Under the red crescent : being surgical experiences and observations as an ambulance surgeon in Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878 / by Robert Pinkerton.

Pinkerton, Robert, M.B.

Date:: 1879

Credit: Under the red crescent : being surgical experiences and observations as an ambulance surgeon in Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878 / by Robert Pinkerton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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$splint and Rsmarcli's splint material, and althouj^h I have never used either, 1 am satistied, from my ex})enence with Gooch's splint, that this is the i • r idea for splints for use in military practice, where li- , combined with lirmness, and the rapidity with which a ant can be Htted to any particular case, are of the utmost importance, l^rejwired splints, whether of wood, or pasteboard, or wire, or tin, are of com- paratively little use, as you ' ■ m get anumg a stock of pv . ] wMch will < ily lit the particular case; ii . . ' ling and titling a pn-pared sj)lint to a particular case is greater and more annoying than any one would believe who has not tried it. With splint material, like G<x)ch, on the other hantl, you cut out in a few minutes with a pocket knife the sort of splint most suit<»d to each case, and splints moreover exif'tlv to your own mind. In speaking of < n of the shoulder, 1 mentioned that after tne operation the arm was put up with a pad in the axilla, and sup: ! by a broa<i sling. Now this pad wa.s y ' 'v an«l (jUKiMV fashioned after the manner of Stromeyer's In- -mJiI .ti the idea and purj)oscs of which i have ., ^t CAme under my notice, accepted as correct, and endeavoured to carry out in the treatment of injuries of the upper arm and shoulder joint. And after considerable I . t. T ' • f the Wirt of cases to which it is applicable, 1 can Wi ll uii 1. I tand the high value Stromeyer places on this invention of his, than which nothing could be more naturally tit red for treatment of compound fractures of the upper arm and cases of injuiy to the shouMer joint. It gives a position of most perfect support, stability, and comfort to the woumled limb, while at the same time it entirely removes any risk of the occurrence of gangrene, which is so much to lie dreaded in such a part when anything is applied likely to constrict the limb and interfere with its circulation, such as splints and bandages. I think it would form a most valuable a<idition to army surgical stores a supply of such cushions made of india- rubber, and arranged so as to V>c fitted for use by being filled with air, or they could be stuffed with any soft material, such as wool or charpie, if their air-holding capabilities were in any way interfered with or destroyed. In such a skeleton form, made of either india-ru1)bcr or light canvas, of various sizes (from 12 to 15 inches a side), a large supply of Stromeyer's invaluable cushion could be carried with little addition to either l)ulk or weight of stores. Plaster of Paris was u.sed a good deal for splints, but my experience of it is not very favourable. I chiefly object to it on account of its weight and liability to crack, and especially$