Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 487

468

Report of M. M. S. Hospital at Macao.

Arg.

appropriate applications they often become large and indolent, but by means of ablution and dressings of warm water, escharotic solu- tions, or stimulating ointments, they speedily assume a healthy ap- pearance. As linen is difficult to obtain, and oiled silk expensive, a kind of paper manufactured by the Chinese, which is soft, flexible, not easily rent, and peculiarly well adapted to spread ointments upon, has been in a great measure substituted for the former; and for the latter, oiled paper of a superior quality, also prepared by the natives; the same brushed over with a thin coating of gum ara- bic forms an efficient sticking plaster for small wounds.

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In September, a boy aged 16, from the country, was admitted as a patient with three large sloughing ulcers of the leg. His health was impaired, and his pulse quick and feeble; some medicines were administered, and the ulcers at first poulticed, and afterwards dressed with solutions of nitrate of silver, sulphate of copper, and the ordinary stimulating ointments,-but no benefit followed their use; on the contrary the ulcers assumed a phagedenic character, and attended with irritative fever; other remedies also equally fail- ed in checking the progress of the ulceration. Opium, dissolved in nitric acid slightly diluted, was now applied, which happily produc- ed an immediate change, the deep sloughs of muscle, nerves, and vessels were thrown off, and all the sores presented a healthy gra- nulating appearance. The warm water dressing, with the occasion- al use of sulphate of copper in solution, now speedily healed them. The abscesses usually met with are large and chronic. Those of the scalp are frequent. Carbunclés, which are so common in hot climates, often come under treatment.

Acute rheumatism has not yet been observed, but on the contrary, chronic rheumatic pains of the joints and muscles, are daily seen, arising probably from the usual causes of cold and damp in winter.

Wounds and contusious have been numerous, some have been severe from attacks by pirates. The chief character has been lacerated and superficial. A few have been punctured and gun-shot wounds.

In April, a patient aged 24 was admitted with a gun shot wound of the leg; he stated that he received the shot from a Portuguese sol- dier, who suspected him unjustly to be a thief; it was followed by considerable hemorrhage and pain. A native friend, seeing the ball near the outlet of the wound, forthwith by a gash cut it out. About two days afterwards he came to the hospital. The ball had entered posteriorly by the side of the tendo achilles, two inches above the inferior extremity of the fibula, leaving a round ragged wound; and