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.