Common accidents and how to treat them / by Andrew Wilson and others.

  • Andrew Wilson
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Common accidents and how to treat them / by Andrew Wilson and others. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    67/138 (page 57)
    11. THE VARIOUS KINDS OF FRACTURES. 1. Simple.—Green-Stick ; Impacted. 2. Compound.— Comminuted. Fractures are divided into two great classes, the Simple and the Compound. In the Si7nple fracture the bone is broken, but there is no ex- ternal wound, the skin over the seat of fracture remaining intact. In this class may be included the Oreen-Stick Fracture and the Impacted Fracture. In the Oreen-Stick Fracture the bone be- comes bent. It is only seen in children, and cannot take place after the osseous tissue has undergone hardening. In the Impacted species (impactus, from impingo, I drive in ) the one end of the bone is driven into that of the other and remains fixed there. The Compound Fracture is one where, in addition to the bone being broken, there is a wound leading from the skin to the seat of fracture and communicating with the atmosphere. On this account a compound fracture constitutes a graver form of injury than a simple one, owing to the chances of decomposition occurring within the wound. Fortunately, however, the dangers in this way have been greatly lessened since the introduction of the Antiseptic system ; but ambulance pupils will be best able to realize what a boon the Listerian method of wound-treatment has proved to surgery when I tell them that twenty or thirty years ago the treat- ment adopted in the majority of compound fractures was amputa- tion of the limb; it being found by experience that the rate of mortality was lowest when this course was followed. In the Comminuted variety (cow, together, and minuo, I lessen ) the bone is reduced to a number of fragments. It usually accompanies the Compound Fracture, and is almost invariably the result of severe direct violence. III. THE SIGNS OF FRACTURE. The signs of fracture are of the utmost consequence, and an intimate acquaintance with them greatly facilitates the detection of an injury of this kind. The more important of them may be enumerated as follows: 1. Pain. 2. Inability to use the affected limb or part of body which has been injured. 3. Swelling. 4