A Treatise on Fractures, Luxations, and Other Affections of the BonesDesault, P.-J. (Pierre-Joseph)
Science
A Treatise on Fractures, Luxations, and Other Affections of the Bones
Desault, P.-J. (Pierre-Joseph)
Dislocations; Fractures; Surgery
between the foot and leg, and a limb a little shorter than natural, but
which still served the purposes of walking and standing.
20. To this example, I might add those of other patients treated at the
Hotel-Dieu, in the same manner and with equal success. But what purpose
would such an accumulation of facts answer? It would only fatigue the
reader without adding to his conviction.
21. If the injury accompanying the luxation be so extensive, as to
destroy the principal blood-vessels, and leave no hope of saving the
limb, amputation becomes then the only resource, and the case assumes
a resemblance to those where the limbs are shattered by cannon balls:
the success then depends very much on the strength or weakness of the
patient.
CASE VII. A man fell from a carriage: his foot becoming entangled
between the spokes of the wheel, was almost separated from the leg. It
adhered only by a small portion of skin behind, and by the tendons of
the muscles which run to the toes both above and below.
Desault was called to the patient, whom he found in a most deplorable
state: the pains which he suffered were excruciating: the parts around
the wound were greatly swollen; a general spasm affected the system:
amputation was judged necessary, but was deferred till the symptoms
should be mitigated. The limb was dressed: next day, a gangrene began
to affect the foot, which was then separated from the leg by cutting
the tendons: the ends of the tibia and fibula exfoliated; the wound
healed, and the patient now enjoys, in part, the functions and uses
of the leg, by means of an artificial foot, framed and fitted on by
an ingenious mechanic. Had the limb been too hastily amputated while
the patient was affected with general spasms, fatal consequences would
probably have ensued.
APPENDIX.
ARTICLE I.
The following interesting paper, extracted from the Medical Repository,
Hexad: ii. vol. i. p. 122 ... 124, will give the reader a better idea,
than he can receive from any other source, of Dr. Physick’s new and
successful method of treating an old and obstinate fracture of the os
humeri.
_A Case of Fracture of the Os Humeri, in which the broken ends of
the bone not uniting in the usual manner, a cure was effected by
means of a seton. Communicated to Dr. Miller by Philip S. Physick,
M. D._
“Isaac Patterson, a seaman, twenty-eight years of age, applied to me
in May, 1802, in consequence of a fracture of his left arm, above the
elbow joint, which had taken place several months before; but the ends
of the bone not having united, rendered his arm nearly useless to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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