248 THE DISEASES OF THE DOO. 



eight, and then brought several times round the girth and 

 back. The femur and humerus are among the bones most 

 frequently fractured, but the radius and ulna or tibia and 

 fibula give way still more often. In the case of either of 

 these bones the limb should at once be tied up firmly with 

 a handkerchief, whereby displacement may be prevented 

 or lessened, and as soon as the necessary appliances can 

 be procured the parts snould be " set," and retained by 

 means of splints and bandages. The " setting " must be 

 effected by extension and counter-extension, the splints 

 may be of gutta percha, pasteboard, pliable wood, leather 

 of moderate thickness, or sheepskin. These must be 

 retained by bandages arranged in special adaptation to the 

 requirements of the case, which generally necessitates 

 considerable ingenuity in order to allow for the necessary 

 amount of swelling and to prevent displacement such as is 

 very liable to result from the movements of the patient, 

 especially when the injured bone is painful from the 

 reparative changes going on in it. Pitch, starch, gum 

 solution, or plaster of Paris are used to render the 

 bandages and splints firm, and enable them to give the 

 necessary support to the limb without shifting. They are 

 smeared over the injured part or bandage, or the latter is 

 steeped in them just before application. The splints may 

 be rendered more pliable in adaptation to the form of the 

 limb by soaking in warm water, but, especially at their 

 ends, they should not exert undue pressure on the skin 

 so as to cause ulceration. The bandages, too, must be 

 put on with judgment, allowance being made for the 

 subsequent swelling of the injured parts. Blaine's means 

 of treatment of fracture of the thigh consists in the 

 application of a pitch plaster spread on moderately firm 

 leather to the outer side of the thigh, and extending a 

 little over the inner side also. Attaching to this a long 

 splint such as will extend from the toes to an inch or two 

 over the back, to be retained by a long bandage carefully 

 put round the limb from the toes upwards, and continued 

 up the thigh, it must then be crossed over the back, con- 

 tinued round the other thigh, and fastened, It must be 



