Treatment. — The patient should be laid flat on a couch or on the ground, wdth the head as low as possible; the face should be sprinkled or dashed with cold water, free access of fresh air being secured. If able to swallow, let some stimulants be given, such as a small quantity of wine, brand^y, or spirits of salvolatile, and apply strong smelling salts to the nostrils. Fractures. — These are, for convenience of description, divided into several kinds. 1. Simple Fracture. — The bone being merely broken in one place, without any wound of the skin at the seat of the fracture. 2. Compound Fractures — In which, over and above the fracture of the bone, there is a wound in the skin, through which, perhaps, a portion of the broken bone may be forced. MEDICINAL. 333 3. Comminuted Fracture. — The bone being broken into several pieces. 4. Compound Comminuted Fractures. — The bone not only being broken into several pieces, but a wound also exist- ing in connection with the fracture. When a severe accident happens to a limb, it is often diffi- cult to say what is its exact nature — whether a bone is broken or bent, the joint sprained, or the bone dislocated. The fol- lowing few points may assist in the detection of fracture, if it exist: Deformity. — This, with shortening of the limb, is some- times so obvious that there can be no mistake, as, when the arm is so broken that its firmness is lost and the broken por- tions move on each other. Or when the leg is broken, the fracture is generally rendered evident by the outline of the shin bone. In the latter case, also, as in the case of the frac- ture of the thigh-bone, if the patient be laid on his back the foot of the broken limb will be seen to be wanting its support, and will fall to one side or the other. The loss of power over the limb will also be some guide, though this will be noticed also in dislocations. If, however, the limb supposed to have sustained a fracture be carefully taken hold of by both hands and gently moved about, it will, ff broken, be found to give way at some one point, where also what is technically termed crepitus, or grat- ing, of the broken ends of the bone may be felt. General Treatment of Fractures. — The one most important point in the treatment of broken bones is to secure absolute rest of the member to which the fracture may have happened. The utmost care is required in removing the patient from the spot where the accident has occurred to his bed, or more harm may be done in the removal than was done in the first instance. From a simple fracture the injury may become compound, or even comminuted, if care and gentle handling be overlooked. In all cases the bones should be brought as nearly as possible into their natural relative posi- tions. This is called "setting" the bone. "Setting" the bone is effected by one person steadying the portion of the limb attached to the body, while a second person firmly but gently pulls on the other end until it resumes its proper position. The difficulty of effecting this will depend much upon the direction in which the bone is broken, whether trans- versely or obliquely. Splints. — This being done, the next thing is to take means 334 MEDICINAL.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Treatment. — The patient should be laid flat on a couch or on the ground, with the head as low as possible; the face should be sprinkled or dashed with cold water, free access of fresh air being secured. If able to swallow, let some stimulants be given, such as a small quantity of wine, brandy, or spirits of salvolatile, and apply strong smelling salts to the nostrils. Fractures. — These are, for convenience of description, divided into several kinds. 1. Simple Fracture. — The bone being merely broken in one place, without any wound of the skin at the seat of the fracture. 2. Compound Fractures — In which, over and above the fracture of the bone, there is a wound in the skin, through which, perhaps, a portion of the broken bone may be forced. 3. Comminuted Fracture. — The bone being broken into several pieces. 4. Compound Comminuted Fractures. — The bone not only being broken into several pieces, but a wound also existing in connection with the fracture. When a severe accident happens to a limb, it is often difficult to say what is its exact nature — whether a bone is broken or bent, the joint sprained, or the bone dislocated. The following few points may assist in the detection of fracture, if it exist: Deformity. — This, with shortening of the limb, is sometimes so obvious that there can be no mistake, as, when the arm is so broken that its firmness is lost and the broken portions move on each other. Or when the leg is broken, the fracture is generally rendered evident by the outline of the shin bone. In the latter case, also, as in the case of the fracture of the thigh-bone, if the patient be laid on his back the foot of the broken limb will be seen to be wanting its support, and will fall to one side or the other. The loss of power over the limb will also be some guide, though this will be noticed also in dislocations. If, however, the limb supposed to have sustained a fracture be carefully taken hold of by both hands and gently moved about, it will, if broken, be found to give way at some one point, where also what is technically termed crepitus, or grating, of the broken ends of the bone may be felt. General Treatment of Fractures. — The one most important point in the treatment of broken bones is to secure absolute rest of the member to which the fracture may have happened. The utmost care is required in removing the patient from the spot where the accident has occurred to his bed, or more harm may be done in the removal than was done in the first instance. From a simple fracture the injury may become compound, or even comminuted, if care and gentle handling be overlooked. In all cases the bones should be brought as nearly as possible into their natural relative positions. This is called "setting" the bone. "Setting" the bone is effected by one person steadying the portion of the limb attached to the body, while a second person firmly but gently pulls on the other end until it resumes its proper position. The difficulty of effecting this will depend much upon the direction in which the bone is broken, whether transversely or obliquely. Splints. — This being done, the next thing is to take means

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