[p. 182]
on the back, in all such cases the sores are inveterate, troublesome,
and frequently break out again, unless particular attention be paid
to the cure, along with much rest, as in all the cases attended with
sphacelus. And cases of sphacelus connected with this cause, in addition
to other inconveniences, are attended with great danger to the whole
body. For they are apt to be attended with very acute fevers, of the
continual type, accompanied with tremblings, hiccup, aberration of
intellect, and which prove fatal within a few days: and there may
be lividities of bloody veins| By bloody viens is meant veins of a largge size, as Galen explains. Contusions of such necessarily produce extravasation and hemorrage, and the other bad consequences described by our author. |
, with nausea, and gangrene from pressure;
these diseases may occur, besides the sphacelus.| That gangrene should have often supervened in such a case, as described by our author, need not appear surprising. It shows that Hippocrates had a wonderful talent for original observation when he was able to detect and describe such a case; and it ought to teach our profession a lesson of humility, in comparing our present state of knowledge with that of our forefathers, when we thus find that the "old man of Cos," twenty-two centuries ago, understood the nature of this accident better than many of us did not many years since. |
Those which have
been described are the most violent contusion; but in general the
contusions are mild, and no great care is required with regard to
the treatment, and yet it must be conducted properly. But when the
contusion appears to be severe, we must do as described above, making
many turns of the bandage around the heel, sometimes carrying it to
the extremity of the foot, sometimes to the middle, and sometimes
around the leg; and, in addition, all the surrounding parts are to
be bandaged in this direction and that, as formerly described; and
the compression should not be made strong, but we should make use
of many bandages, and it is better also to administer hellebore the
same day or on the morrow; and the bandages should be removed on the
third day and reapplied. And these are the symptoms by which we discover
whether the case will get worse or not: when the extravasated blood,
the lividities, and the surrounding parts become red and hard, there
is danger of an exacerbation. But if there be no fever, we must give
emetics, as has been said, and administer
|
