WOUNDS. 155 



tradl any foreign or extraneous fubftance, and 

 promote a good digeftion -, by which not only 

 every degree of foulnefs is carried off, but the 

 ragged and injured parts themfelves putrefy and 

 flough off, being brought away with the dreff- 

 ings fo foon as the wound is in a healthy pro- 

 mifing ftate. Here the granulations begin to 

 form and fprout out 3 and a proportion of judge- 

 ment is required, but little poffeffed or exerted 

 upon thefe occafions ; for, inftead of nourish- 

 ing an appearance fo much to be folicited (and 

 without which you can obtain no cure) it is 

 often mofl: injudicioufly miftaken for fungus, 

 and fcouted accordingly : inftead of a bed of 

 dry lint to footh and encourage this effort of 

 nature cauftics and efcharotics are loudly called 

 for, and plentifully beftowed; the very bafis 

 of cure is thus deftroyed ; the mouths of the 

 veffels are imprudently clofed by the worft: 

 means ; the difcharge contributing to the con- 

 fiant improvement is mofl unnaturally fuppreff- 

 ed ; and callofities or efchars follow of courfe. 



Ignorance now becomes foiled with its own 

 weapons, the operator ftanding bewildered in 

 a labyrinth, from which he is in poffeffion of 

 no clue to efcape. No day produces a change 



but 



