Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-04-21
A Chapter of Accidents.

making a. much better fence.
A Chapter of Accidents.
There are two ways of treating
sprain, that of cold water or cold To-
lions and that of hot applications.
Sprains in the feet and ankles are best
managed by the latter. Take hot
water and some pieces of stout flannel
to foment with. [ have no great faith
IN arnica, and have often found
brandy lotion to do more good.
Wiring out one of the fannels, and lust
before applying it each time pour a
little OF the lotion on it, and the relief
OF suffering will soon be apparent.
Alter continuing the lamentations for
some little time, wrap the foot in
flannel bandage, not too tightly, but
right from the toes and up over the
ankle. Repeat the fomenting at prop
er intervals, inculcate rest in the pa
tlent, and after time, when the pain
Is nearly gone, use pressure by means
OF strips of plaster. No rubbing or
any other interference beyond this is
necessary.
Where q large joint is sprained or
hurt, while rest and lamentations will
do much good until the doctor comes,
let him, nevertheless, be summoned
without delay.
Keep a wounded or injured person
on level if possible. Be very gentle
in handling or carrying person who
has received a severe injury, like bad
sprain or a broken bone. The hand
lest of all stretchersi is large shutter or
door, with mattress or pillows on t,or
a shawl or blanket used as q hammock
or net hammock itself, III one be handy.
The sooner surgical aid is secured the
better the chance Of speedy recovery.
Be careful never to give brandy in in
iuries to the head. A fatal error
might thus be committed.
The best way to distinguish q tract
ure from dislocation is to find out
by manipulation whether there is mo-
ton in the injured part. In disloca-
ton the bone is immovably fixed.
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; second, the
compound or open fracture, wherethere
is wound of the flesh caused by d brok-
en- end of the bone being thrust out
through flesh and skin; third, the COM
minuted or shattered fracture, where
the bone or bones have been broken
in several pieces.
In all cases of fracture, surgical aid
must be had recourse to. The only
thing justifable by a layman is to
give the patient as much ease as pos
slble before or after he has been placed
on the stretcher. II simple fracture,
the limb may be gently extended. If
q 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.
IL the fracture be not an open one,
but seems comminuted, here again
gentle extension may be had recourse
to, and the clothing over it removed
or ripped up, especially if at all tight.
Supposlng the fracture is in the fore
arm, or that the humerus above the
elbow is broken. A stretcher here
would be of less use than q convey
ance to take the patient home or
to the hospital. He will be faint.
Let him recline for short time, giving
support to the arm meanwhile. Let
him have all the air possible. Sprinkle
the face with water and rub the chest
with brandy. Then see to the arm.
Rip the sleeve if you cannot remove
the coat most gently. Nowget splint
of some kind and any sort Of bandage
that comes handy The splint may
be made from the sides of an ordinary
cardboard box, Or even some straw
arranged lengthwise and rolled in a
handkerchief. Place it so as to give
support, and put the bandage around
it with moderate degree of frmness,
but not tightly. Then start for home.
When an injury to the chest occurs,
with a suspicion of fracture of the ribs
or even collar bone, one cannot be too
careful how he lifts or bears the suffer-
er away. Rough handling in such q
case may result in the wounding OF the
lungs by the broken end of a rib, and
this will lead on to Inflammation, end
ing perhaps in death even.
Sometimes a fracture is of that kind
called impacted, when one piece of
bone is wedged or telescoped into an
other. There is also q longitudinal or
splintered fracture, and various other
kinds, including thegr stick fracture
n children, when the bone Is partly
broken and partly bent.
In fracture there is always some
change in the shape of the limb, such as
swelling from the action of the blood
n the part or fatness from the drag
,ing out OF place OF the surrounding
muscles. There is mobility also, dit
ering from the sternly fixed condition
of the dislocated joint. Also in NOV
ng the parts grating sound can be
heard by the ears, which is caused by
The ends OF the bones moving against
Zach other.-A Family Doctor, ia Cas-
'ePs Magazine.