A handbook of local therapeutics / edited by Harrison Allen.

Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A handbook of local therapeutics / edited by Harrison Allen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    one on each side of the limb. Plaster of Paris is now mixed with water old of'ti'Tf? ''^ ^i^^^^^ P--^ - between the folds of the blanket on e.ther side. Before the plaster sets the surgeon can readily .mold it evenly over the surface of the limb, after which the entire mass may be retained by a few additional turns of bandage and allowed to dry. When it is desired to inspect the parts, all that is necessary is to cut the turns of the bandage and pull the edges of the plaster asunder, when the two halves fall apart,-the seam at the back acting as a hinge. Swelling of the limb is thus accommodated by the hinge behind and the opening in front, and the danger of undue pressure avoided. Should an external wound demand an opening in the plaster It can readily be made by cutting a window in both thicknesses of blanket, and stitching their edges together to prevent the escape of plaster. This form of fixed dressing is the only one which should be applied to a recent fracture. The plaster-of-Paris bandage or roller is made bv thoroughly incorpor- ating plaster of Paris with the mesh of a loose texture, such as cheese-cloth or crinoline, the latter being most commonly employed. The fibre is then made into a loose roller or bandage, from three to five yards in length, containing a small amount of plaster between the folds. When this is to be used, the limb is covered with a close-fitting stocking or bandage, and the plaster roller is submerged in water, and, when thoroughly' soaked, is removed and squeezed as dry as possible, and applied in spiral turns around the limb. When the application is complete the dressing is covered with a little dry plaster of Paris. Such a bandage has the advantage of becoming firm in from fifteen minutes to a half hour, and constitutes one of the best forms of immovable dressing. It is well suited to all fractures of the leg after the inflammatory swelling has sub- sided. If the plaster is old, the hardening process may be hastened by the addition of a small handful of salt, or by placing the plaster in an oven in a shallow pan (for a few hours before using) until it is thoroughly dry. CALENDULA. Marigold. The fresh, flowering herb of Calendula officinalis:' (U. S. P.) The only official pre- paration is the tincture made by displacing twenty parts of the herb with sufficient alcohol to make one hundred parts. Calendula is a weak astringent. General Surgery.—The bruised leaves, made into a poultice, have been applied with asserted advantage as a dressing for painful Cancers of the breast. A tincture has been used in the treatment of Sprains and Contusions, being similar in its action to tincture of arnica, though it is