The doctor at home and nurse's guidebook / edited by George Black.

Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The doctor at home and nurse's guidebook / edited by George Black. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    82/684 (page 58)
    that the veins in the bend of the elbow swell up and become promi- nent. The surgeon then slits up the vein with a sharp lancet, and draws as much blood as may be required. Gentle friction along the arm will encourage the flow of blood. Bleeding is a mischievous practice except in cases where the venous system is too full, and where the abstraction of five or six ounces of blood may prove beneficial. What- ever benefits accrued from the practice are now obtained by other means. BLEEDING AFTER TOOTH-DRAWING See Tooth-Drawing, Bleeding after. BLEEDING FROM NOSE, SYMPTOMS OF A considerable discharge of blood from the nose is usually preceded by chilliness, coldness of the limbs, weariness, pains of the back and head, costiveness, frequent, full, and sometimes hard pulse, with heat, fulness, and tension about the nose, strong beating of the arteries of the head and neck, and flushing of the face ; but, occasionally, bleeding from the nose, like all other bleedings from constitutional causes, makes its appearance without any preceding symptoms, especially when it is inconsiderable. What- ever are the symptoms preceding this flow of blood, the chief cause generally lies in an unhealthy con- dition of the constitution, or in a confined state of the bowels. The former seems to obtain most fre- quently in adults, and the latter in children. It is very seldom dangerous. BLEEDING FROM NOSE, TREATMENT OF In the treatment of this discharge of blood, it is necessary we should first consider whether it be owing to a plethoric or a debilitated state of the body, and whether it appears to afford relief from any previous unhealthy symptom, or is attended with manifest injury. For, in full habits, where there is considerable corporeal vigour, it is generally attended with advantage, and our principal regard should be paid to prevent its continuing too long, or being too profuse ; while in weakly persons it is frequently hurtful, and, for the most part, requires to be checked without delay. If, then, a considerable haemorrhage from the nose occur in a young or middle- aged person, in whom no weakness is apparent, but rather a sufficient circulation of blood, the best and most proper remedies will consist in local astringents and emetics. The face may be frequently im- mersed in the coldest water, and the temples, or even the whole head, be surrounded with a band or nap- kin moistened with it,and frequently changed. Cold applied to the back by means of cold cloths or any cold metal, such as a bit of iron, will frequently succeed ; or cold water and vinegar may be thrown up the nostrils with a syringe. These means will seldom fail to check the flow of blood ; but when they do, an emetic of twenty grains of ipe- cacuanha powder may be adminis- tered in water, which is often a powerful remedy. Plugging the nostrils with cotton wool or an- tiseptic gauze may be necessary. BLEEDING, HOW TO STOP See Hemorrhage. BLINDNESS Those who have never enjoyed the sense of sight probably cannot realize what they have missed, though it may be questioned whe- ther their lot is not really more pitiable than is that of those who,1