A practical treatise on fractures and dislocations . sayto the contrary, the simple fact is before us, that the number of acci-dents resulting from this practice is out of all proportion with anyother yet introduced. I have met with them myself in all parts ofmy own country, and the journals abound with records of disastersfrom this Nor is it a sufficient reply to this statement, that,with proper care and prudence, such accidents may be avoided. Wethink they could not always be avoided. But admitting that theycould, it is still undeniable that in certain cases the immovable appa-ratus
A practical treatise on fractures and dislocations . sayto the contrary, the simple fact is before us, that the number of acci-dents resulting from this practice is out of all proportion with anyother yet introduced. I have met with them myself in all parts ofmy own country, and the journals abound with records of disastersfrom this Nor is it a sufficient reply to this statement, that,with proper care and prudence, such accidents may be avoided. Wethink they could not always be avoided. But admitting that theycould, it is still undeniable that in certain cases the immovable appa-ratus demands extraordinary attention ; and what is the need of multi-plying our cares when already they are more than sufficient? Manycircumstances, over which he has no control, may prevent the surgeonfrom giving to the limb the full amount of attention which is required;and for this reason that apparatus is the best which, whilst it answersthe indications equally well, exacts the least amount of skill andattention on the part of the surgeon. Fie. Opening of the apparatus with Seutins pliers. Immovable dressings are not only liable to become too tight as theswelling augments, but, on the other hand, the surgeon may omit tonotice that as the swelling has subsided it has become loose. Portionsof the limb may vesicate, ulcerate, or even slough, without the know-ledge of the surgeon. If, however, the bandages are frequently opened, 1 Amer. Journ. Med. Sci., vol. xxv. p. 460, Feb. 1840 ; also vol. xxxi. p. 212. GENERAL TREATMENT OF FRACTURES, 57 Fig. 13. and all the proper precautions are taken, it is possible that these acci-dents may also be avoided; but unfortunately experience has shownthat they have not been avoided in too many instances. The cases, then, to which this apparatus seems to be adapted, are afew examples of transverse or serrated fractures in which the boneshave not become displaced, and in which little or no swelling is anti-cipated ; and certain fractures which
Size: 2319px × 1077px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjec, booksubjectfractures
