per- 
fect cast of the body will be the re- 
sult. The blue line will be trans- 
Fig. 1. 
number of eyelets, and hook lacings, 
and two yards of knit shirting. 
All of these articles are kept in 
stock by Messrs. John Reynders & 
Co., 303 Fourth Avenue, New York, 
who have kindly imported for me 
such materials as could not be pro- 
cured in New York. 
The Details of the Work.-Sus- 
pend the patient after the tight-fit- 
ting shirt has been applied. Indicate 
with the blue pencil mark around 
the body on the shirt, the length of 
the corset desired. Apply the plas- 
ter-of-Paris bandages as in making 
an ordinary plaster-of-Paris corset. 
When the plaster is set, remove it 
from the body by cutting it down in 
in front. Strip out the shirt from 
the corset, when the blue pencil 
marks will be seen on the inside of 
the plaster corset. A few turns of 
the plaster bandage around the plas- 
ter corset is necessary. Put in a large 
dish a quantity of oakum picked up 
finely. Mix with this a 'quantity of 
plaster-of-Paris. After having greas- 
ed the inside of the corset with vase- 
ferred from the plaster mould to the 
cast. The oakum is put in the plas- 
ter to facilitate the modelling, and 
also to make the cast tough, because 
considerable hammering has to be 
done upon it. The cast should dry 
two or three days in a temperature 
not exceeding one hundred and fifty 
Fig. 2. 
.T,fte.yndersfrCo. 
Fig. 3. 
degrees. Any imperfection . in the 
cast should be remedied with plaster- 
of-Paris, building out such points 
over the breast and hips and de- 
formed portions as may seem neces- 
sary to make an artistic corset. Cover 
the cast with raw linen which has 3 
been wet for the purpose. Some The layers of wood and linen are 
difficulty will be experienced unless explained in Fig. 8, the dotted lines 
the workman has seen the work being linen, the black lines wood, 
done. The cast is placed on a table 
Fig. 4. 
Fig. 5. 
Fig. 6. 
Fig. 7. 
with the sandbags, as seen in Fig. i. 
The wood from which the corset 
is made is taken from the edge of a 
plank the grain of which is as seen 
and it will be seen that there are three 
layers of linen and two of wood in 
the front of the corset, with three 
layers of linen and three layers of 
wood in the back and side. 
Over the hips extra pieces are put 
in, making it even thicker, which will 
JReynders'&Co. 
JRe.yn.<ler§ & Co. 
Fig. 8. 
Fig. 9. 
in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows imperfect 
grain. The grain running as in Fig. 
2 makes a tough strip that will bend 
as seen in Fig. 4. When the grain 
be explained later. 
The cast is now laid with the back 
up. Draw three longitudinal lines, 
one in the centre in front, and one on 
yuders &Co 
Fig. 10. 
runs as in Figs. 6 and 7 and the wood 
is bent, it will present the appearance 
of Fig. 5, which has an element of 
weakness. 
each side, dividing the cast into 
three equal parts. Cut several strips 
of wood in length long enough to 
overlap the lateral lines two inches. 4 
With the tool, Fig. 9, split the 
ends of the wood as seen in Figs. 10 
and 11. The object of this is to 
allow the ends of the wood to spread 
or to overlap, so as to fit all inequali- 
A strip of wood is covered with 
glue, and the brush drawn along the 
part of the cast where the wood is to 
Fig. 11. 
Fig. 12. 
ties, as seen in Figs, n, 12, 13, 14 and 
15. Prepare the glue by soaking it 
in water over night, then melt it. To 
a pot (holding one quart) of glue, 
be laid, beginning at the top of 
the cast with a transverse layer; 
strip after strip is applied, and 
overlapping the strip above one- 
eighth of an inch. Cover this layer 
of wood with the linen and glue, and 
hammer the whole together. Turn 
the cast on the side, and working 
JReynlers&Co. 
Fig. 13. 
Fig. 14. 
Fig. 15. 
add one tablespoonful glycerine. Dip 
the glue-brush into the glue, wiping 
it as dry as possible on the edge of 
the pot so as to use the least possible 
quantity. 
from the centre in front, put the 
strips on horizontally, over-lapping 
the strips already on, two inches. 
Cover this with linen, lapping on the 
back two inches. Finish the opposite 5 
side in the same manner. See Fig. 
16. 
Beginning in the back, put on the 
mer. Now stay the corset with wood, 
as seen in Figs. 17 and 18, over the 
hips, and also strengthen the corset 
Fig. 16. 
Fig. 18. 
strips longitudinally, overlapping 
four inches in the centre of the cast 
from the top and bottom. See Figs. 
by putting on another layer of wood 
diagonally from the shoulder to the 
opposite hip, meeting at a point in 
the centre of the waist. Cover the 
entire work with linen, putting the 
least amount of glue on the wood 
before the linen is applied. After 
twenty-four hours the corset can be 
Fig. 17. 
Fig. 19. 
i7, 18, and 19, left side. 
Hammer the wood well together 
with an ordinary shoemaker's ham- 
removed from the cast, fitted to the 
patient, and sent to the trimmer who 
will treat it in the following manner. 6 
Corsets made according to the 
method followed at the time I Ob- 
i. The slightest excess of glue 
moistened by the perspiration of the 
body coming into contact with the 
shirt or the skin, was exceedingly 
disagreeable. 2. The perforations 
in this corset weakened them, and 
allowed the glue to exude during 
perspiration. 
To obviate all this, I had the corset 
perforated, as seen in Fig. 20, in 
which perforation eyelets are punch- 
ed. A special machine facilitates 
the perforating and the punching of 
the eyelets. The lacings are stitched 
on as in Fig. 20. Trim the top and 
bottom with kid. The entire corset 
is shellaced inside and outside with 
two or three coats of shellac, which 
renders it impervious to moisture, 
the eyelets ventilating it perfectly. 
A corset made as I have described, 
it will be observed, differs from that 
of Dr. Waltuck in the layers applied 
as seen in Fig. 18. Is no better, but 
somewhat easier to make. 
The improvements which I have 
made in the corset, consist in shellac- 
Fig. 20. 
served the process were not as per- 
fect as they should be. 
Fig. 21. 
ing it on the inside and outside, and 
putting in the eyelet holes, eyelets, 7 
which add to the strength of the 
corset and ventilate it perfectly. 
An ordinary corset, for an adult, 
weighs from one to one and a half 
pound. They are very durable, very 
comfortable to wear, and thus far I 
believe that they are the best spinal 
braces yet devised. 
I have made from the paper used 
in the manufacture of boats, a corset 
which answers the purpose equally 
as well as the wood corset. It is much 
Another use to which the wood 
shavings are applied is in working 
them with plaster-of-Paris in the 
treatment of fractures of osteotomies 
or excision of joints. Being thin and 
narrow, they admirably adapt them- 
selves to the parts, and the plaster- 
of-Paris holding them in place, they 
fit more accurately than any me- 
chanic could shape a solid piece of 
wood to fit. 
Again roll two layers of crinoline, 
Fig. 22. 
lighter, and seems to be as durable, 
and I am not sure but it will take 
the place of the wood corset. Time 
will determine. The process of mak- 
ing the paper corset is similar to that 
of making the wood corset, so far as 
making the cast is concerned, after 
which the cast is sent to the paper- 
boat manufacturer, who applies the 
paper according to the process em- 
ployed in making boats. 
between which wood strips have 
been placed, as shown in Fig. 21 
and 22. Roll up four yards of this, 
as seen in Fig. 22. With a saw, 
cut this into rolls four inches in 
length. Immerse one of these ban- 
dages in water, and it will be found 
an admirable dressing when applied to 
a limb in cases of joint disease, or 
where a slight support is required to 
hold a limb in a proper position. The 8 
starch of the bandage soon hardens, 
so that we really have a starch ban- 
dage reinforced by wood shaving. 
There are many cases in surgery 
where this bandage can be used to 
great advantage, and applied over 
surgical dressings it takes the place 
of plaster-of-Paris. It is light and 
just as strong as plaster-of-Paris, and 
it has the advantage over the starch 
bandage of keeping its position after 
it is applied, even before it is dry. 
The corset is somewhat difficult to 
make. It requires a good worker in 
wood and glue, and a plant for doing 
the work. 
It would hardly pay a general 
practitioner, who possibly would not 
use more than four or five corsets 
during the year, to go to the trouble 
and expense of making his own 
corset. If those gentlemen who de- 
sire to use the corset will make a 
plaster-of Paris corset as described 
in the beginning of this paper, and 
send it to the workshop of the Post- 
Graduate School and Hospital, the 
men there will make the corset, and 
Messrs. John Reynders & Co., will 
satisfactorily trim it. 
I will say, by way of parenthesis, 
that the corsets, when completed, 
can be covered with silk or with 
stockinet, or they can be left in the 
linen finish. They are not so warm 
for summer use in the linen finish.