Discourses on the nature and cure of wounds. I. Of generals. Of procuring adhesion. Of wounded arteries. Of gunshot wounds. Of the medical treatment of wounds. II. Of particulars. Of wounds of the breast. Of wounds of the belly. Of wounds of the head. Of wounds of the throat. III. Of dangerous wounds of the limbs. Of the question of amputation ... / [John Bell].

  • Bell, John, 1763-1820
Date:
1795
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Discourses on the nature and cure of wounds. I. Of generals. Of procuring adhesion. Of wounded arteries. Of gunshot wounds. Of the medical treatment of wounds. II. Of particulars. Of wounds of the breast. Of wounds of the belly. Of wounds of the head. Of wounds of the throat. III. Of dangerous wounds of the limbs. Of the question of amputation ... / [John Bell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a ball has paffed through the heel bone, or has paf- fed quite through the tarfus (although it have fplin- tered all the bones), yet when the ball fticks in the tarfus, it is a very dangerous wound (often followed by locked jaw or gangrene), in which it is difficult to fave the foot; but when both the ancle’ joint is laid open, and the tarfus alfo is much lacerated and difordered, it cut off *. sthly, In this fourth rule I have mentioned thick? the dangerous wounds of the lower extremity; and the reafon of my doing this falls now to be explained ; for it 1s really in wounds of the lower extremity; chiefly, that we are reduced to the hard neceffity: of cutting off the limb. The lower extremity is larger, forming a great. proportion of the whole-body, its wounds there are larger arteries to bleed, greater bones to be reunited or reftored, and larger mafles of muicle and fkin, to fall into inflammation; but the chief danger is the confinement in wounds of the low- er * That none of thefe wounds can be cured, it is far from my in- tention to afirm; I know well that they have been cured; I have feen fuch defperate cafes cured. We have, among other cafes, one of a knee joint, another of a thigh bone terribly thattered, and yet cured by the celebrated Deflault ; but the queftion is, whether the dangers be not greater than the chances? and I think the pro- per thing to be faid on this occafion is juft this: ‘ When a judi- cious man fays that a limb ought to be removed, ie does not mean that it is impoffible, at all events, that fuch limb can be faved, nes that the patient muit infallibly die.’? Pott, p. 400,