Truss (medicine)

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In medicine, a truss is a kind of surgical appliance, particularly one used for hernia patients. A truss provides support for the herniated area, using a pad and belt arrangement to hold it in the correct position. It is put on before moving from bed. Of historical interest, a variety of trusses are listed in the Snowden & Brother's catalog of the American Civil War era. Early versions of the hernia truss were daunting contraptions made from leather and steel with metal springs. The 19th century Eggleston's Truss from Chicago was described as follows: "Eggleston's Truss has a pad different from all others. It is cup-shaped, with a self-adjusting ball in the centre, and adapts itself to all positions of the body, while the ball in the cup presses back the intestines just as a person does with the finger. With light pressure the hernia is held securely day and night, and a radical cure is certain. It is easy, durable and cheap." Later developments resulted in the Cluthe truss, described in...

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