American practice of surgery : a complete system of the science and art of surgery . nearly every indication. The self-retain- f Fig. — Blunt Retractor. ing abdominal retractor (Fig. 294) is a very heljjful instrument. The amountof jjressure made by it can be regulated l)y the one who applies it. It shouldbe rememberetl that this or any other retractor will damage the tissue whenapplied with too great force or for too long a time. The special advantageof this instrument is that it takes the place of two hands, thus reducing the GENERAL SURGICAL TREATMENT. 749 number of assista
American practice of surgery : a complete system of the science and art of surgery . nearly every indication. The self-retain- f Fig. — Blunt Retractor. ing abdominal retractor (Fig. 294) is a very heljjful instrument. The amountof jjressure made by it can be regulated l)y the one who applies it. It shouldbe rememberetl that this or any other retractor will damage the tissue whenapplied with too great force or for too long a time. The special advantageof this instrument is that it takes the place of two hands, thus reducing the GENERAL SURGICAL TREATMENT. 749 number of assistants, which is always an ach-antage. The handles rest overthe patients thighs, out of the surgeons way. Nails and Screws.—Mails and screws have been extensively used in thetreatment of fractures and after excisions, but they have not proven very satis-factory because, in spite of every precaution, they often prove allowed to protrude through the skin they are almost certain to causelocal pressure necrosis and infection, which in turn lead to suj^puration. When. Fig. 294.—Self-Retaining Abdominal Retractor; takes the place of one assistant. they are buried the results are more satisfactory, but even then they are ]:)rone toact as foreign bodies at a later period, causing necrosis and abscess, wliichnecessitate their removal. As a means of approximating the bones after exci-sion of the knee they have been superseded by chromicized catgut the treatment of fractures they still have a limited field of usefuhicss, buteven here the chromicized catgut suture is superior in tli(> vast majority ofcases because it holds the fragments more securely and becomes absorbedlater. A nail or screw has in reality a very insecure hold on a bone because 750 a:\ierican practice of surgery. it is only the outer compact layer which affords any special security, and eventhis hold loosens very soon. Fragments fastened in this way with seemingsecurity will usually be fo
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbuckalbe, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1906
