The treatment of fractures of the femur has from time immemorial been an ungovernable condition, never fully under the control of the surgeon. The condition has been a source of anxiety to the surgeon and not an infrequent source of deformity to the patient. The injury has invariably resulted in shortening, which varied in amount from three-fourths of an inch to three and one-half inches, and in rare cases even more, with an average disability of twelve weeks' being the time offered by the Standard Accident Insurance Company as a cash settlement at the time of the accident. Heilfrich, in his book on fractures published in 1900, gives an average time for healing as thirteen and one-half months, with 34 per cent. able to work and 66 per cent. unable to work. In view of these facts I report the following case: April 6, 1901, Mr. A. G. B., age