358

OF BLEEDING.

have had tlie misfortune to be strangled, drowned, suffocated with foulair, the fumes of metal, or the like. In a word, whenever the vitalmotions have been suddenly stopt from any cause whatever, except inswoonings occasioned by mere weakness or hysteric affections, it is pro-per to open a vein. But in all disorders proceeding from a relaxation ofthe solids and an impoverished state of the blood, as dropsies, cacochy mies,&c. bleeding is improper.

Bleeding for topical inflammations ought always to be performed asnear the part affected as possible. When this can be done with a lancet,it is to be preferred to any other method ; but where a vein cannot befound, recourse must be had to leeches or cupping.

The quantity of blood to be let must always be regulated by thestrength, age, constitution, manner of life, and other circumstances re-iating to the patient. It would be ridiculous to suppose that a childcould bear to lose as much blood as a grown person, or that a delicatelady should be bled to the same extent as a robust man.

From whatever part of the body blood is to be let, a bandage must beapplied between that part and the heart. As it is often necessary, inorder to raise the vein, to make the bandage pretty tight, it will be pro-per in such cases, as soon as the blood begins to flow, to slacken it alittle. The bandage ought to be applied at least an inch or an inch anda half from the place where the wound is intended to be made.

Persons not skilled in anatomy ought never to bleed in a vein thatlies over an artery or a tendon, if they can avoid it. The former mayeasily be known from its pulsation or beating, and the latter fro™» itsfeeling hard or tight like a whipcord under the finger.

It was formerly a rule, even among those who had the character ofbeing regular practitioners, to bleed their patients in certain diseases till.they fainted. Surely a more ridiculous rule could not be proposed.One person will faint at the very sight of a lancet, while another willlose almost the whole blood of his body before he faints. Swooningdepends more upon the state of the mind than of the body ; besides, itmay often be occasioned or prevented by the manner in which the opera-tion is performed.

Children are generally bled with leeches. This though sometimesnecessary, is a very troublesome and uncertain practice. It is impossi-ble to know what quantity of blood is taken away by leeches; besides,the bleeding is often very difficult to stop, and the wounds are not easiljhealed. Would those who practise bleeding take a little more painsand accustom themselves to bleed children, they would not find it sucha difficult operation as they imagine.

Certain hurtful prejudices with regard to bleeding still prevails amongthe country people. They talk, for instance, of head-veins, heart-veinsbreast-veins, &c. and believe that bleeding in these will certainly cure alldiseases of the parts from whence they are supposed to come, withoutconsidering that all the blood vessels arise from the heart, and return toit again; for which reason, unless in topical inflammations, it signifiesvery little from what part of the body blood is taken. But this, thougha foolish prejudice, is not near so hurtful as the vulgar notion that thetiist bleeding will perform wonders. This belief makes them often post-pone the operation when necessary, in order to reserve it for 9ome mute