w o u
w o u
is left in the Woitnd by the careleflhefs of the furgeon, and produces inflammatios, haemorrhages, convulfions, and finally death itfelf. bo in Wounds of the thorax arid abdomen ; if the furgeon does not ufe his utmoft diligence to evacuate the gru- mous blood, it will corrupt there, and by drawing the neigh- bouring parts into confent, will expofe the patient to death : great care muft therefore be taken that the lips of the Wound do notclofe, till the blood, which is collected in the cavity of the body, be all evacuated, if poffiblc, which will be per- ceived by the difficulty of breathing, and other bad fymptoms going off; but if any of the larger internal veflels are wounded, then all attempts to difcharge the blood are vain ; for the vio- lence of the haemorrhage takes off the patient. Wounds are alio to be accounted mortal by accident, which are treated or fearched in too rough a manner by the furgeon ; for if Wounds are handled roughly which are full of nervous parts, or of large blood-vciTels, there is great danger of bringing on haemorrhages, convulfions, inflammations, gangrenes, and finally death itfelf.
The cafe is alfo the fame in external Wounds, which are flight of themfelves, but under which the patient is loft by the in- flammation which is brought on, and increafed by the fur- geon's injudicious treatment ; or when any one is taken oft by the violence of the haemorrhage, from a Wound of the hand or foot ; for, in this cafe, the furgeon might eaiily have flop- ped the blood, by the application of proper remedies, or by ligature: Or, when the patient is guilty of any intemperance, either in eating or drinking ; or of any excefs of paffion ; of expofing himfelf to the cold air, or of ufing violent exercife ; for by thefe means Wounds, more efpecially thofe of the head, by being liable to frefh haemorrhages, and other dangerous accidents, frequently become mortal, nowith Handing that they naturally would not prove fo, and that though the furgeon ufes his utmoft care and (kill.
Among thefe alfo are to be accounted thofe Wounds of the head, where the patient is loft by the vaft quantity of blood, which is extravafated in the cavity of the cranium, and is con- fined there ; but where he might have been relieved, if the trepan had been applied in time; for though Wounds of this kind generally prove incurable, yet as there is, at leafl, a pof- libility offaving a perfbn in thefe circurnitances, by the ufe of the trepan, this may properly be reckoned among the doubt- ful cafes, and not deemed abfolutely mortal : And laftly, a bad habit of body frequently prevents the cure of Wounds, which would admit of an eafy cure in a healthful fubjeel: ; fo we frequently fee the flighteft puncture in the hand or foot of an hydropicalj confumptivc, or fcorbutic peribn, fhall pro- duce a gangrene, and prove mortal, though the furgeon fpares no care nor application to prevent it, Hci/for's Surg, p. 29,
3*"
Cure of flight Woun ds. This is generally performed with great eafe, by applying to the part a fmall portion of fcraped lint, well faturated with fpirit of wine, oil of turpentine, or St. John's wort, liniment of Arcxus, or balfam of capivi, Gilead, or Peru, and fecuring the dreffing with a plalier ; this dreffing fbould be renewed once in a day or two, and the lips of the Wound will prefently agglutinate. Heifer, p. 34. Wounds dangerous, bow to be beakd. Wounds of this kind are firft to be cleanfed from the extravafated blood, fordes, &c. In the next place, if a bullet, the point of a fword, or any part of the cloathing, a piece of glafs, or any other foreign body, remains in the Wound, it is to be removed either with the fingers, or a pair of forceps, or other proper inftru- ments. The haemorrhage is to be flopped at the firfl dref- iing ; the divided parts are to be brought as near to; each other as poffible, and their fituation mould be fo maintained, that the cicatrix which is left may appear even. Where there are no extraneous bodies to be removed, the gru- mous blood is to be wiped away with a foft fpunge, or a parcel of fine lint wrung out of hot wine or brandy ; and when this is done, the next ftep is to flop the haemorrhage ; but before the furgeon attempts the removal of extraneous bodies, it be- hoves him well to confider whether it be more proper to do it inftantly, or to wait a more convenient time ; for if the pa- tient is become extremely faint, from the lofs of blood he has already fuftained, it will be neceflary, in this cafe, to flop the hemorrhage, and then, in fome meafure, to endeavour to revive him by moderate draughts of warm broths, white- wine whey, or fome cordial medicine; for if thefe precautions are neglected, the patient may not unlikely die in the opera- tion : bo alfo where you have reafon to fear, that in the ex- tracting the broken point of a fword, or other weapon, you are in danger of wounding a large blood-veflH or nerve, it will be better to wait a little, either till the patient is fome- what come to himfelf, or till the Wound is enlarged by fup- puration. Heijitrs burg. p. 35.
Gun-Sbot-W 'ounds. See the aiticle Gu$-Sbot.
Wounds of the Ned. bee the article Neck.
Wounds of the Ryes, bee the article Eye.
Lofs of Subjianc? in Wounds. When this happens in Wounds, they will not unite either by the helpofplafters, or the future, or by any other method, till filled up with new flefh.. To bring on this lint dipped in oil, or fpread over with fome vulnerary balliim or ointment, and applied to the bottom of the
Wound, is very ferviceable, covering with a plafler comprefs, and the proper bandages ; and this dreffing is to be repeated daily. There ought to be a balfamic and emollient quality in thefe farcotic medicines, that they may not only refift putre- faction, but may alfo foften the new fiefh ; fo that it may ea- iily receive additions from the blood, and fuffer itfelf to be elongated. Hei/ier's burg. p. 41, Wounds in Horfes. The molt terrible Wounds thefe creatures are fubjecT: to, are thofe got in the field of battle. The farriers that attend camps have a coarfe way of curing thefe ■> but it is a very expeditious and effectual one.
If the bullet be within reach, they take it out with a pair of forceps ; but if it lie too deep to be come at, they leave it be- hind, and drefs up the Wound in the lame manner as -if it were not there.
They firfl drop in fome varnifh from the end of a feather, and when the bottom is thus wetted with it, they dip a pledget of tow in the fame varnifh, which they put into the Wound, and then cover the whole With the following charge : Take a quarter of a pound of powder of bole armenic, half a pound of linfeed oil, and three eggs, fhells and all ; add to thefe four ounces of bean- flour, a quart of vinegar, and five ounces of turpentine; this is afl to be mixed over the fire, and the Wound covered with it. This application is to be continued four or five days, then the tent put into the Wound is to be dipped in a mixture of turpentine and hogs-lard ; by this means a laudable matter will be difcharged, inftead of the thin lharp water that was at firlt. Then the cure is to be compleated by dreffing it with an oint- ment made of turpentine, fiift well warned, and then diflblved in yolks of eggs, and a little faffron added to it. This is the practice in deep Wounds that do not p*o through, the part ; but in cafes where the bullet has gone quite through, they take a few weavers linnen thrumbs, made very knotty ; thefe they make up into a kind of link, and dipping it in var" nifh, they draw it through the Wound, leaving the ends hang- ing out at each fide ; by means of thefe they move the link or fkain three or four times a day, always wetting the new pare that is to be drawn into the VFound with frefh varnifh. They put on a charge of the bole armenic, &c. as before defcribed, on each hde of the wounded part, and continue this as long as the Wound difcharges thin watery matter, or the fides con- tinue fwelled. After this they drefs it with the ointment of turpentine, yolks of eggs, and faffron, till it is peifedUy cured. :
The other methods are the dreffing the Wound with an oint- ment made of wax, turpentine, and lard, and covering it with linnen rags wetted with cream ; or the dreffing, with a mix- ture of yolks of egg, honey, and faffron, and covering it up with cream and baum-leaves beaten together. When the Wound k fo dangerous as to'require the affiflanceof internal medicines, they give the following pills : Take afla- fcetida, bay-berries, and native cinnabar, of each a pound j beat up the whole, into a mafs with brandy, and roll it into pills of fourteen drams weight each. Thefe are to be Jaid in a fhady place to dry, after which they will keep ever fo long without any damage. The horfc is to take two of thefe every other day, or, if neceflary, every day, till he has taken eight or ten of them, and he is to fland bridled two hours before and after the taking them.
When the Wound feems at a fland ; not appearing foul, and yet not gathering new fiefli, there muft be recourfe had to the following powder, whofe effect in bringing new flefh is won- derful : Take dragon's blood and bole-armenic, of each two ounces ; maftic, olibanum, and farcocolla, of each three drains; aloes, round birth- wort, and common iris-root, of each one dram and a half; make the whole into a fine pow- der. This is fometimes ufed dry, fprinkling it on the Wound ; but fometimes it is mixed with turpentine, fometimes with juice of wormwood, and fometimes with honey of rofes, and either way does very well.
When the Wound grows foul, and requires a detergent to cleanfe it, the common liquor for this purpote is a phagedenic water, which they make of lime-water, and fublimate in this manner :
Take two pounds and a half of newly made and unflacked lime, put it into a pewter veflel, and pour on it five quarts of boiling water. When the bubbling is over, let it ftand to reft two or three days, ftirring it often with a flick ; then pour it clear off after a due time for the lime to fettle, and filter it through fome whited brown paper, made for the lining of fun- nels, on this pccafion. To a quart of the clear lime-water, thus prepared, add eight ounces of fpirit of wine, and one ounce of fpirit of vitriol; when thefe are well mixed, by fhakingthem together; then add an ounce of corrofive fubli- mate in fine powder; mix all well together, and keep the whole in a buttle, to be ufed for the cleaniing thefe foul Wounds^ and on any other occafions, where there may be a detergent of this powerful kind neceflary. It will keep good many years.
If this water will not thoroughly cleanfe the Wound, but there ftill will remun a quantity of foul matter in it, and there is danger of a gangrene, they add to it as much arfenic, in fine powder, as there was of thecorroiive fublimate; that is, at- the rate of an ounce to a quart and half a pint,
Thefe
