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Punctures Case Iv

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

The present case is somewhat more severe than those which have been

already given, and what is of great importance, the caustic was not

applied immediately after the accident.



William Chantry, aged 50, received a stab in the wrist with a hay-fork

yesterday and applied a poultice; to-day there are great pain and

swelling, and the wounded orifice is very small. I applied the lunar

caustic within the punctur
, and directly a cold poultice to be worn

over it; the arm was kept in a sling.



The next day the swelling and pain were diminished, and a little lymph

flowed from the wound. I again applied the caustic and continued the

poultice.



Two days afterwards, the swelling and pain were nearly gone. The

poultice was merely continued, the caustic not being requisite from

the subsidence of the inflammation. The patient came to me again in

four days more quite free from pain and swelling. The poultice was

discontinued, and the caustic was then applied in order to form an

adherent eschar, in which I was successful.



This case illustrates many important points; 1. it shows the efficacy

of the caustic with the poultice as a remedy against inflammation; 2.

it presents an instance of a labouring man returning to work on the

sixth or seventh day after a severe accident, even when the

application of the caustic had been unfortunately delayed; 3. it

points out the proper treatment, when all hope of the treatment from

the first by adherent eschar is lost from such delay,--for had this

been attempted in this case, suppuration would doubtless have taken

place from the closed state of the puncture by the swelling;--our

objects must therefore be, to open the puncture and to subdue the

inflammation, and these objects are admirably attained by means of the

caustic.



The following case is not less instructive.



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