A treatise on fractures, luxations, and other affections of the bones / by P.J. Desault ... wherein his opinions and practice, in such cases, are stated and exemplified ; edited by Xav. Bichat ; with plates ; translated from the French, by Charles Caldwell, M.D. ; with notes, and an appendix containing several late improvements in surgery.

  • Desault, P.-J. (Pierre-Joseph), 1738-1795.
Date:
1811
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on fractures, luxations, and other affections of the bones / by P.J. Desault ... wherein his opinions and practice, in such cases, are stated and exemplified ; edited by Xav. Bichat ; with plates ; translated from the French, by Charles Caldwell, M.D. ; with notes, and an appendix containing several late improvements in surgery. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    85/404
    SECTION IV. OF THE PROGNOSIS. 10. A fracture of the neck of the humerus assumes, in general, a character not very troublesome; and if, as Heister says, a fracture near the head is worse, and more difficult to be cured, this is less owing to the nature and seat of the disease, than to the difficulty of keeping the fragments in contact. Seldom have the reunion of the bone, and the re- moval of all the disagreeable effects accompanying the accident, required a longer time than is necessary for the cure of other fractures. The numerous examples, which occurred in the Hotel-Dieu, during Desault's direction of the surgical department, confirm the truth of this assertion, notwithstanding some doubts that may have been raised respecting it, by prejudices formerly entertained, on the subject of fractures in the vicinity of joints. From twenty-six to thirty days are sufficient for the reunion: this was the term commonly required in the Hotel-Dieu. 11. If judiciously managed, art readily removes all the accidents attendant on this fracture; but, if other- wise, the consequences are apt to prove troublesome. It is here, much more particularly than in other pla- ces, that all deformity of the part ought to be prevent- ed; because, the neck of the humerus being near to the centre of the motions of the arm, will very essen- tially impede those motions if it be not properly reunit- ed. A deformed callus has been known to produce.