276 



A DICTIONARY. 



we understand the depletion of the system 

 at large ; and this we practice in extensive 

 inflammations. 



" Division of the temporal artery. — The 

 proper spot for either its puncture or divi- 

 sion is directly where the vessel leaves the 

 parotid gland, to curve upward and forward 

 around the jaw, a little below its condyle. 

 When it is puncttired, it usually affords 

 much blood ; and in such case, enough hav- 

 ing been obtained, divide the trunk ; when, 

 the receding portions becoming pressed by 

 the integuments, and lessening by their 

 own contractility, the hemorrhage is stopped. 

 It should be punctured by a lancet ; a fleam 

 may fix itself in the bone. Its division can 

 be readily made also either by a lancet or 

 scalpel. 



" Bleeding by the palate is also a species 

 of arterio-phlebotomy, and is a very favorite 

 spot for abstracting blood with most igno- 

 rant persons,who vehemently recommend it 

 in spasmodic colic or gripes, and in megrims. 

 In such cases, however, a want of knowl- 

 edge of the anatomy of the parts has occa- 

 sioned a serious hemorrhage to occur ; it 

 may prove a fatal one, if the artery proper 

 to the part be divided incompletely. The 

 palatine artery and nerve run near each 

 other, on each side of the roof of the mouth, 

 so as to divide the inner surface of the hard 

 palate into three nearly equal portions. No 

 other than a direct division of the vein 

 should ever be made : therefore, when bleed- 

 ing is determined on at this place, do it by 

 plunging a lancet or even a penknife in a 

 direct line across the ruges, one inch within 

 the mouth, exactly betiveen the middle and 

 second nippers ; there these vessels form a 

 curve, which curve will then be divided, and 

 wiU then yield three or four pints of blood. 

 If the instrument enter too much on one 

 side, as about the middle of thp second 

 nipper, then a partial and longitudinal divi- 

 sion of the artery may be made, and an 

 alarming hemorrhage may follow. In this 

 case, the section must be enlarged and deep- 

 ened inwardly, that is, away from the teeth, 

 which completely severs the vessel, and its 

 retraction wiU stop the hemorrhage. A 



moderate or slight flow of blood from the 

 palate may be obtained by light scarifica- 

 tions of the ruga3 : but all bleedings here, 

 except under circumstances of the most 

 urgent necessity, had better be avoided. 



" Bleeding by the toe is also arterior-phle- 

 botomy. By no means cut out a portion 

 of the sole at the point of the frog, which 

 frequently occasions abscess ; but with a 

 very fine drawing-knife cut down exactly in 

 the line of union between the crust and the 

 sole ; then, by puncturing the part with a 

 lancet, a vast flow of blood may be ob- 

 tained, the benefits of which in some cases 

 are very marked, particularly in acute 

 founder. If the blood should not flow with 

 sufficient freedom, place the foot in warm 

 water : the bleeding finished, cover the punc- 

 tm*e with some tow and a little tar, and 

 lightly tack on the shoe. There are, how- 

 ever, other methods of bleeding from the 

 toe. Mr. Maver uses a drawing-lmife 

 with a long curve, so that one sweep of 

 the blade may cut a piece out of the 

 foot. This appears to us bad practice 

 as it leaves nature a space to fill up, 

 instead of a simple incised wound to heal. 

 Others take away none of the horn, but 

 merely make a slit through the outer cover- 

 ing on to the vascular portion of the foot. 

 The flap of horn they hold up so long as 

 they desire blood, by the insertion of a piece 

 of wood ; and when they have obtained 

 blood enough, they take out the wood so as 

 to let the horny flap down. This last 

 method, of all others, appears to us the 

 easiest and the best. 



" Sometimes the plantar vein is opened as 

 a substitute. Scarifications are also occa- 

 sionally practised, which, of course, divide 

 both venous and arterial branches. In 

 France extensive scarifications used to be 

 made into indurations before the suppura- 

 tive process had commenced, which in some 

 cases prevented that from going on ; and 

 the remedial ivounds made were healed by 

 adhesive inflammation, or by healthy gran- 

 ulation; the same method has also been 

 occasionally practised here, but it is not 

 now often attempted. 



