A Treatise on Gunshot WoundsLongmore, T. (Thomas), Sir
History
A Treatise on Gunshot Wounds
Longmore, T. (Thomas), Sir
Gunshot wounds
In the latter part of the Crimean campaign, when the health of the
troops and means of treatment were favorable, it was often remarkable
what extensive injuries of the upper extremity, even where the joints
were involved, were repaired without amputation. The following cases
are examples: Sergeant Bacon, 7th Fusileers, aged thirty–six, at the
attack on the Redan on the 8th of September, 1855, was wounded by a
rifle–ball, which entered the head of the left humerus, shattered
the bone very much, and was extracted from below the left scapula.
Dr. Moorhead determined to try to preserve the limb. The head of the
humerus required to be removed in small, broken fragments; and the
shaft, being found to be split down between three and four inches, was
to that distance removed by the saw. The case progressed favorably,
and in 1857 this man was in London with a most useful arm. A young
soldier of the 23d Regiment was wounded, on the 15th August, 1855, by a
large grape–shot, which passed through the right arm near the shoulder,
comminuting the bone for three inches and extensively destroying the
soft parts. Staff–Surgeon Williams, in medical charge, despairing of
saving the limb, proposed to amputate, but, at the suggestion of the
late Director–General Alexander, then principal medical officer of
the Light Division, arranged to allow some days to elapse to watch
symptoms. The case progressed so well that the idea of amputation
was abandoned, and the man recovered with a very serviceable arm. In
another regiment of the Light Division, the 77th, a healthy young
soldier, under the care of Surgeon Franklin, was wounded at the last
assault of the Redan, and sustained a comminuted fracture of the
humerus, had the elbow–joint opened, both bones of the forearm broken
about two inches below the joint, and the soft parts widely opened, by
a piece of shell. Here no excision was practiced, but fragments removed
as they became loose; the arm, with its dressings, was supported on a
zinc–wire cradle, hollowed out and bent at the elbow to the desired
angle; and nourishment, with malt liquor, were freely given from the
first day. Anchylosis was established, and he left for England with
a useful limb. The fractures above and below the joint prevented the
application of passive motion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account