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Punctures Case Ii

Categories: ON THE APPLICATION OF THESE MODES OF TREATMENT TO PARTICULAR CASES.
Sources: Application Of The Lunar Caustic In The Cure Of Certain Wounds And Ulcers

Mrs. Middleton, aged 40, wounded her wrist, on the ulnar side, by the

hook of a door post; there was a considerable flow of blood at first,

but this ceased suddenly and the arm immediately became affected with

great pain and swelling. The lunar caustic was applied in half an hour

after the accident.



On the following day the eschar was observed to be adherent, and the

patient reported that she had suffered
scarcely any pain, after the

smarting of the caustic had ceased. There was a slight swelling round

the puncture but that of the arm had totally subsided. The caustic was

applied over and beyond the swelling. On the third day all tumefaction

had subsided and there was no complaint whatever.



I hoped that this case would have required no further attention or

remedy. But my patient contrived unfortunately to rub off the eschar

about a week after its formation, and so to expose the subjacent wound

unhealed; she suffered however no pain or inconvenience from it; and

it was again shielded by means of a fresh eschar, which remained

adherent until removed by the healing process underneath.



This puncture was so severe that the arm was in a state of ecchymosis

for six or eight inches upwards, and I doubt not that without the

caustic, there would have been severe and long continued suffering,

and perhaps painful suppurations.



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