In short, if all these Means of assisting, or saving the Patient are evidently ineffectual, Bronchotomy must be speedily performed (See [Nº. 6, of the preceding Section].) By this Operation, some Bones, a Bean, and a Fish-bone have been extracted, and the Patient has been delivered from approaching Death.
§ 431. Nothing should be left untried, when the Preservation of human Life is the Object. In those Cases, when an obstructing Body can neither be disengaged from the Throat, the Passage to the Stomach, nor be suffered to remain there without speedily killing the Patient, it has been proposed to make an Incision into this Passage, the Oesophagus, through which such a Body is to be extracted; and to employ the like Means, when a Substance which had slipt even into the Stomach itself, was of a Nature to excite such Symptoms, as must speedily destroy the Patient.
When the Oesophagus is so fully and strongly closed, that the Patient can receive no Food by the Mouth, he is to be nourished by Glysters of Soup, Gelly, and the like.
Chapter XXX.
Of external Disorders, and such as require chirurgical Application. Of Burns, Wounds, Contusions or Bruises: Of Sprains, Ulcers, frostbitten Limbs, Chilblains, Ruptures, Boils. Of Fellons, Thorns or Splinters in the Fingers or Flesh; of Warts, and of Corns.
Sect. 432.
abouring Countrymen are exposed in the Course of their daily Work, to many outward Accidents, such as Cuts, Contusions, &c. which, however considerable in themselves, very generally end happily; and that chiefly in Consequence of the pure and simple Nature of their Blood, which is generally much less acrimonious, or sharp, in the Country, than in great Towns or Cities. Nevertheless, the very improper Treatment of such Accidents, in the Country, frequently renders them, however light in themselves, very troublesome; and indeed, I have seen so many Instances of this, that I have thought it necessary to mark out here the proper Treatment of such Accidents, as may not necessarily require the Hand or Attendance of a Surgeon. I shall also add something very briefly, concerning some external Disorders, which at the same Time result from an inward Cause.