Outlines of surgery and surgical pathology : including the diagnosis and treatment of obscure and urgent cases and the surgical anatomy of some important structures and regions / by F. Le Gros Clark.

  • Clark, Frederick Le Gros, 1811-1892.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Outlines of surgery and surgical pathology : including the diagnosis and treatment of obscure and urgent cases and the surgical anatomy of some important structures and regions / by F. Le Gros Clark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    Mechanical injuries may be inflicted with pointed, sharp-edged, or blunt instruments ; and thus we may have punctured, incised, or contused wounds ; or a wound may be produced by some object tearing the soft parts, and this is called a lacerated wound. These different forms of wound may be combined in one injury. Simple contusion or bruise without breach of surface, may result from a blow or pressure causing limited effusion of blood into the areolar tissue (ecchymosis), or larger extravasation, either diffused or accumulated. It is important to distinguish between such circumscribed extravasation and abscess ; for which purpose the history of the case, the sudden appearance of the former, absence of pain, &c., suffice. Such extravasation may give rise to suppuration. Simple contusion may be treated by evaporating lotions, or warmth and moisture ; subsequently friction and support. Circumscribed extravasation of large extent will be absorbed in time. Do not open such sac unless suppuration threaten 5 if converted into an abscess by inflam- mation it must be treated accordingly. An incised wound should be carefully cleansed, and its edges adapted and retained with plaster, sutures, or pins, as required. It should then be kept cool. Alcoholic lotion favours union ; and the antiseptic treatment by carbolic acid has been extensively employed. Punctured wounds are inflicted with pointed instruments, with either sharp or blunt edge. Such wounds being deep, and their aperture small, the discharge is confined, and the trouble- some consequences attending them are due to this cause, as in a sinus j probably there maybe also contused division of nerve- fibres. Constitutional irritation attending these wounds is often severe. Treat by rest, cool applications ; and if there be much inflammation, by free incision, converting the punctured into an incised wound, to give free exit to the discharge. Laceration, 01- contusion, with breach of surface, is a torn bruise. These bleed less than incised wounds. If severe, sloughing may succeed, followed by protracted suppuration. Their healing is always tardy. Cleanse and soothe ; first apply cold ; when inflammation ensues, warmth and moisture, to