Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-16

for. as the hand and forearm begun also
TO redden and to throb with terrible pair.
To make a long story short, the arm was
amputated hurriedly TO save his life ar
possibIe). but our good neighbor was car
ried to the cemetery within a week after
he tied his shoes with the new pair OF
shoestings Somehow. ard i'm some way,
septic poison entered his system when
the sharp metal tip on the shoestring
abraded the flesh. and "cellulitis" set up,
and made quick work of destruction, with
ever increasing agony and pain.
The same summer, an acquaintance who
lived I'm another part Of the county had
occasion to load some fodder on wagon
In the field. small silver on a fodder
blade went in his hand. near the thumb,
penetrating as a splinter often does in
handling kindling pine or wood. He pulled
out the fragment. but the place felt as
II part Of the fodder remained. From
that little hurt this excellent gentleman
contracted "cellulitis.' and suffered hOr-
rible agonies until death relieved him.
A few days ago one OF the most prom
inent physicians in northwest Georgia
had his left arm bruised few inches
above his wrist. The tongue of his buggy
slipped from its rest in the Nbarn and
dropped on his arm. leaving no open
wound, but a sore spot or bruise. 1t
was too trifiing to complain about, but he
felt compelled on the third day to put
the arm in a sling.
on the fourth day the agony set in
and the arm swels ed. He recognized
his danger, told his family ii would
Kill him, and, although he was removed
TO one OF Atlantas finest hospitals as
soon as possible, he suffered and died
with torturing pain that defes de-
scription and was dead within a week
from the time the buggy tongue drop
ped on his arm. Sorrow was wide
spread because this useful man had
| been so violently snatched out of life
L examined a fine surgical work for
-oellulitis, and read the Following:
N is not always plain, visible, open
wounds or large recent injuries which
give rise TO 'cellulitis.' often enough
II is an Insignificant, perhaps already
healed, abrasion of the epidermis, neaf
, the nail, such as a scratch or needle
prick, which forms the starting point
OF spreading Inflammation. =
/ There is always an infection by bac-
: terra OF malignant edema .
They are apt to be found in the super
hcial strata OF garden earth, in the
dust collecting in the cracks of the
floor. in all sorts of decomposing matter
In dirty water, etc. Guinea
! pigs, inoculated with the peritoneaI
MUD, Will die very quickly.
Superficial cellulitis shows more
plainly the beginnings of the disease
Thy the redness of the skin and fever),
but the deeply situated cellulitis SLOWS
but little change in the skin until the
deep-seated process draws near the
surface. The process spreads quickly
In the deep subracial cellular tissue
and may terminate in short time ~
a fatal systemic infection. .
They often terminate fatally within
few days before the local manifesta-
tons are plainly marked.
Inc knife should be used
as soon as possible. Sith free incisions
TO diminish inf1ammatory tension and
70 allow the pus to escape. The incision
should not be too small 1t is better TO
make them too free rather than not
large enough. In the vvorst
/ cases amputation is necessary to save
me- and, unfortunately, that operation
Is ol,en performed too late"