The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-05-23

.ieu, eoin, iupluTtu OF ON pressed.
Their calibre is lessened, and the
blood is retarded in its course APP
plying cold in any form checks still
more the normal circulation of the
blood. \ child's fingers are caught
between a closing door and its ad-
jacent jamb. They are sadly crush
ed. The blood tubes are compress
ed. The blood il INSTRUCTED in its
course. Putting the injured fingers
into cold water stops the usual cir
culatiOn and increases the pain.
Putting them in hot water increases
the circulation. lessons the longest
ed condition Of the capillaries, and
dlmlnishes the pain. A sprained
ankle, Or wrist, Is much better
treated by hot water than by cold.
If bleeding from a cut is severe, we
have found it better to check it BY
congresses above the injury than
to apply cold in any form.
\ gentleman on opening a win
dow, allowed his hand to slip
through the light Of glass above.
His wrist vas sadly mangled. He
had d lacerated wound, always bad
enough to make anxious. We
applied a compress around the
wrist, moderately taut, so as to
check the flowing Of the blood and
lessen the chances Of severe inflam-
alton. We soaked the wounded
hand in hot water, Or applied Il hot
poultice for four days and nights.
1t healed as easily and readily rs a
slight scratch.
VIZ have already written of in
cised and p%unctured wounds. We
nov wish to say a few words on
confused and decorated ones. In
confused wounds, the skin is un-
broken, but the tissues below the
skin are lacerated more or less. SO
hal a confused wound is IA subcu-
taneously lacerated oEe. Blood
tubes are ruptured and blood IS
e~Xtravasated into the tissues and
black and blue spots appear, if the
confused spots are hear the sur
face.
The result of a confusion de-
ponds upon the force employed and
the part confused. We have three
degrees Of this injury. First, a
bruise, in which the blood is etfus-
ed into the skin. Secondly, when
the blood eyudes under the skin
and may remain for weeks without
actual harm, fair be excluded from
it, and may ultimately be removed
by absorption; and thirdly, when
the confusion may have crushed
the lower tissues, and inflammation
and supperation ensued, and an
abscess formed. In one patient,
who, in a sitting posture, went
down a long flight of stairs, the
repeated Commissions crushed the
deep gluteal or seat muscles, to such
an extent as to induce inflammation
and superation SO %copiously that on
puncturing them four inches deep
a pint and il half of pus rushed
out.
In a confusion Of the second de-
gree, nature usually has force
enough to absorb the ex~travasated
blood, but the application of hot
water aids her work. If the blood
accumulates and does not pass
away the collection may be pune
tured and cavity cleansed.
A sprained wrist or ankle IS, IN
fact, a confused wound and should
as such, be treated. If on the sec
ond or third day, the joint should
smell, be infiamed, and apply cold
water till the swelling and pain are
partially reduced and return to the
stimulating action of the hot water
again. A swath around the joint,
only moderately tight, just enough
to yield it some support, may be
properly applied. In the third de-
gree of confusion, hot water or poul-
tices should be applied for the pur-
pose of fastening the process CT SUI
peration. 1t is not always necessary
or convenient to make such appli-
cations, for nature will usually
accomplish her purposes without
the aid of art.
Commissions Of the s~everest form
may end well, if air does not enter
the wound. The soft tissues, even
when deeply situated, crushed and
l~acerated, and even if the bones be
crushed, may recover if the main
blood vessels are intact. Admit
ting air into any injured cavity
constitutes the canger.
Confused and ~lacerated wounds
are often much the same. But
properly speaking , %lacerated
wound is a torn wound. The deep
acratchings of a pin, the sharp
, nails of an animal. the sharp points