Apply the splint and keep it in position by a bandage, which should be split at the chin so as to encircle the point of the jaw; the ends of the bandage are also split as far forward as the angle of the jaw; two ends are tied behind the neck and two over the top of the head, as in the diagram, and these tied ends should be united by a bandage or tapes to keep them in position (Fig. 8).
In the absence of suitable material for making a splint, this bandage alone will have to suffice.
Fig. 7. Fig. 8.
The patient must be fed on slops through a tube passed behind the teeth, or through a passage resulting from the loss of a tooth.
Compound Fractures.—Clean up thoroughly as described in the treatment of wounds. Wash out with an antiseptic solution, dust with iodoform, apply an antiseptic pad. Set the limb in such a manner that the wound can be dressed daily without interfering with the splints.
If the bone is protruding through the wound, it must, if possible, be got back into position. If this cannot be done it may be necessary to saw off the end of the bone to enable the wound to be closed.
If the wound is large, deep, or dirty, it should be stuffed with antiseptic gauze so that free drainage may be allowed, and the gauze should be changed each day.
After-treatment of Fractures.—Gentle movements may be cautiously begun, in the joints above and below the injury, in about three weeks. While these are being carried out, the limb must be firmly supported to avoid interfering with the healing processes going on between the ends of the bones.