194 CULPEPER? s ENGLISH PHYSICIAN, 
hours, fupported by a bed-chair, or the like, which will greatly relieve him. Great 
care, however, mutt be taken in raifing him up, and laying him down, that he make 
no exertions himéelf, otherwife the action of the mufcles may pull the bone out of 
its place. It has been cuftomary, when a bone was broken, to keep the limb for 
five or fix weeks continually upon the ftretch. But this is a bad. pofture. Tei is 
both uneafy to the patient and unfavourable to the cure. _ The beft fituation i is to 
keep the limb a little bent. This is the pofture into which every animal puts its 
limbs when it goes to reft, and in which feweft mufcles are upon the ftretch. It is 
eafily effected, by either laying the patient upon his fide, or making the bed fo as to 
favour this pofition of the limb. All that art can do towards the cure of a broken 
bone, is to lay it perfectly ftraight, and to keep it quite eafy. All tight bandanges 
do hurt. They had much better be wanting altogether. A great many of the bad 
confequences which fucceed to fractured Boriés are owing to'tight bandages. The 
beft method of retention is by two or more {plints made of leather or pafteboard. 
Thefe, if moiftened before they be applied, foon affume the fhape of the included 
member, and are fufficient, by the affiftance of a very flight bandage, for all the 
purpofes of retention. The fplints fhould always be as long as the limb, with holes 
cut for the ancles when the fracture is in the leg. In fractures of the ribs, where a 
bandage cannot be properly ufed, an adhefive plaifter may be applied over the part. 
The patient, in this cafe, ought to keep himfelf quite eafy, avoiding every thing that 
~ may occafion fheezing, laughing , coughing, or the like. He ought to keep his 
body in a ftraight pofture, and thould take care that his ftomach be conftantly dif- 
tended, by taking frequently fome light food, and drinking freely of weak watery. 
: liquors. The moft proper external application for a fracture is oxycrate, or a ~ 
mixture of vinegar and water. The bandages fhould be wet with. this ‘at ev very 
dreffing. : 
Or STRAINS. 
- STRAINS a are often attended with worfe confequences than broken'bones. The 
reafo ‘is obvious, they are generally negleéted. When a bone is broken, the patient 
ged to keep the member eafy, becaufe he cannot make ufe of it; but, when 
y ftrained, the perfon, finding he can fill make a fhift to move it, is 
3 time for fo trifling anailment, In this: ‘way he deceives himfelf, and 
ncurable malady what might have been removed by only keeping 
tora cw days. Country people generally immerfe a ftrained limb ia 
cold water. This i is very. Proper, provided i it be done iminediately, and not kept in 
tov long. But the cuftom of keeping the part immerfed in cold water for a long 
time, is certainly dangerot Se Tt relaxes inftead of bracing the part, and is more 
F ye ae PuOO iO Tey 
