tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post5450848497905304063..comments2024-03-27T13:16:32.943-05:00Comments on Western Fictioneers: THE DOCTOR'S BAGWestern Fictioneershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01683314579075461026noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-11523629732231210522013-12-28T10:12:01.424-06:002013-12-28T10:12:01.424-06:00Charlie, the thing is that just as nature grows pl...Charlie, the thing is that just as nature grows plants in all manner of places, nature will allow bones to heal, even after horrific injuries. You get the best result if the bone ends are in opposition and they are stabilised, but healing will occur eventually if you leave bones slightly out of place. When I was in India, many moons ago, I saw cases of people who had fractured bones that had never been treated - including feet the wrong way round.Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-77582212026230735982013-12-28T10:08:16.900-06:002013-12-28T10:08:16.900-06:00You are right, Livia, ageing can slow the time nee...You are right, Livia, ageing can slow the time needed for recovery. Also, if bones are osteopenic or osteoporotic then healing can be difficult.Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-56338761412264667252013-12-27T22:50:54.259-06:002013-12-27T22:50:54.259-06:00Keith and Livia,
Three years ago, the last day of...Keith and Livia,<br /><br />Three years ago, the last day of the year, I slid down a long icy driveway, went up in the air and came down on my right ankle. Five bones broken and the right foot went totally backwards. <br /><br />At the emergency they reset the foot. They put me out, and when I woke up, the foot was in the right place.<br /><br />After many weeks of blood blisters and waiting for the swelling to go down, I had an operation, a long steel plate inserted and seven screws.<br /><br />There was lots of pain and lots of pain pills. After six weeks they took the cast off. I could walk on it, but therapy wouldn't work because my nerves were attacking my body. There is a name for this condition---but the short part of it, is, it required an insertion of a needle in the spine to block nerve pain. This process worked the first time and I was lucky.<br /><br />After weeks of therapy, the ankle began to move. I now walk with a slight limp, and the pain waxes and wanes, but never goes away.<br /><br />I forgot! Having broken bones like this back then would have meant infection and loss of life? Or---a foot that healed facing backwards?<br /><br />I can say with authority having such trauma with bones, was no fun at all.<br /><br />Charlie<br /><br />Charlie Steelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16992330591519249699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-33455312785454816132013-12-27T16:34:21.870-06:002013-12-27T16:34:21.870-06:00Well phooey, I was hoping there was some weird rea...Well phooey, I was hoping there was some weird reason it took longer for the cast to dry on the arm. I do appreciate the information. Dad broke his ankle a few years ago that required a plate. He was off that foot for 5 long months. I'm sure age and the plate had some to do with the slow recovery. He would have had real trouble in the nineteenth century. Livia J Washburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-4007566211533359302013-12-27T09:02:43.636-06:002013-12-27T09:02:43.636-06:00Hi Charlie, thanks.
Yes, I think that sort of th...Hi Charlie, thanks. <br /><br />Yes, I think that sort of thing would be picked up by folk. Blacksmiths were often the orthopaedic specialists of their day! Cooks as well probably dealt with all manner of things and kept a rudimentary medical kit.<br /><br />And of course, after the war there would have been lots of medical orderlies who would disseminate their knowledge.Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-10467684053287299312013-12-27T08:59:13.456-06:002013-12-27T08:59:13.456-06:00Hi Livia, I am afraid that a hyphen was missing! T...Hi Livia, I am afraid that a hyphen was missing! The arm PoP casts would dry quicker and you need to allow longer for the legs.<br /><br />So weight being was discouraged until fully dry. <br /><br />Operative fixation was being started in the 19th century, but it really amounted to opening around the site and then getting the bones into position as best they could to allow healing. The problems were that infection would be possible (and likely), the bone healing would be delayed, there would be muscle damage and stiffness of joints would often occur. Also, the fracture may not be stable. Using screws and plates came later and the used of Kuntscher nails for internally fixing came in the 20th century.Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-51497851577500507582013-12-27T08:55:53.745-06:002013-12-27T08:55:53.745-06:00Really good information, Keith. Thanks loads. Usab...Really good information, Keith. Thanks loads. Usable in many situation. Like use of the uninjured leg to steady the broken one. Would a cowboy know to do that, or a camp cook, experienced by lots of trail drives, etc.ChuckTyrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02609200010767178944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-16635499655229967202013-12-27T08:51:06.530-06:002013-12-27T08:51:06.530-06:00Hi Charlie, yes people would have had to do the be...Hi Charlie, yes people would have had to do the best they could without medical care. The problem of trying to set a bone is suggested in the diagram which shows a vital structure, like an artery near broken bone ends. The process of over-vigorous 'setting' could easily rupture a vessel or damage a nerve.Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-24290413069228184152013-12-27T08:48:35.875-06:002013-12-27T08:48:35.875-06:00Thanks, Cheryl. I think rules of thumb are useful ...Thanks, Cheryl. I think rules of thumb are useful to apply, as in this article. <br /><br />Nowadays people often do not take enough time to convalesce properly after illness of injury. I think that is a sign of the pressures that there are on people to get back to work as quickly as possible.Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-30974551126437881682013-12-27T08:46:50.072-06:002013-12-27T08:46:50.072-06:00Thanks, Doris! To tell you the truth I wrote it an...Thanks, Doris! To tell you the truth I wrote it and saved it, meaning to come back and check it, but Christmas arrived before I was ready! I hope I have altered the errors and glitches. Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-72082031364166132232013-12-27T08:45:25.771-06:002013-12-27T08:45:25.771-06:00You are very welcome, Jo. Glad it is of some use.You are very welcome, Jo. Glad it is of some use.Keith Souterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15206349930107528691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-33538854898034133612013-12-27T07:01:06.459-06:002013-12-27T07:01:06.459-06:00Keith, so why does it take six times longer for an...Keith, so why does it take six times longer for an arm cast to dry? Also did the doctors back then have anything they used for plates for serious breaks? As always I really enjoyed this blog.Livia J Washburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-71153262035564923492013-12-26T12:49:43.453-06:002013-12-26T12:49:43.453-06:00Keith,
Ugh!
Glad we have modern medicine. At le...Keith,<br /><br />Ugh!<br /><br />Glad we have modern medicine. At least five times in my life, I would have been long gone---without it!<br /><br />Isn't it also true, that westerners had no doctor and set bones as best they could? I had an uncle with a hump after he fell from a table and another with a crooked leg and a limp after a fall. But that was many, many years ago---when I was a child.<br /><br /><br />You're a better man than me, dealing with all of this...stuff.<br /><br />CharlieCharlie Steelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16992330591519249699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-79666684358441243022013-12-26T11:18:22.156-06:002013-12-26T11:18:22.156-06:00Keith, I always love your posts so much--healing t...Keith, I always love your posts so much--healing time is something that is important and has always been "a guess" for me with my characters, so this helps a lot. You always have such wonderful information!<br />CherylCheryl Piersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-17587559912479558682013-12-26T10:46:23.550-06:002013-12-26T10:46:23.550-06:00Fascinating. We do tend to gloss over the ramifica...Fascinating. We do tend to gloss over the ramifications of such injuries when we write, slows down and takes away the super human attributes of the protagonist. (I do think your spell check was having problems on this one. *just a note)<br />Thank you so much for taking the time to explain the ins and outs of pioneer medicine. Love it. DorisRenaissance Womenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09045401344374224512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-65559455893389659642013-12-26T06:15:36.649-06:002013-12-26T06:15:36.649-06:00That was really interesting. I love injuring my ch...That was really interesting. I love injuring my characters so this is a goldmine for me. Thanks. JoJo Walpolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13972318968316588965noreply@blogger.com