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

  • William Walsham
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    114/902 page 98
    SECTION II. G-EiVERAL Pathology of Ixjueies. WOCKDS. WouN'DS are divided into two great classes, the open, aud the suhcutaneous. Opex woukd.s.—A wound has been defined as a solution of continuity in any part of the body, suddenly made by anything that cuts or tears, with division of the skin. Here our attention will be confined to the gene- ral pathology and treatment of wounds of the soft tissues. Wounds of special tissues, as bone, muscle, blood-vessels, nerves, &c., will be further referred to under those heads. The PKOCESS OF repair in open wounds of the soft tissues differs according as the woiuid is incised, lacerated, contused, or punctured, aud according as it is, or is not. kept aseptic, properly drained, and protected from infec- tive processes. The healing process will, moreover, be infiueuced by the patient's state of health previous to the ■wound, and the hj'gienic conditions under which he is subsequently placed. Let us first take a genertil view of the process of repair as it occm-s in a simple incised wound in a healthy subject. Immediately the wound is inflicted there Avill be free htomorrhage varying in amount according to the vascularity of the part, probably a spouting of blood in jets from a few larger arteries, and a more or less general oozing from the smaller vessels and capillaries. The hicmorrhage from the larger arteries having been arrested, and that from the smaller having ceased s])onta,iu'ously, the wound, if properly drained, accurately closed, and kc])! aseptic and at rest, will luiito without suii])iu'a,tion liy a process of sinijik or adhesive injlammalioii. Tlius, the edges of the wound for the fir.st day or two may present a very faint blush of redness extending for a few lines to perhaps in a large T,^-(iund half an inch or so beyond the incision ; whilst they may be slightly .swelled, alittle hotter than natural, and tender
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