Accidental injuries, their relief and immediate treatment : How to prevent accidents becoming more serious / [Sir James Cantlie].

  • Cantlie, James, Sir, 1851-1926.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Accidental injuries, their relief and immediate treatment : How to prevent accidents becoming more serious / [Sir James Cantlie]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    which enibrace the astragiilus aiul com])lete the ankle-joint. ' Seeing that the structures of a joint ai-e fresh in our memories, we may hero discuss:— A Sprain.—I3y a sprain is meant a twist, strain, or rick occun-ing at a joint, and of such severity as to cause, it may be, serious trouble. The ankle, the most frequently sprained joint, is especially liable to wrenches and twists from slipping, on a smooth floor, or down stairs, or on a piece of orange-peel and the like on the pavement, or treading on the edge of a fair-sized stone, or putting the foot into a hole on uneven ground, or simply from the ten- dency ‘‘ to go over ” the ankle. When from any of these causes a sprained ankle results, what hapj)ens is this: The sudden wrench starts the bones from each other for an instant, and during that instant various things occur. The bands or ligaments which hold the bones of the joint together are suddenly stretched, torn, and made to bleed, the gap which occurs between the bones sucks the blood into the joint, so that the joint instantly swells. Before even the stocking and shoe can be got off, the joint has sw'ollen. Nothin could accumulate at such a rate except blood; and if further proof be wanted, it will be found two or three days afterwai'ds by the skin l)ecoming discoloured “ black and blue ” when the blood comes to the sx;rface. To relieve pain in such an accident, and to prevent more serious trouble, the joint should be kept quiet, and the use of it pr^-vented. To take the pain and sting out of it, the foot and ankle should be placed in hot water (100’ F.), if it can be obtained. If the accident occur on a countiy road, the ankle should be bound round tightly with a handkerchief, either dry or dipped in cold water, or in etjual parts of whisky or brandy and water, to procure rapid evaporation and produce cold thereby, the stocking pulled over it,