[p. 219]slender iron,
and burn through until you come in contact with the spatula. The following
directions enable you to determine how much of the skin of the armpit
should be grasped; all men have glands in the armpit greater or smaller,
and also in many other parts of the body. But I will treat in another
work of the whole constitution of the glands, and explain what they
are, what they signify, and what are their offices. The glands, then,
are not to be taken hold of, nor the parts internal to the glands;
for this would be attended with great danger, as they are adjacent
to the most important nerves. But the greater part of the substances
external to the glands are to be grasped, for there is no danger from
them. And this, also, it is proper to know, that if you raise the
arm much, you will not be able to grasp any quantity of skin worth
mentioning, for it is all taken up with the stretching; and also the
nerves, which by all means you must avoid wounding, become exposed
and stretched in this position; but if you only raise the arm a little,
you can grasp a large quantity of skin, and the nerves which you ought
to guard against are left within, and at a distance from the operation.
Should not, then, the utmost pains be taken in the whole practice
of the art to find out the proper attitude in every case? So much
regarding the armpit, and these contractions will be sufficient, provided
the eschars be properly placed. Without the armpit there are only
two places where one might place the eschars to obviate this affection;
the one before and between the head of the humerus and the tendon
at the armpit; and then the skin may be fairly burned through, but
not to any great depth, for there is a large vein adjacent, and also
nerves, neither of which must be touched with the heat. But externally,
one may form another eschar considerably above the tendon at the armpit,
but a little below the head of the humerus; and the skin must be burned
fairly through, but it must not be made very deep, for fire is inimical
to the nerves. Through the whole treatment the sores are to be so
treated, as to avoid all strong extension of the arm, and this is
to be done moderately, and only as far as the dressing requires; for
thus they will be less cooled (for it is of importance to cover up
all sorts of burns if one would treat them mildly), and then the
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