The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-11-28

4 Chapter of Wonders.

Farmers. and tho several domestic all.
imals with which they have TO do, are Ii.
able TO suffer from wounds Of various
kinds, and it is highly important that
every person should under stand the best
methods Of treating them.
Wounds are called inciscd larcera'cd
eontu,el panctured, poisorel, or luu-
shot. accoidlbg tO the mahucI III whlco
they have been produced, and the nature
OF The cause which has produced then.
These several varieties require different
treatement,to a certain exteut but whcth.
err occurring in man or beast it should hc
the same.
lncised wounds are those caused by Il
simple division Of the 6bres with sharp
cutting instrument. In such cases, the
lips OF the divided parts are more or less
separated, according to the extent OF the
injury, aud the surface is covered with
blood.
In the treatment of incised wounds,
there are four indications to be fulfilled :!
|. To arrest the hemorrhage or flow Of
blood 2. 20 remove fercign bodies il
there be any within the wound g. To
bring the divided parts into opposition,
and keep them in union 4, To promote
adhesion.
To arrest the hemorrhage, moderate
pressure, an elevated position of the
wounded part and the application of cold
water will be sufficient in most cases.
But if the bleeding prove obstinate, other
measures must be adopted. And now
this important question arises does the
blood come from an artery or vein ?
When arteries are punctured or divided,
the escaping blood will be Of bright
fiorid color, snd will flow rapidly in jets !;
but when veins are divided it will be Of /,
much darker color, and will flow less
rapidly, gradually filing the wound.
If then, an artery has been injured, no
time should be lost, but the bleeding YES
sci must be compressed without delay !;
and the best method of doing this will de-
pend on the part Of the body or lnIt in
which the limb is situated. II the iriU.
~ is below the middle of the upper am,
or the middle of the thigh, the compress.
sion can best be made BY means Of IA
ligature, which may consist Of u handker-
chief or cord OF almost any kind this
should be passed once or twice srouu1
the limb and tied securely. A stick may
then be passed beneath ligature aic
twisted until the flow OF blood is arrested
1t should be remeuberen that when VI
artery is wounded, the ligaturc must al
ways be placed above the wound that is,
between the wound and the heart, be.
cause the arteries carry the blood from
the heart to the extremities and ii the
wound below the elbow or the knee, the
ligature should be applied above thoac
joints, because that below them are two
bones which protect the arteries against
compression, whereas above them there
is but ono bone, and therefore tn, blood
vessels are moro easily compressed. But
if the wound 10 situated high up on THE
arm a ligatuie will do no good, aud there
fore bystander should st once press b.
thumb firmly into the neck behind the
middle OF the collar bone. This will ar
rest the flow Of blood through the grea'
artery Of the arm as it first comes out
the chest. But as it will not be posi-.
Bile &c continue the pressure for u long
time with q sufficient degree Of force
simply with the thumb, the handle of u
door key or some such article, should b,
wrapped in three or four folds Of linen
and used il place OF the thumb. In thi,
way the henorrhagc can be kept III check
until surgeon can be obtained. If thu
wound be high up on the thigh, compress.
s,on should be made by means of the
Thumb or key Immediately below the
crease Of the groin, where the beating Of
the artery may be felt as it passes over
the bone. Ii the wound be situated OF
the skull, upon the face, or over any
bone of the body, the bleeding may geu-
orally be arrested, for a time at least
and sometimes permanently, by pressing
toe thumb, finger, a cork or any other
firm substance that can be convenient
applied directly upon or near the wound
But if the blood comes from a vein, tn,
compression, if any be needed, should al
ways be made below the wound that il
between it and the end Of the limb, be
cause the veins convey the blood from tn
extremities back to the heart. However
in most instances in which small vein
are wounded, little pressure aud III
free use OF cold water will stop the belu
orrhage. Various articles called styp
tics are sometimes used to check excessive
bleeding. The tincture OF mariate I
iron, solution Of alum or OF copperas
and creosote are among the best styptice
The removal Of foreign bodies shout
be done as soon as possible. Dirt. era, c
&C., are the best got rid OF by uffusion
with water; but most other substance
can be removed best with the fl g RS. Al
cots OF blood should likewise be remove
or they will act as foreign bodies aud pre-
vent adhesion, In order to bring tn
divided parts into opposition aud kee
them in union, stripe Of adhesive plas'e
are bebt, when the wound is uot very dee
nor the sides OF it much disposed to sepai
ate but when there is considerable
depth to the wound aud it is disposed I
cape, stitches-sutures, in surgical lar
guage-should be employed and ft
such purpose, farmers and others VII
keep domestic animals should also kee
on hand one or two curved surgical ne
dies.
To promote adhesion nothing is needt
but to keep down inflammation, aud th
is best done by rest aud the modera
application Of cold water The popul,
idea that a wound will not heal witho
the assistance Of some wash, lnimer
ointment, or salve is pure nonsens
Wounds are healed by virtue OF u law
nature, and such applications, while tn
can do no good, may do much harm.
Lacerated wounds are those in viii
the skin aud other tissues are more
less torn and displaced. They bic
mnch less than incised wounds hut