Compound and comminuted gun-shot fractures of the thigh and means for their transportations, etc / John Swinburne.
- John Swinburne
- Date:
- 1864
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Compound and comminuted gun-shot fractures of the thigh and means for their transportations, etc / John Swinburne. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![<*7/ as practicable, to place the patient on a bed or stretcher, extend the limb as near as possible to its normal length, without giving too great pain, retain it in that position by fastening the patient's foot to the foot of the bed or stretcher, by means of adhesive plaster, as I am in the habit of doing in ordinary fractures of the thigh. Of course, there should be no bandaging of the leg or thigh. Make the counter extension by the use of a large perineal belt fastened to the head of the bed or stretcher [see diagram]. [See treatment of fractures of the thigh—Transac- tions of the Medical Society, State of New York, 1859-61. Also American Medical Times, 1862; Philadelphia Medical Reporter, 1862.] In order more fully to make the stretcher a splint, I propose to place two sliding iron rods 4 4, the length of which should be from 8 to 12 inches, and placed upon the handles of the stretcher which are to be provided with thumb screws 3 3, to keep them in any desirable position, and allow of their being depressed, elevated or extended, as the case may require. [See fig. J The foot-strap or cord can be fastened to the sliding iron rod 4 4 at the foot of the stretcher, while the perineal belt 2 can be fastened to the sliding iron rod or arm 4 4 at the opposite end. Thus making an apparatus for the treatment of this fracture, as complete and perfect as can possibly be produced in private practice, and since the majority of these fractured bones suffer no loss of substance, why should we not then succeed in effecting as good results by this method in army practice as in private practice? It will be seen that this form of apparatus answers equally well in all lorms of fractures, whether of the leg or thigh, simple, compound, or compound and comminuted, and hence its extreme applicability. Thus transportation is rendered easy and not painful—thus are all the evils which were spoken of under the head of bandaging and splinting, obviated. They can be treated until well upon this form of bed or stetcher, even without hospital tents. These statements are rendered obvious when we reflect that the main source of congestion is removed by straightening the nerves, arteries and muscles, By the same means (?. e. exten- sion), is spasm removed. By avoiding the bandaging stricture is obviated, and the bones are saved their periosteum.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21157741_0011.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
