I might enumerate the cases of a great number of wounded men cured in
this way, but the instances I have mentioned may suffice to make it
known; I shall only add, that even while I am writing, there are a
great many patients in the hospitals at Torgau, whose bones were so
broken and shattered, that hitherto surgeons would not have conceived
that it was possible to cure them without amputation, and who are all
nevertheless in the way of recovery, by the method I have recommended.
There are very few surgeons of the army, who have not seen instances
in our hospitals of patients whose limbs were to have been cut off,
where to their great dread, every thing was ready, and they placed in
order to undergo the operation, when, either from their fainting or
their resistance, it has been put off, and recourse has been had to
the method I have just pointed out, by which, contrary to the general
opinion, they have been cured, have saved their limb, and used it
afterwards with convenience. If we compare this with what has been
said, § XXVII. it will readily appear, that for the most part it is
extremely wrong to amputate the limbs.