INDEX OF CICATRIZATION 



8l 



establish a chart or, in other words, to draw on squared paper 

 a 'family' of curves as a function of the index and of the area 

 of the wound. Each curve corresponded to a determined age 

 between twenty and forty. Fig. 17 represents this chart. To 

 find the index of cicatrization corresponding to a given wound 

 of known area, a line parallel to the abscissae or axis of the 



/OO 



SO 

 60 

 40 

 20 



0.02 003 OM 005 006 0.0/ indexx 



FIG. 17. THE INDEX OF CICATRIZATION • 



indices (horizontal) is drawn up to the point of junction with 

 the curve representing the age of the patient. From this point 

 a perpendicular is drawn on to the same axis and its inter- 

 section with this axis (abscissae) gives the value of the index. 

 For example, a wound 60 centimetres square on a man twenty- 

 five years old, corresponds to a 'normal' index of 0-03. The 

 same wound on a man of thirty-two will have an index of 0-02. 

 This represented an improvement from several points of 

 view. First of all, the reader will remember that two measure- 

 ments of the area were necessary to calculate the index by 

 means of formula (3). The quantity cicatrized in four days 

 had to be known (experience showed that this lapse of time 

 was necessary and sufficient). With the chart there was no 

 need to let four days elapse. The calculation was made at the 

 start. In the second place, this procedure presented another 



