Science.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 368, 28 May 1903, Page 2

Science.

ABOUT BEOKEN BONES. %"" i gSSTHE subject of injuries to bones wran jwMg all.important one. ' Accidents of QgLf ■■} this kind are of vary frequent occurrence, for one thing, and in the second place, a vast deal can be done by people who know something of ambulance work to save the casualty from being made much worae before the doctor comes. It is exactly here that intelligently applied aid may be the means of limiting pain,., and of - rendering the sufferer much more likely to "recover Quickly than when he' has been* treated "in a careless and improper fashion. A broken bone constipates whali is cafficTm'medical' language 'a fracture.' Usually this accident is tho result of direct violence, as may tae„ represented.,by,, a MmJsSitMk ample, or some heavy body falling on the part. Sometimes a bone may be broken by a severe muscular twist or wrench,, although in such oases it is more likely that son? e of the ligaments which bind the bones together at the. joints..inay pive way, v hen we get the* injury known as a. • sprain.' Hence it becomes of importance for us to know when a bone has been broken, so that one may adopt the propjer treatment for the sufferer's relief. If .re cannot be sure that a fracture ias occurred, what' we can do is to use the treatment proper for such an accident. It is always well to err on the safe side in administering first aid. If even we adopt precautions which were not necessary, we have done the proper thing. 'We at least avoid the danger of doing nothing—a very serious matter supposing we rave been mistaken, and that a bone has really been broken. The Signs. When ar bone hais been broken we are taught''to note signs which, taken! so,-, gether, may lead us towards the trouble. First of all there will be pain. Then there will be ioss of the poweif of move-, ment of .the part. Thirds th'ere may be* deformity or alteration in "shape of the part, with 'some mobility of movement, which should not be present. Finally, if we, gently press, the bone in opposite directions along its length, weij will be : conscious of a grating sensation at the broken "ends.' Thi* 'is called ' crepitus,' and it is one of the most decisive signs of fracture.; = But tit is hot always easy to make "out if a break has actually occurred. One or more of the signs may be indistinct or masked. If all four are present we can have no doubt that the accident has really occurred. As I have-said, however,-our .course' is clear. Bather than allow a person with an undetected broken' bone to run a risfe of injury, we should when in doubt treat him as if a break had occurred. We ean never err in being over-cautious if it so happens, but we may go far wrong in neglecting what may be a real injury. -.'* - ;J

. '.' ■ - ... . DISLOCATIONS./ When the head of a bone is thrown out of its- socket, we term the accident a I It ?may be,very, difficult to tell in some cases which, kind of casualty has occurred, and, besides, it it not uncommon to find a dislocation and a frac•ture both existing ;as« the of an accident. In the case of a dislocation there'will likely : be' 'greater deformity and alteration- of, the shape, of .the part than' is the case with a. fracture. For example, if a person's.shoulder is dislocated we can see ,sucnalteration if he. be stripped and the sound'shoulder compared, with the injured one, Pain, and the want of the power of movement, will also be present, but, of course, where no break of . bone. .ejsistß... there will ba ~,no ' crepitus.'. No one save a Burgeon should attempt to. return a dislocated bone to its place, .The.first-aid treatment, is that of making, the patient as comfortable as possible," and of preventing any-further movement of the bones and thereby causing pain. Practically we shall find that the treatment for both injuries is very much the same-, apd it is all summed up ,in the statement thatjwe duty if weprotect Jthe patient fromlEuetainiug any further injury by movements of the displaced parts. gli%2 ?■ v'9-;8/>.

9 j.-.-..;-.; ; : ; ; ; ,Sp?tE Hints. ■'••« Suppose a inan is thought to have sus" tainetf say, of arm or! leg, he must be carefully and gently the first. He should be carried to a quiet place,' and, if an- examinationi is to be made, his clothes must.be cut' off—rippe J' up at the seams—and sot taken off. We, can' imagine the pain which would be caused by the attempt to take off his coat; if his arm was broken. Indeed, the'one' idea we should keep in mind is that .a simple fracture may be made very much worse if we allow any undue movements to take place in the broken bone. In the case of a man with a broken leg,; imagine whatiwpuld.'be-likely to happen if some fo<riishK>r ighorant ?: person lifted him: up, Had set* him ' Very likeSjHhe'' broken end of the bone would come through the skin, asd thenwe should get a much j more serious a compound fracture (that is, oho with a wound) in place of a simple one. We can'-all see the necessity, then, for the most gentlo treatment of every: case in which a bone is suspected of being broken. Our duty, in fact, is to take measures to keep ] at rest, to put the bone as: nearly as we I can in its natural position, and to secure it against disturbance. This is what should be done pending the'arrival of: the doctor. ~-, -~ r .s ~-; tyieg*, ,*®fs() | . . The Treatment.'/., i

We should apply splints to the injured parts. Now, a splint may be made of almost any solid object. Bits of stick; book boards, magazines-, an umbrella, a walkiEg- stick, a policeman's baton; the sides of boxes, aiid so forth—all can be employed; Thus, if a leg" or thigh be: broken, a broom? handle would form a splint placed on the outer side of the leg, j one end in the armpit, and bandaged oh the leg. Then the sound leg should be I bandaged to the broken oup, to give rti support".. A rifle, could be used in the; same way. For the arm, shorter splin is would be required. Bits • wooden or; cardboard boxes or similar things out to the proper size, and padded witb-opttonl wool or handkerchiefs, could be bandaged,! one on pach side of the broken bone/ and the arm; supported in a sling. In this way the patient could be mader fairly. comfortable, and be guarded against the; risk of further ißJury. .-„. More about, tureß in a future Wiii'sqn. ..