: AND FAMILY DISPENSATORY. 153 
ug aC be laid upon his back, and made fait by bandages, or held by affif. 
j y others an.extenfion is made by means of flings fixed about the bot- 
tom of the thigh alittle above the knee. While the extenfion is made, the opera- 
tor muft pufh the head of the bone outward, till it gets into the focket. If the 
diflocation be outward, the patient muft be Jaid upon his face, and, during the 
extenfion, the head of the bone muft be pufhed inward. . Diflocations of the knees, 
ancles, and toes, are reduced much in the fame manner.as thofe of the upper ex- 
tremities, viz. by making an extenfion in oppolite directions, while the operator 
_Yeplaces the bones. In many cafes, however, the extenfion alone is fufficient, and 
_ the bone will flip into its place merely by pulling the limb with fufficient force. It 
is not hereby meant, that force alone is fufficient for the reduttion of diflocations, 
Or BROKEN BONES, &c. 
THERE is, in moft country villages, fome perfon who pretends to the art of re- 
ducing fractures. ‘Though, in general, fuch perfons are very ignorant, yet fome of 
them are very fuccefsful ; which evidently proves, that a {mall degree of learning, 
with a fufficient fhare of common fenfé and a mechanical head, will enable a man to 
ibe ufeful in this way. We would, however, advile people never to employ fuch 
operators, when an expert and fkilful furgeon can be had; but, when that is im- 
practicable, they muft be employed: we fhall therefore recommend the following 
hints to their confideration: when a large bone is broken, the patieat’s diet ought, 
in all refpeéts, to be the fame as in an inflammatory fever. He fhould likewile be 
kept quiet and cool, and his body open by emollient clyfters, or, if thefe cannot be 
conveniently adminiftered, by food that is of an opening quality; as ftewed prunes, 
apples boiled in milk, boiled fpinage, and the like. It ought however to be here 
temarked, that perfons who have been accuftomed to live high are not all of a 
fudden to be reduced to a very low diet. This might have fatal effects. There is 
Often a neceflity for indulging even bad habits, in fome meafure, where the nature 
Of the difeafe might require a different treatment. It will generally be neceffary to 
bleed the patient immediately after a frature, efpecially if he be young, of a full 
habit, or has, at the fame time, received any bruife or contufion. ee ab 
fhould not only be performed foon after the accident happens, but, if the patient be 
are broken, the patient mutt keep his bed forteveral w : jeans ne 
ceffary, however, that he fhould lie all that time, as 1s cuftomary, upon his back. 
This fituation finks the fpirits, gal alls and frets the patie nt’s fkin, a nd renders “ 3 him in 
very uneafy. After the fecond week he may be gently raifed up, and may nak: 
38. | 3D 
