Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-22
Gun. shot Wounds Causes OF Collapse
DUTY of Nurses,

The May number of the Eclectic Medical
Journal contains valuable article upon the
duties Of nurses, about volunteering to at
tend the soldiers in their encampments, &c.
The causes of collapse are explained in the
following manner: . -. @ '.f .'
Collapse may be caused by great variety
of injuries, either to the body or mind, by
sudden extremes of grief joy, fear, cold, or
large doses of sedatiye poisons, as arsenic,
tobacco, poisonous liquors by great loss of
blood, gun shot wounds, &c. In gun shot
wounds we include all the injuries caused
by the dischargsaor bursting Of fire. arms of
every grade and variety. "A cannon shot,
hundred yards, Igrfnds to powder and de-
stroys every thing that opposes its Kissing
course 'If it strikes a limb" says Mr..
Druitt, 'it knocks il off, leaving stump,
covered by disintegrated mass Of pulpifed
tissues and bone ground to powder but if it
travels four or FIVE hundred yards farther,
and lose some Of its impetus the injury it
inflicts is tenfold greater. 1t tears its way
more deliberately, lacerates the skin, cuts
the muscles into longer and looser flaps, and
splits the bone to q considerable distance
above the wound. Fl o. a
Should the shot strike the limb slantingly,
it may infliet a severe laceration, with or
without injury of the bone. Of such in
sjuries, those which tear across the great
vessels and nerves, are the most dangerous,
and are more liable to produce severe shocks
TO the system. Spent balls also produce
severe injuries, and are most dangerous; (;
many fatal accidents have occurred from
balls that were supposed to be nearly spent.
They may not have sufficient force TO destroy
the limb, or part of the body with which
in an xUiI
tensive contusions, without rupturing the
surface, or denuding the body in any way.
Such injuries were formerly called wind
contusions, being supposed to depend upon
the commotion of the air, caused by the pas
sage of the ball close to the part injured,
without strikingit. Although the skin may
not be broken, injuries inflicted by spent
balls are frequently of The most severe char.
acter, and the part beneath the site of the
injury Is frequently so destroyed and disor-
ganized as to be entirely irreparables Musket
and pistol shots may be followed by great
prostration and collapse, without being
otherwise a fatal injury. Also bayonet and
sword wounds, contusions upon the head
with muskets or other implements of war
fare, produce the same effect.r ,.... -..- i
The fnst duty Of the nurse is to attempt
to produce reaction where g collapse exists
This should be done by placing the patient
IN as favoraDle p0sluon as possible foE
ease and fresh air; after which apply mus
tard sinapisms 70 the spine, calves ofthe legs
inner portions Of the thighs and epigastrum
or over the stomach, allowing the patient To
inhale camphor vapor, ammonia, and dash
cold water in the face /; also by the admins
trstion of stimulating enenas, such as gin.
ger or weak capsicum tea into the rectum
and etimRlants into ithe stomach when re-
1qulred-i 1gsf % RI gb rrg prELFCA u d.
Among the best stimulants to be admin
isteIed internally, is tineture Of prickly ash
berries. One teaspoonfpl added to q. wine
glass of warm water, sweetened, and admin
istered every fifteeH minutes, will have q
most salutRry influence; also, small doses Of
capsicum, administered in little mucilage
are most beneficial where there is entire
syncope. Much care should be observed
that the reaction is not too violent, as in
such cases it is usually connected with pair
in the head, sometimes deliriunn, full, bound.
ing pulse, hot, dry skin, &c. These symp.
toms may be essentially modified by bathing
the head either in cold OF tepid water, fire.
quent spopging Of the body, and the admin
| istration Of small doses of either fracture o
aeonite or veratrpmd dyiride. 90 "a 2ui ae