The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-05-06
BRIEF CHAPTER ON ACCIDENTS
BE Very Careful When Handling an In
Jured Person-Cases of Fracture.

BE Very Careful When Handling an In
Jured Person-Cases of Fracture.
At Inverness last summer, saw from
distance little boy fall from the high
wall near the bridget being at the other
side of the rivera height of probably
fifty feet. A sturdy Highlander marched
round and shouldered him. From the
shrieks of the lad thus roughly mounted,
1 felt sure bone was broken, and found
out afterwards was right.
The accident puts me in mind to say
here that we cannot be too careful in the
manner we lift or carry person who
has received an injury of this kind. Obi
fancy, if you can. the agony produced
from, say, a fractured thigh rudely
handled, the jagged end of the bone per-
haps thrust through the quivering flesh.
Keep a wounded or injured person on
the level if possible; be very, very gentle.
The handiest of all stretchers is large
shutter or door, with a mattress or pill
lows on it. Or a plaid or blanket used
as a hammock will do, or a net-ham-
mock itself if one be handy.
While one party is carrying home, or
to a chemists shop, the injured person,
some one must be sent to procure surgical
assistance. The sooner surgical aid is
got, the more chance of speedy re-
covery will the patient have.
Be careful not to give brandy in in
juries to the head. You might commit
fatal error
Just word about street accidents.
Somehow or other, in such cases, one of the
crowd usually turns out to be q surgeon;
but if not, let one be speedily fetched.
Meanwhile, ask the. crowd, with all the
respect due to crowds in the latter end
of the nineteenth century, to stand back
and give the patient air. On summers
day he may do better, for time, out Of
doors than in shop. I got man on to
hand-cart once, and there he remained
till the first shock Of the accident was
dispelled. But kept the crowd at bay,
and as quiet as possible. Nothing is
more likely to make bad worse than a
yelling crowd, crying, do this" or do
that, round and injured man.
Il can carry him to the orspital easily,
said burly shore-porter In Aberdare
one day, Hor any two on EN-
"But," answered, ut isn't q case of
carrying simply, but conveying gently.
Go and get stretcher and another man
to help you"
There are three kinds of fractures: The
simple fracture, where there is simply
a swapping of the bone in two without
any wounding of the flesh or tissues that
lie adjacent; the compound or open frsc-
ture, where there is a wound of the flesh
caused by broken end of the bone be-
ing thrust out through flesh and skin;
the comminuted or shattered fracture,
where the bone or bones have been
broken into several pieces.
In all cases Of fracture, surgical aid
must be resorted to; the only thing justi-
fable by alayman, is to give the patient
as much ease as possible before or after he
has been placed on the stretcher. If a
simple fracture, the limb may be gently
extended. If a compound, the clothing
over it should be ripped up the seam,
and some attempt made to staunch the
flow of blood by cold and pressure. If
the fracture be not an open one, but
seems comminuted, here again gentle ex-
tension may be had recourse to, and the
clothing over it removed or ripped up,
especially if at all tight.
When an injury to the chest occurs,
with suspicion of fracture of the ribs
or even collar-bone- you can not be too
careful how you lift and bear the sufferer
away. Rough handling in such cases