CHAPTER IX 



SOME TROPICAL TRAUMATISMS 



Remarks — Traumatisms brought about by animal agencies: the larger 

 Carnivora; the smaller Carnivora; the Ungulata; the Proboscidae; the 

 ReptiUa; the Selachii; Man — Traumatisms due to physical agencies: 

 Foot-binding — Heavy fruits — Electric fans — Powdered glass — Bamboo 

 hairs — References. 



REMARKS. 



In the tropics many accidents and injuries occur which are 

 but rarely met with in temperate climates. These accidents 

 and injuries may be divided into two categories — traumatisms 

 brought about by animal agencies, and those due to physical 

 agencies. Under the first heading come those caused by the bites 

 or maulings of wild and domestic animals, as well as the injuries 

 caused by man's bite. In the second division are grouped various 

 accidents caused by electric fans, by the fall of heavy fruits from 

 trees, and, lastly, the peculiar deformity of the foot in high-class 

 Chinese women brought about by bandaging the feet of young 

 female children. 



There are, of course, many other traumatisms which might be 

 worthy of note, as, for example, penetrating wounds of the abdomen 

 by sword fish, as described by Renner, or bites by Congo fish, as 

 privately mentioned to us by Christy ; but they are either too rarely 

 met with, or else they are too well known in the Temperate Zone to 

 require notice here. 



It will be observed that we make a distinction between the 

 physical injury caused by the bite of one of the larger animals and 

 the chemical injury caused by a venomous animal, and we do this 

 advisedly, while fully recognizing that the former may introduce 

 septic toxins, sometimes in large amount, as well as germs into the 

 wounds so produced. 



TRAUMATISMS BROUGHT ABOUT BY ANIMAL AGENCIES. 



Traumatisms caused by the Larger Carnivora.— The word ' trau- 

 matism ' is peculiarly suitable for this nomenclature, as it is derived 

 from the Greek words rpavfju (a wound) and drjpcou (a wild animal). 

 The synonyms are Morsus and Rostro et Unguibus dilacera- 



tio (Latin) ; Syjyixa, Srj^LSj 86ao-7rao-/xds ; KaTrcns, a-rrapayfjios (Greek) ,' 



Morsures, Dechirements musculaires, Dilacerations, Deplecement 



147 



