The Seaman's Medical Instructor: In a Course of Lectures on Accidents and Diseases Incident to SeamenFalck, N. D. (Nikolai Detlef)
Science
The Seaman's Medical Instructor: In a Course of Lectures on Accidents and Diseases Incident to Seamen
Falck, N. D. (Nikolai Detlef)
First aid in illness and injury -- Early works to 1800; Medicine, Popular -- Early works to 1800
First of all be sure it is a fracture; to know this, put one hand on the
middle of the arm, and the other on the elbow, move it gently to and
fro, and if there is a fracture, you will find it crackle by the touch,
which sometimes is so distinct as to be heard. The arm at the same time
is somewhat swelled, and either the patient cannot move it, or else it
is attended with very great pain.
When the fracture is certain, then proceed in the following manner; Let
the patient sit upon a low chair, or chest, let an assistant hold him
steady, and let another lift up the arm, and extend it gradually,
horizontal to the shoulder, keeping the elbow bent somewhat all the
while.
Then with both your hands gently press the fractured bone, so that it
may feel perfectly joined again. Sometimes it happens that the ends of
the bones are somewhat slipt over each other; in which case, extension
is the more requisite.
When this is done, then take a bandage of about two yards long, first
rolled up, and wrung out of _spirit of wine and camphor_ (A.); begin
near the elbow, and lay it smoothly on, laping over a little; and
proceed gradually till it comes to the shoulder, and then return with it
back again till it is done.
This bandage should not be too tight, nor too slack, but so as
immediately to suit the arm exactly. Over this bandage again, lay a
double folded rag, called a compress, so as to cover the bandage; and
over this again two splints, one above, and another below; which tie
gently together with some tape in three places. Then put the arm into a
sling; cover up the whole arm and hand, and let the patient go to rest.
If the fracture is upon the under arm, the reduction is a little more
difficult; but only in the care it requires of reduction. As there are
two bones in the under arm, it should well be examined which it is, or
if both. In reducing of it, let the arm be bent as before; one assistant
to hold the patient, one to hold the elbow, and another the wrist;
gently extending, till the fracture is reduced, as before directed, and
the bandage, compress, and splints, put on according to the same Method.
In this fracture the wrist and hand should be kept from moving; as the
motion of their muscles will be apt in a great measure to hinder the
bones from uniting again.
_A fractured Thigh bone._
This is of very great importance; which, from its situation, and the
strength of the muscles, in general, even by the best method is very
difficult to reduce.
Let the patient lay on the opposite side, and with the knee bent; let
the limb be extended by assistances, and carefully set it according to
the situation, similar to the beforementioned method.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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