Flexion of the leg upon the thigh, and flexion of the foot upon the
front of the tibia.
Objections might also be raised to the above method on account of the
pain which it may produce; but the flexion never needs to be so forced
as to be unendurable to the patient; the position may be a little
uncomfortable to a very sensitive person, that is all. Furthermore, it
has been proven that a limb can be kept in a flexed position for several
days, "nine by some authors," without any injury, and with a complete
closure of the arteries. We do not expect, however, that this method of
arresting hemorrhage will ever be adopted as "the" method in surgery,
neither will it be necessary here to point out any cases where the
practitioner can have and under certain circumstances be obliged to have
to resort to this simple method. Military surgeons may also profit by
it, for it is certainly a valuable and admirable mode, and so easily
applied in cases of emergency by any one, if the unfortunate should be
distant from surgical aid. I also believe that it would be advisable and
certainly humane, to instruct the people in general, by popular lectures
or through the press, the manner of stopping hemorrhage temporarily.
[Illustration: Fig. 4.]
The simplest of all methods, however, to arrest hemorrhage is the
rubber bandage. It has displaced in surgery the old tourniquet almost
completely, which required a certain skill and anatomical knowledge to
apply it; not necessarily so with the rubber bandage. Any one can apply
it, for the amount of pressure needed to arrest the hemorrhage from a
wound suggests itself. The rubber bandage produces but little pain; the
patient is comparatively comfortable and out of immediate danger and
anxiety; while in the meantime the proper attention can be secured.
I think it would be well if our health officers would direct their
attention a little to the accidental hemorrhages, and if they do not
possess the power, to refer the matter to the proper tribunal to enact
a law that would compel all owners and corporations of factories, saw,
planing, and rolling mills, and, in fact, every establishment where
the laborers are constantly in danger of accidents, to keep on hand a
certain number of strong rubber bandages, according to the number of
men employed, and that at least several of the men, if not all in every
establishment of that kind, be instructed in the application of the
bandage. Steamboats and other vessels should carry a supply, and
railroad companies should be obliged to furnish all watchmen along their
respective roads with rubber bandages, and see that the men know how to
use them in case an accident should occur. Every train that goes out
should have some bandages on board in care of some employe, who knows
how to handle them when needed. Many pounds of precious blood may thus
be saved, and danger to life from this cause be averted.--_Indiana
Medical Reporter_.
* * * * *