Surgical use of Oil Silk, India or Gutta Percha tissue.

[Regular DOC]

Okay this was somewhat brought up on the forum already but I would like to open this up to more discussion.
While some of us were reviewing the Medical Supply table listed under the 1861 Army Regulations we noted a listing for yards of oil silk, or india/ gutta percha tissue. Not in the form of ponchos or ground cloths but just yards of the fabric. We were curious as to the use.
A brief google search I performed I ran across this refference to Gutta Percha Tissue.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZTQ...tissue&f=false

on page 88 it talks about it's use in place of oil silk used for surgical purposes. It also talks a little further down it talks about use in Splints. Further google search lead me to two AMA reports from 1915 and 1916 detailed use in dealing with compound fractures. So I am wondering if it was used to support bandages and splints. Just a thought would welcome more.

[retter]

I seem to remember in the dusty recesses of my mind, reading in a manual somewhere about covering poultices and plasters to help retain the moisture. I am trying to go back through my widely separated resource material to find the section. It seems to me that oiled silk may work well as it would retard evaporation but be flexible enough to move with the patient.

[retter]

I received this in a pm from another forum member;

On Bandaging and other Operations of Minor Surgery, by FW Sargent

"In order to retain the warmth and moisture and softness of the poultice as long and as completely as possible, it should always be covered externally with a piece of oiled silk, or thin India rubber cloth; the unpleasant odour of the latter, however, renders the first a preferable application."

This may be the reference I remember but I am still looking. Thank you Thomas for the pm.

[Regular DOC]

I received this in a pm from another forum member;

On Bandaging and other Operations of Minor Surgery, by FW Sargent

"In order to retain the warmth and moisture and softness of the poultice as long and as completely as possible, it should always be covered externally with a piece of oiled silk, or thin India rubber cloth; the unpleasant odour of the latter, however, renders the first a preferable application."

This may be the reference I remember but I am still looking. Thank you Thomas for the pm.

Ahh great. It sounds about right, Though I am curious about the bad smell associated with India Rubber. also this maybe why it moved or was also used on splints for compound fractures.

[NoahBriggs]

To give the "other member" his proper credit, his name is Thomas Roach, and he hails from Texas. He has joined this forum and would like to contribute to our discussions. For reasons unknown but to the cybergods and the technical priesthood, he is unable to post here even if he he is a member, and all requests for assistance from the moderators has gone unanswered (whether due to intentionally ignoring him, or because of genuine technical snafus is not known, This is not a "j'accuse" posting.). Mr. Roach can post PMs.

Sargent's book is a good read all around. In addition to the minor surgery he explains how best to apply leeches (and the procedure makes me wonder if we really should have those repro leeches in the field; the durn original leeches are more high-maintenance than a NJ Housewife, but mercifully less parasitic). The book also has a lengthy procedure for proper phlebotomy procedures including how to keep the cut open should you need to take more blood later on. All common skills most of the physicians our age would have been trained to do twenty to thirty years ago, back in med school in the thirties and forties.

Right?

[Regular DOC]

Now the question lies in the amount of use during the war? Also what the material was actually like. Would it be the same type of material as what makes ground cloths or something entirely different? I couldn't imagine the ground cloth material being very useful in the above mentioned techniques.

[Elaine Kessinger]

Could that funky smell be the usual funky smell of rubber products as it mixes with the smell of the wound, the chemical smell of the medicines, etc. ...Rubber usually does have a distinct oder to it.

[Regular DOC]

Could that funky smell be the usual funky smell of rubber products as it mixes with the smell of the wound, the chemical smell of the medicines, etc. ...Rubber usually does have a distinct oder to it.

Don't know sounds like experiment time. Of course the wife dog and cat might not like it.

[retter]

As I was waiting for my better half to get ready to leave on our journey to the cradle of secession, I found on page 59 of The Hospital Stewards Manual it specifies "a piece of oiled silk, oil-cloth or gutta-percha cloth should be introduced between the sheet and mattress". This in case a patient should suffer from involuntary evacuations of urine or feces due to his injuries or illness. It was also used with suppurating wounds or when water dressings were applied.