FRACTURE 
plied direbtly to the fra€tured part, fo that the fkin and: 
mufcles are more injured than in the preceding kind of cafes 
and, as the neighbouring joint is liable to inflame, anchylotis 
is apt to enfue. Another reafon why fracture of the 
he et of a long bone is troub blefome to cure, is, that the 
fplints cannot : feetually keep the fhort fragment. fte oat 
- Oblique asia of the limbs are far m angero 
than tranfv nes, becaufe the two fone @ fa rfaces flip 
over each ot ves and make no refiftance to the mufcles, 
which have a continual tendency to draw upward the lower 
part of the broken bone. 
_ Compound fra€tures are infinitely more oan than 
terminate in the lofs of the limb, or 
The practitioner is mene 
crimi- 
orme 
The peril attendant on all fra€tures may be greatly in- 
creafed by the foft parts being confiderably wen or la- 
cerated, by fome large artery being woun C. 
FraGtures of the lower extremities, pee ris paribus, are 
accounted more oo and difficult of cure than thofe 
expeditioufly as a | younger perfon, poffeffing a fine confti- 
den’ 
is faid to hinder broken bones on uniting, 
by preventing the formation of callus. Authors have’ alfo 
reine that pregnancy, has the fame effect : "but Boyer | 
does not believe this to, bet true, and our ow 
ha 
for we attended, a few wo 
broke both bones of her leg, when five or iix months ad- 
vanced in pre nancy, but who, rene her flate, 
recovered in’ ies than two mon 
There are certain hom bones which aes On 
to be featured, remain n dite throu: Hout life ; nor can 
any very good e 
ntl be Hiseieds Tn ee raion of the fracture a fuper- 
: rary joint is formed, a anc gece continues ever 
armies flexible in.a fituation ee ought no 
fo. Ags this fubject we fhall have ae Be to re a i 
words again. 
The general doétrine relative to the treatment of frac- 
tures has aa anged under the ae heads : 
x 
Pee 
tio 
“Prevention; or Relief. of Accidents. 
Tn every cafe of fraéture, where the ends of the broken 
aé are difplaced, it is obvioufly. the frft-indi- 
m into am even and nat ofition with 
It. 3s: only: with ar view that € ex 
tenfion and coun tenfionm: are ever 
: Fxtenfion is the force exerted: aa iowe "partion the 
broken bone, in order to g down pper end into a 
fiate of coaptation with the lower a "of the wpper piece 
of the fame boric. €ounter-extenfion is a ang’ force, 
s fractures are united with aftonifhin ing” 
on of this circum- | 
- fractured thighs and le 
treatmen 
di ith 
terno, in order to 
fays he, whatever that is, the ee ing w. e aoe . 
be the caufe of the different ees of ei iance in ence 
a fraQture. 
.This eae furgeon contends, that-putting the mufcles 
into a ftate of -tenfion, or into a ftate approaching nearly 
. that of tenfion, almoft ne seal gives them an opportu- 
rting their greateft- power, either of aétion or 
e other hand, he enquires what is the ftate 
from. acting on an 
r. Pott believed, that putting a limb into 
a nig which sr the whole fet of mufcles belonging 
o the broken bone, muft beft anfwer fuch purpofe,. and, 
that 
relaxing a mufcle, or bringing i its origin and infertion nearer 
ower, we fee- the truth of the ob- 
in the precife pofitions which for 
egs, fo far is the ri fet of mufcles 
from being relaxed, that many o {aid to be 
etch 3 and, in the cafe of a broken army 
. intending to: in- 
pects that any of the poftures, to eich allufion has been 
made, are-not fuch ae _ to be preferred, Our prefent 
defign 
