272 
GUNSHOT WOUNDS. 
wait until nature has placed the ball in a more favourable situa¬ 
tion. 
In order to examine the wound, and determine on the course 
to be pursued, it will be desirable to place the limb as much as 
possible in the situation in which it was at the moment of re¬ 
ceiving the wound, and, also, to endeavour to relax the muscles 
of the part, in order that the probe may more readily pass, and 
the foreign body be distinguished. The finger is the best in¬ 
strument if the intruding substance can be reached by it; other¬ 
wise the probe should be somewhat large, round, pointed, flexible, 
and composed of elastic gum, or of lead. If the ball can be 
felt, it should be ascertained, if possible, whether the form of it 
is altered, and it should be so seized and managed as most 
readily to be extracted. 
Nothing should be inserted into the apertures in the form of 
dressing; but compresses wetted with the acetate of lead should 
be placed over them. Absolute rest should be ordered, restricted 
diet, bleeding, gruel, and injections. Emollients applied to the 
parts, and local bleeding, will often be advisable. In other 
respects, the treatment will not differ from that of suppurating 
wounds. Such is a summary of Hurtrel D’ArbovaTs opinion. 
We cannot better close this account of the treatment of gun¬ 
shot wounds than by quoting the advice of Mr. William Law¬ 
rence, as given in one of his lectures on this subject, as it regards 
the human being. Mr. Beech, and the members who took part 
in the discussion, will be pleased to see to what extent their 
practice coincides with his advice. 
“In considering the treatment of gunshot wounds, we may 
observe, that injuries of this kind are very often complicated, in 
consequence of the presence of foreign bodies. It is desirable, 
in the first instance, to remove such foreign substances, when it 
can be accomplished easily. When the bullet or fragment is 
near the external opening of the wound, and it can be removed 
by inconsiderable incision, or if a bullet, for instance, having gone 
through a limb, be just under the skin at the opposite side of 
the limb, and you can remove it by merely making a division of 
the skin, by all means take it out. If there be a large mass of 
clothing so situated that, by a little incision you can remove it, 
