[p. 213] should be longer, so that the patient when standing
may be almost suspended upon the piece of wood. And then the arm and
forearm should be stretched along the pestle, whilst some person secures
the opposite side of the body by throwing his arms round the neck,
near the clavicle.
Part 6
But the method with a ladder is another of the same kind, and still
better, since by it the body can be more safely counterpoised on this
side; and that, while in the method which the piece of wood resembling
a pestle, there is danger of the body tumbling to either side. But
some round thing should be tied upon the step of the ladder which
may be fitted to the armpit, whereby the head of the bone may be forced
into its natural place.
Part 7
The following, however, is the strongest of all the methods of reduction.
We must get a piece of wood, five, or at least four inches broad,
two inches in thickness, or still thinner, and two cubits in length,
or a little less; and its extremity at one end should be rounded,
and made very narrow and very slender there, and it should have a
slightly projecting edge (ambe) on its round extremity, not on the
part that is to be applied to the side, but to the head of the humerus,
so that it may be adjusted in the armpit at the sides under the head
of the humerus; and a piece of soft shawl or cloth should be glued
to the end of the piece of wood, so as to give the less pain upon
pressure. Then having pushed the head of this piece of wood as far
inward as possible between the ribs and the head of the humerus, the
whole arm is to be stretched along this piece of wood, and is to be
bound round at the arm, the fore-arm, and the wrist, so that it may
be particularly well secured; but great pains should be taken that
the extremity of this piece of wood should be introduced as far as
possible into the armpit, and that it is carried past the head of
the humerus. Then a cross-beam is to be securely fastened between
two pillars, and afterward the arm with the piece of wood attached
to it is to be brought over this cross-beam, so that the arm may be
on the one side of it and the body on the other, and the cross-beam
in the armpit; and then the arm with the piece of wood is to be forced
down on the one side of the cross-beam, and the rest of the body on
the other. The cross-beam is to be bound so high that the
