_Of Falls_
The man who falls, is partly bereft of his senses, or his presence of
mind, and particularly so the more timorous he is of his own
preservation; add to this, because he is unaccustomed to it; for custom
makes us familiar in every thing: Thence we perceive the different
effect in different persons in their falling; for some will fall with a
good deal of judgment, prevent some unlucky blow or other; whilst
another shall fall as heavy as a dead log, or like one drunk, without
having the least chance of saving himself in any shape. I remember once
I fell from the puttock shrowds of the fore-top, but providentially
escaped without the least injury, my watch chain having catched some
how, which I endeavoured to save. I confess this in a great measure was
owing to good fortune; at the same time I was naturally very active, and
having acquired a flight of jumping off the main-deck into the hold of a
light ship, I thereby had habituated myself to stop my breath, and a
presence of mind which principally saved me when I thus fell in good
earnest. I only mention this to shew, that the greatest mischief in
falling proceeds from timorousness and surprise. I knew a wag, who would
play pranks that way to astonishment; he could let himself fall from any
part of the rigging, catching as he came down like a cat, make all hands
come round to his assistance, and then laugh at their credulous good
nature.
A man who falls is apt to lose his breath, particularly if he is not
very careful, and has not presence enough to stop it the moment he finds
himself fall; and the instant he loses his breath, he loses also his
mental faculties; consequently comes motionless and exposed to every
fatality. Thence we generally find a man, who has fallen from a
considerable height, lays motionless like death on the spot, even though
he has not received the least injury otherwise.
_The Method._
When I have been called to such an accident, and found my patient
motionless; I have untied his neckcloth taken him by the coller of his
jacket, and shaken him heartily; which in the space of half a minute has
brought him to, with a heavy sigh. Next I have bled him without loss of
time, but not too copiously; after which I have examined him, and acted
according to circumstances.
A person falling is liable to a number of dangerous consequences, not
mentioning immediate death. The consternation, the shock, fright, terror
&c. are as alarming and dangerous as the external hurt itself. The
brain, and the blood vessels in that part are very delicate, and by the
shock, as well as the want of respiration, they often burst; thence an
apoplexy is liable to hurry the patient from the stage.
A fever generally attends a fall, which ought to be strictly attended
to; after, therefore, the patient is bled, and seems to have recovered
his reason, he should have every six hours a dose of the _Fever
Powders_, (L.) and drink some balm tea, in order to get into a gentle
perspiration, which will in this respect soon recover his health again,
and enable him to do his duty.
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