654 VHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1742-3. 



A Machine for dressing and curing Patients, luho are very unwieldy, and are 

 under the Surgeon's Hands for some complaint on the Back, the Os Sacrum, &c. 

 or are apprehensive of it. By M. le Cat, F.R.S. Abstracted from the French 

 by P. H. Z. F. R. S. N" 468, p. 364. 



Finding the usual methods for supporting unwieldy patients, who required 

 surgical assistance for some ailment in the back, insufficient, M. le Cat was led 

 to contrive a sort of hanging cradle or hammock, as represented in the figure 

 hereto annexed. 



PI, 14, fig. 1 1, represents the bed without the bedding. On which lies a sort of 

 boat of Turkey leather, full as long as the bed, with very strong hems all round, 

 and eilet-holes for receiving hooks, that serve to lift up this hammock. The 

 hooks are fastened to several ropes, all which depend on as many cross-beams 

 of very solid wood. The cross-beams consist of one beam of the length of the 

 whole bed, running lengthwise over the middle of it, and 4 transverse beams, 

 the 2 middle ones somewhat longer than the others. The ropes on which the 

 hammock hangs, are fastened to the extremities of these beams, which keep 

 the hammock displayed ; and on the same extremities are also fastened all the 

 ropes, which unite in one that passes through the testern of the bed, and above 

 it hangs on a pulley, fixed to the cieling of the bed-chamber. The rope from 

 this pulley passes into another pulley, corresponding to it, hanging at some 

 distance from the bed, where a man is placed to pull it, and raise the hammock. 



What we chiefly intend in dressing a patient in question, are, 1st. To dress 

 and refresh him, that is, gently to place him in a proper position, easy both for 

 himself, and those who attend him. 2dly, To put him into an easy situation, 

 that may also promote his recovery : the making of his bed often, is of great 

 ease to him ; but at the same time it is necessary that his wounds or ailments 

 may not bear on any the least thing possible ; and therefore his bed ought to be 

 composed of several small mattresses, or of mattresses of several pieces, each with 

 its tick over it ; these mattresses ought besides to be supplied with numbers of 

 pillows, each with its pillow-bier, so that he who waits on the patient, may 

 place them where it is proper, for the ease of the person, and of the part 

 affected. Nothing is more proper for this purpose than this hammock; the 

 patient may be lifted up from his bed, and suspended just above those pillows, 

 and higher yet, if necessary. 



The bottom of the hammock is pierced in those places which answer to the 

 anus, or any part affected, so that the evacuations may find their passage into 

 receptacles between the pillows ranged accordingly. When the patient is to be 

 dressed or refreshed, the borders of the hammock are taken up, and the several 



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