FRACTURE, 
of broken thighs is — by the ation of the mufcles. 
who had fallen from a {caffold, 
dik e day after the accident the 
limb was as long as the other § ; but the lower extremities 
were both affected with a complete ala dar attended with 
a retention of u Bene no fooner bay ane 
recovered their power of a¢tion, in a ae e of mo 
cree en than a irae of the limb ne its - 
“When we come to the confideration of particular fractures 
we fhall have occafion to point out what mufcles have the 
moft Paanipeie es effe&t in fetus the ends of the broken 
bone from other, and en ram may be adopted for 
the prevention of fuch difplace 
ave diftinguifhed is canes of fractures into two 
meee al. predifpofing and re 
Among the predifpofing are afoally epuneeaed the fitu- 
ation and fundtion of the bones, the age of the patient, and 
certain eee under which he may be pabouring 
Thus, as Boyer has obferved, fuperficial b 
eafily aud than fuch as are covered ae a conliderbl 
quantity of flefh. Thus, the radius which fup the 
hand, and ferves as a o 
be broken than the uln 
ene fractured, in coafeqitence of its office, which is 
keep th a in its proper pofition, and bear upon its 
arched pend y all the motions of the arm 
The bones of "old {ubje&ts are exceedin iy brittle, on ac- 
t of the great iynpae lies of pho ofp - 7 con- 
ortion to the 
andle for it, is foe a to 
matter T 5 
external violence, an nd remain u 
Louis and Saviard have ey eos in which female 
patients oe under old ulcerated cancers, have had their 
bones affe with fuch brittlenefs, ae a ely m ng 1 
bed would ane fome of them ere the firft indication 
is to correét, if poffible, the ate o the fem which js the 
caufe of the fragility of the bon 
ch, nes t 
wever, no certain inference can be m 
thele ign. pe it be firft afcertained that the- deformity 
and does not proceed from a diflocation. . It ig 
ach ny: cee involves things j in more dou 
‘The reader is not.to imbibe the. iglars that: all. fuses 
tures are attended with. deformity mutt ‘he: think,,on 
Oo aa that becaufe there i is i roheaee in the {ape 
s 
The clavicle alfo is very in 
and external appearance of the limb, or part, there is certainly. 
no fra€ture. 
The moft certain fymptom of a fracture is what is termed a 
crepitus, by which is meant, ra grating ey ba noife 
which the fingers and ears of the furgeon have communi- 
cated Me os when the ends of the fraCture a again{t 
eac 
pP 
a oe fracture for 
onduct would 
pass 
a) 
-— 
ao3 
cfs 
Q 
oO 
om 
er’ nor 1s t 
the exiftence of the accidents can be d 
ce deal Several caufes may be the ‘occafion of this ab- 
fcuri In particular cafes, the injured bone is eben Se 
fo confiderable a quantity of flefh, that it is next to 
poffible - one fea ae - continuit 
us. 
crcumfanced in the aegoine man, ra€ture of the 
tibia, r ulna, alone, ts freauently 9 very difficult te 
ifcover, pneen the other bone, which remains eee : 
aly any change in the fha 
s of the fracture from moving with pone ent ra a 
Cee the diftin& fenfation of a crepitus. 
e fhall conclude thefe shee gaat ie to the diag- 
nofis “of fractures, with earneftly exhorting furgeons, in all 
cafes of doubt, to att i ae as they wou 
were they certain of there being a fra€ture. The application 
of a bandage, fplints, &c. can r do harm, and ma 
the means of bi the patient | from irremediable de~ 
€& formity and lam very ¢€ xperienced practitioner 
nows how difficult it frequently i is to feel a diftin@ crepitus 
ecaufe he cannot aétu- 
Sy — ea aed u upon by nu- 
merous pow. mufcles, are more troublefome to cure 
ree other aie which befall ones differéntly circum~ _ 
ced. 
"Pradur es of the arm are cael attended with lefs 
danger em thofe of the le 
- Fractures which take “plac ace near the middle of a long 
ly ‘not ley ferious in their confequences as 
whi sin. the vicinity of-a joint..- In the 
8, the. force: as , commonly H erated . at fom edi 
tn-the-.breach in the hone, and the: foft p: rts imm 
diately oud the fracture; have- confequently mot flees 
any confiderable degree of contufion. But, when. the hea 
of a long: bone is: kroken, the a has in general been a 
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