COMPOUND FRACTURE, ABSCESS, ETC. 9 



had evidently been one of these, though its walls were now alive and vascular. 

 Thus the blood which had been acted upon by carbolic acid, though greatly 

 altered in physical characters, and doubtless chemically also, had not been 

 rendered unsuitable for serving as pabulum for the growing elements of new 

 tissue in its vicinity. The knowledge of this fact is of importance ; as it shows 

 that, should circumstances appear to demand it, we may introduce carbolic 

 acid deeply among the blood extravasated in a limb, confident that all will 

 nevertheless be removed by absorption. A few days later all traces of the Uttle 

 cavity had become obliterated by the granulating process. 



At the close of the third week the application of carbolic acid to the crust 

 was discontinued, and the original internal pasteboard splint padded with 

 cotton was again employed, instead of the tin and fomentation. \Miat remained 

 of the crust was still kept protected with the tin cap, with the \-iew of ascer- 

 taining how long it would continue to adhere ; and at length, nearh* four weeks 

 after the accident, I tore it off from the vascular surface beneath, which bled 

 as I did so. The crust had preserved the subjacent parts from disturbance as 

 effectually as if it had been a piece of living integument ; and it is worthy of 

 remark that the vascular surface below had not the pulp\' softness of granu- 

 lations, but was comparatively firm and substantial. The bit of crust still 

 smelt of carbolic acid, though none had been applied for five days. 



At the expiration of six weeks from the receipt of the injury the fragments 

 were found firmly united in good position, just as if the fracture had been 

 a simple one, though the cicatrization of the rather extensive sore was not 

 complete till a later period. 



Case 4. — James W , aged ten, was engaged in a turner's factory worked 



by steam power on the 8th of June, 1866, when his right arm was drawn in 

 between a strap and a shaft turned by it. He called out for assistance, but 

 thinks two minutes must have elapsed before the machiner\- was stopped, and 

 during the whole of this time the strap, which was still mo\'ing while he held 

 the arm steady, was cutting into the ulnar side of the forearm, breaking through 

 the ulna about its middle, while the radius was bent with ' green-stick ' fracture. 

 He was taken at once to the infirmary, where the wound was found to be about 

 an inch and a half in depth, occupying more than half the circumference of 

 the limb, chiefly at the dorsal aspect, but extending round also to the palmar 

 side. The upper fragment of the ulna was protruding about an inch, and two 

 strips of muscle, about a quarter of an inch in thickness and from two to three 

 inches in length, were hanging out ; the lacerated state of the parts confirming 

 the boy's account of the accident. 



