EXTRACT XV. 



ON THE HEALING OF WOUNDS BY "FIRST INTENTION," 

 AND WHAT TAKES PLACE IN THE PROCESS OF 

 CICATRISATION AND OSSEOUS UNION. 



WOUNDS are of daily occurrence throughout both the 

 vegetable and animal kingdoms, and are usually left to 

 the management and oversight of the vis medicatrix 

 nature, aided, it may be, sometimes, by the efforts, 

 conscious or unconscious, of the subjects of them. 



In arriving, therefore, at an understanding of the sub- 

 ject of the natural and unaided healing of wounds, it 

 might be well if we could gain some definite ideas with 

 regard to the manner of nature's procedure, and the instru- 

 mentalities or agencies she uses, so as, if possible, to 

 become better able " to lend her a helping hand," without 

 interfering with her plans, when called upon to do so. 



We would, therefore, begin by asking, what constitutes 

 a wound ? A wound, according to our received teaching, 

 is a "solution of continuity" of a texture or textures, 

 usually the latter, inasmuch as, if it be "but a scratch," 

 several textures must be involved in the traumatic occur- 

 rence, and, hence, we may describe a wound as compound, 

 although it may be called simple. 



The textures, or texture, wounded necessarily determine 

 the character of the wound, or "solution of continuity," 

 each texture showing a different manner of behaviour under 

 the influence of traumatic violence, and making arrange- 

 ments for the process of its healing on its own lines and 

 according to its particular anatomical and histological struc- 

 ture. In every instance of wound, in whatsoever structure 



