WOUNDS, 



obferves, when the accident befals a young man, who has 

 been much weakened by hard ftudy, any kind of excefs, or 

 fome previous difeafe, it frequently happens that no local 

 fymptoms are feen. At the end of 24 or 36 hours, fome- 

 times rather fooner, fometimes later, the axillary glands 

 become afFefted with fwelling, and a painful phlegmonous 

 inflammation takes place in them. The wound afterwards 

 fellers ; the parts around it exhibit appearances of a flow 

 fort of inflammation, and the confequent fwelling of the 

 hand is rather oedematous than inflammatory. Next often 

 fucceed naufea and propenfity to vomit, proftradon of 

 ftrength, a fmall accelerated pulfe, and all the ufual fymp- 

 toms of typhus fever. Under thefe circumftances, if, in- 

 llead of a tonic plan of treatment, which is ftrongly indicated, 

 the evacuating method be adopted, the patient very foon 

 falls a viftim. 



Experience fully proves, that in ftrong vigorous habits, 

 nature refills with energy the introduftion of poifons into 

 the fyftem. 



In the cafes under our confideration, tonic and cordial 

 remedies are to be given in moderation. At the fame time, 

 care is to be taken to clear out the primse viae, when they 

 appear to be difordered. Abroad, it is the common prac- 

 tice alfo to apply a grain of cauftic potafla, or a drop of 

 the hquid muriate of ammonia, to the little wound itfelf. 



The Jlings of venomous infeBs, fuch as the bee, wafp, 

 hornet, &c. are commonly treated of with poifoned wounds. 

 The pain of the injury is alleged to depend lefs upon the 

 introduftion of the fting, which fometimes breaks and is 

 left behind, than upon the infertion of a venomous fluid into 

 the part. It is faid indeed, that the experiments made by 

 profeflbr Dumeril prove, that when the little cyft, fituated 

 at the bafe of the fling, is removed, the introduftion of the 

 fting itfelf into the fleflr caufes no particular pain. At the 

 bafe of the fting there is a kind of vcficle, or refervoir, for 

 containing the poifonons fecretion, which is expelled and 

 flows out along the fting, at the inftant when the latter 

 penetrates the parts which are itung. The venom of the 

 bee is ftated to be neither of an acid nor of an alkahne nature. 

 When applied to mucous furfaces, and even to the tunica 

 conjunftiva of the eye, it produces no difagreeable fenfation ; 

 but if the point of a needle, after being dipped in it, be 

 introduced into the flefli, a very acute pain is immediately 

 excited. Various kinds of oil, honey, ammonia, fpirit of 

 vviiie, and feveral other reputed fpecifics, appear to deferve 

 no fuch charafter, fmce they are found, after unprejudiced 

 trials, to have no power of neutralizing the venom, nor of 

 appeafing the aftual pain arifing from the fting. 



When, therefore, a perfon has been ttung by one or 

 feveral bees, we are recommended to begin with extrafting 

 the ftings, taking care, however, previoufly to cut off' with 

 a pair of fciflars the little veficle at their bafe containing 

 the venomous fecretion. This is to be done, left in the en- 

 deavours to remove the fting more of the venom ftiould be 

 comprefled out of the little refervoir into the wound. The 

 part is afterwards to be covered with fnow, or bathed with 

 ice-cold water, or fome cooling fedative lotion. In (hort, 

 the cafe is to be treated on common antiphlogiftic principles, 

 experience having fully proved that no fpecitic has yet been 

 difcovered for the fting of the bee, and other venomous 

 infefls. For other opinions and obfervations on this fubjeft, 

 fee the article Bee. 



Bite of the Viper. — Of all the venomous reptiles which 

 are met with in Europe, there are none which inflift fo 

 dangerous a bite as the viper or adder. Its upper jaw is 

 furniflied with two moveable fangs, wjiich are very ftiarp- 



pointed, grooved longitudinally, and at their root are con- 

 nefted with a veficle which contains the venomous fluid. 

 When the animal is irritated, the fangs become raifed, and 

 the poifon flows along the grooves in them into the bitten 

 part. The danger of the injury is in fome meafure propor- 

 tioned to the fury of the animal ; for when it is very much 

 exafperated, it clofes its jaws with greater force, and more 

 of the venom is comprefled into the wound. The degree 

 of danger is alfo influenced confiderably by the greater or 

 lefs fpace of time that has elapfed fince the reptile emptied 

 the receptacles of its venom, by biting another perfon or 

 animal. The injury likewife is generally found to produce 

 lefs ferious confequences, in proportion to the greater fize 

 of the animal which has been bitten. The experiments of 

 Fontana prove, that the bite of a fingle viper will kill a 

 moufe, a pigeon, or any other fmall animal ; but that it 

 muft be the bites of feveral to kill a man, and of a ilill 

 larger number to deftroy an ox. It is alfo fuppofed by 

 many writers on this fubjedl, that in all animals, whatever 

 may be their fize, the degree of danger is confiderably 

 greater, if they fliould be much frightened on the occafion, 

 the proftration of ftrength produced by fear being con- 

 jeftured to facilitate in a peculiar manner the pernicious 

 operation of the venom. When a dog is bitten fuddenly 

 and unexpeftedly, he is, ceteris paribus, much lefs hurt than 

 when he has received the injury in aconteft with the reptile, 

 whofe very afpedl has more or lefs alarmed him. The bite 

 of the viper is thought to prove generally more or lefs fevere, 

 in proportion to the heat of the weather. 



The danger of the injury depends lefs upon the laceration 

 of the parts, which, however, is confiderable, than upon the 

 kind of venomous inoculation with which it is attended. 

 The fymptoms which are excited come on almoft immedi- 

 ately. The perfon who has received the bite fuffers acute 

 pain, and an inflammatory fweUing fpreads up the limb with 

 remarkable rapidity, accompanied with a tendency to gan- 

 grene, as is indicated by the appearance of livid fpots. Affec- 

 tions of the heart, attended with great weaknefs and vertigo, 

 denote that the aftion of the poifon extends to the whole 

 fyftem. But thefe general effefts do not arife, as Fontana 

 wrongly imagined, from the venom having a power of coa- 

 gulating the blood in the veffels, but in all probability from 

 its operation upon the nervous fyftem. 



The beft plan of counterafting the baneful effefts of the 

 bite of the viper confifts in introducing a few drops of the 

 fluid muriate of antimony into the wound, and a fmall hair 

 pencil may be ufed for the infertion of the cauftic, if the 

 punftures fhould happen to be deep. Indeed, when the 

 bottom of the wound cannot be cauterized without dilating 

 it, the latter ftep is deemed proper by the generaUty of 

 furgical writers. The furrounding parts may be rubbed 

 with a liniment compofed of hartlhorn and olive-oil ; and 

 cordial medicines are to be exhibited, efpecially ammonia. 



The amputation of the bitten part is rather too fevere a 

 mode of preventing the ufual ill confequences of the bite 

 of a viper to deferve recommendation. The ancients, with 

 a view of counterafting the introdutkion of the poifon into 

 the body, were accuftomed to apply a ligature round the 

 limb above the injury ; but it is a painful expedient, be- 

 caufe it cannot hinder the abforption of the venom, and the 

 general conftitutional affeftion, unlefs the band be put on 

 with fufficient tightnefs to impede the circulation. This, 

 however, is the method which was adopted by Ambroifc 

 Pare, after he had been accidentally bitten by an adder. 



The moft important objed in the treatment is the prompt 

 application of remedies ; for the introduftion of the virus 



into 



