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Felon.In most cases the felon is developed on the last joint of a finger or of the thumb, though it may also appear on the other joints. The affection begins with a sense of burning pain usually under the pulp of the finger or near the nail. The skin over the part becomes red and swollen ; meanwhile the pain has become intense and of a throbbing character ; the patient is frequently unable to sleep because of the severity of the pain. If the affection be allowed to proceed without interference, there finally occurs an opening of the skin and a discharge of matter, after which the pain subsides considerably. Yet the wound does not usually heal well; an obstinate sore remains from which a little matter is discharged, and the edges of which are apt to be covered with " proud flesh." It will usually be found that the stubbornness of this sore is caused by the presence of diseased bone at the bottom of it. This bone dies and is finally cast off as small pieces, which become loosened and make their escape through the wound, or are removed by the patient. In this way the joint, or even the entire finger may be rendered useless ; in. the most favorable cases there remains a deformity which may seriously impair the usefulness of the finger. Treatment.-A felon is a most serious as well as painful affection. The danger lies in the fact that if this membrane which surrounds the bone be separated from the bone itself by the formation of matter beneath it, the bone dies and the usefulness of the finger is impaired. The only way for preventing this accident is by opening the membrane which surrounds the bone so as to permit the matter to escape, and thus to prevent it from burrowing along between the bone and its covering. In order to palliate the pain we may poultice the finger with flaxseed meal; by this means, moreover, we hasten the formation of matter, which is one of the objects desired. So soon as it becomes evident that matter is present - or even sooner in some cases - a knife must be thrust through the flesh down to the bone. The cut should be freely made, so that the matter may escape readily. This is of course extremely painful, but only for a few moments, and the relief which the patient obtains immediately far more than compensates for the pain of the incision. The importance of submitting the finger early to the surgeon cannot be overestimated ; for the patient obtains thereby not only relief from the most intense suffering, but also the best chances for preserving the usefulness of his finger. After the felon has been opened, it may be poulticed again for a day or two, until the discharge ceases. Sometimes the inflammation occurs under the root of the nail, and the incision must be made through the nail. The general principle remains, however, that the matter must be permitted to escape, in order to prevent a disease of the bone, which may result in a loss of a part of the finger. But first, if you want to come back to this web site again, just add it to your bookmarks or favorites now! Then you'll find it easy! Also, please consider sharing our helpful website with your online friends.
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