206 ANTHROPOLOGY. 



After the wound has been cleaned and the flow of blood has ceased, the 

 point of the needle is to be passed through the lips of the wound previously 

 brought into contact, and the two ends of the thread tied in a simple or a 

 slip knot ; the knot, however, should not rest directly on the edge of the 

 wound. Each end of the thread or ligature may be provided with a needle, 

 and the needles be introduced to the bottom of the wound and passed out- 

 wards on each side. After tying the knot, the ends of the thread may be 

 fastened down to the skin with plaster; a similar strip should be laid 

 between the ligatures, a roll of lint coated with cerate placed on the wound, 

 upon this a compress, and finally a suitable bandage. 



2. The Twisted Hair Pin, or Figuke-of-Eight Suture {fig. 29), is 

 the suture usually employed in cases of hare-lip. Straight hair-pin needles 

 are introduced at suitable distances through both edges of the wound, and 

 after the lips have been brought into contact, a thread is wound round the 

 pin from one side to the other, in a figure-of-eight manner. 



3. The Quill Suture {fig. 30) is an interrupted suture with the threads 

 tied over rolls of adhesive plaster, or quills, Avhich thus supply the place 

 of the lateral compresses. 



It frequently becomes necessary to employ instruments in the opening of 

 abscesses, or collections of pus, which may exist in difierent parts of the 

 body. The incision is usually made on the most protruding portion by 

 means of a lancet {figs. 1 — 3), or a scalpel {figs. 7, 8); a sharp bistoury 

 {fig. 9) may also be employed. Should the abscess be deep, a trochar may 

 be required (fig. 4, Petit's trochar and canula). This consists of a steel 

 rod or stylet fitting accurately into the hollow cylinder or canula, beyond 

 whose extremity its point projects. The puncture is made with the stylet 

 in the canula, and on removing the former, the fluid passes out through the 

 latter. 



Sometimes the pus from an abscess escapes between the soft parts of the 

 body by a longer or shorter channel, which ultimately opens outwards, 

 producing n fistula. These fistulous canals require to be opened throughout 

 their entire length by a bistoury {pi. 140, fi^. 9, sharp bistoury; fig. 10, 

 blunt bistoury). 



3. Aneurism. 



By aneurism is meant a dilatation of an artery in some particular spot, 

 producing a tumor, which will be likely to burst in time, unless the 

 proper precautions are made use of. These precautions consist essen- 

 tially in obstructing the flow of blood through the artery at the spot 

 affected. 



Among the instruments necessary in operations for aneurism may be 

 mentioned the tourniquet : fi^s. 86, 87, Henkel's field tourniquet ; fig. 88, 

 Savigny's tourniquet ; various knives, sounds, needles, compresses, ligatures 

 of waxed silk, tenacula, forceps {as, fig. 15), scissors, &c., together with the 

 necessary bandages. 

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