Surgery : its theory and practice / by William Johnson Walsham.

  • William Walsham
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Surgery : its theory and practice / by William Johnson Walsham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    122/864 page 106
    and bleeding encouraged by tigbtly binding the part above the Avoimd. V\Tiere the coi^ise is recent and death is known to be the result of some infective disease, the wound should be washed in strong carbolic lotion (some recommend its cauterization with caustic potash, or nitrate of silver), and then dressed with iodofonn, and protected from further infection. If a wart, or indolent sore form, it should be destroyed by nitrate of silver, or other caustic, and the jtatient's health improved by tonics and change of air. If an infective inflammation be set up, the wound should be freely incised, and any abscess that may form in the axilla, or elsewhere, opened early; indeed, if there is miich tension or brawniness of the parts, incisions should be made before pus is formed. The bowels in the meantime should be cleared by a biisk pui'ge, and the strength supported bj^ nomishments and stimulants. Strngs of insects sometimes cause troublesome local in- flammation, which is occasionallj' of a diifuse character, and where a large extent of surface is stvmg, as by a swarm of bees, may be attended with symptoms of severe depression. Stings of the throat occasionally occur from swallowing a wasp, and are liable to be followed by cedematous laryngitis. Treatment.—The application of ammonia will at once relieve pain. Where there is severe depression, ammonia or alcohol must be administered. Scaritication. int^ibation of the glottis, or even laryngotomy, may become necessary in severe stings of the throat. Stings of serpents.—The bites of poisonous snakes, other than the adder, are fortiniatcly rare in this country. The bite of the coinmon adder is seldom fatal. It is attended with much collapse, nnusca or vomiting, great pain in the part, swelling of the affected memlu'r. subsecjuent discoloration from blood-extravasation, and occasionally inflammation and sup]iuration. The ircaimtnt consists in sucking the part Avhero practicable, applying a bandage tightly above th(^ bite to prevent absorption of the poison, and tlie internal administration of stimulants. The local api)lication of li(|U()r ])otassa> or permai\ganate of ]iotash. the injecti(m of annnonia into the veins, and excision of the bitten ]iart arc recommended. Por an account of the more serious symptoms attending the bite of the cobra and other venoinous s(>rpents of tropical countries, a larger work must be consulted.
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