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Symptoms (Loss of sense and motion slow)

Loss of sense and motion, slow, noisy, and laborious breathing, pulse slow and irregular, the muscles relaxed, as in a person just dead, the pupil of the eye enlarged and will not contract even by a strong light, the patient lies like one in an apoplectic fit, and cannot be roused. Treatment. Open a vein and draw off sixteen or twenty ounces of blood, shave the head, and if possible, procure surgical assistance without delay, as there is nothing, unless an operation, that can be of any avail.

Of Wounds.

Wounds are of three kinds, viz., incised, punctured, and contused; among the latter are included gun-shot wounds. The first step in all wounds, is To Stop the Bleeding.

If the flow of blood is but trifling, draw the edges of the wound together with your hand, and hold them in that position some time, when it will frequently stop. If, on the contrary, it is large, of a bright red color, flowing in spirts or with a jerk, clap your finger on the spot it springs from, and hold it there with a firm pressure, while you direct some one to pass a handkerchief round the limb (supposing the wound to be in one) above the cut, and to tie its two ends together in a hard knot. A cane, whip-handle, or stick of any kind, must now be passed under the knot (between the upper surface of the limb and the handkerchief), and turned round and round until the stick is brought down to the thigh, so as to make the handkerchief encircle it with considerable tightness. You may then take off your finger; if the blood still flows, tighten the handkerchief by a turn or two of the stick, until it ceases. The patient may now be removed (taking care to secure the stick in its position) without running any risk of bleeding to death by the way. As this apparatus cannot be left on for any length of time, without destroying the life of the parts, endeavor as soon as possible to secure the bleeding vessels, and take it off. Having waxed together three or four threads of a sufficient length, cut the ligature they form into as many pieces as you think there are vessels to be taken up, each piece being about a foot long. Wash the parts with warm water, and then with a sharp hook, or a slender pair of pincers in your hand, fix your eye steadfastly upon the wound, and direct the handkerchief to be relaxed by a turn or two of the stick; you will now see the mouth of the artery and let it remain there till the blood coagulates, when it may be removed, and a compress and bandage be applied.

Incised Wounds.

By an incised wound is meant a clean cut. Having stopped the bleeding, wash away all dirt, etc, that may be in it with a sponge and warm water, then draw the sides of the wound together, and keep them in that position by narrow strips of sticking plaster, placed on at regular distances, or from one to two inches apart. A soft compress of old linen or lint may be laid over the whole.

Should much inflammation follow, remove the strips, and purge the patient (who should live very low, and be kept perfectly quiet) according to the exigency of the case. If it is plain that matter must form before the wound will heal, apply a soft poultice or wet lint (water dressing) until that event takes place, when dressing of some simple ointment may be substituted for it.

Although narrow strips of linen, spread with sticking-plaster, form the best means of keeping the sides of a wound together, when they can be applied, yet in the ear, nose, tongue, lips, and eye-lids, it is necessary to use stitches, which are made in the following manner: Having armed a common needle with a double waxed thread, pass the point of it through the skin, at a little distance from the edge of the cut, and bring it out of the opposite one at the same distance. If more than one stitch is required, cut off the needle, thread it again, and proceed as before, until a sufficient number are taken, leaving the threads loose until all the stitches are passed, when the respective ends of each thread must be tied in a hard double knot, drawn in such a way that it bears a little on the side of the cut. When the edges of the wound are partly united, cut the knots carefully, and withdraw the threads.

From what has been said, it must be evident that in all wounds, after arresting the flow of blood and cleansing the parts, if necessary, the great indication is to bring their sides into contact throughout their whole depth, in order that they may grow together as quickly as possible, and without the intervention of matter. To obtain this very desirable result, in addition to the means already mentioned, there are two things to be attended to, the position of the patient and the application of the bandage. The position of the patient should be such as will relax the skin and muscles of the part wounded, thereby diminishing their tendency to separate.

A common bandage of a proper width, passed over the compresses moderately tight, not only serves to keep them in their place, but also tends from which the blood springs, seize it with your by its pressure to forward the great object already hook or pincers, draw it a little out, while some one passes a ligature round it, and ties it up tight with a double knot. In this way take up in succession every bleeding vessel you can see or get hold of.

If the wound is too high up in a limb to apply the handkerchief, don't lose your presence of mind, the bleeding can still be commanded. If it is the thigh, press firmly in the groin; if in the arm, with the hand end or ring of a common door key, make pressure above the collar bone, and about its middle against the first rib which lies under it. The pressure is to be continued until assistance is procured, and the vessel tied up. mentioned. If, however, the wound is so extensive and painful that the limb or body of the patient cannot be raised for the purpose of applying or removing it, the best way is to spread the two ends of one or two strips of linen or leather with sticking-plaster, which may be applied in place of the bandage, as follows: Attach one end of a strip to the sound skin, at a short distance from the edge of the compress, over which it is to be drawn with moderate firmness, and secured in a similar manner on its opposite side. A second or third may, if necessary, be added in the same way.

In all wounds, if violent inflammation come on, If the wound is on the head, press your finger reduce it by bleeding, purging, etc., but if there is firmly on it, until a compress can be brought, which must be bound firmly over the artery by a bandage. If the wound is in the face, or so situated that pressure cannot be effectually made, or you annot get hold of the vessel, and the blood flows reason to fear lock-jaw, give wine, porter, brandy, opium, and a generous diet.

Punctured Wounds.

These are caused by sharp pointed instruments,