Note 795 — ON INJURIES OF THE HEAD.

This passage is rendered as follows by Celsus: “Igitur, ubi ea percussa, protinus requirendum est, num bilem is homo vomuerit; num oculi ejus obcæcati sint; num obmutuerit; num per nores auresque sanguis ei effiuxerit: num conciderit, num sine sensu quasi dormiens jacuerit. Hæc enim non nisi osse fracto eveniunt; atque, ubi inciderunt, scire licet, necessariam, sed difficilem curationem esse.” (viii., 4.) Now, although it is no doubt true, as remarked by Pott (Injuries of the Head, § 4), that these symptoms sometimes take place, without there being any fracture of the skull, and that, on the other hand, as had been previously pointed out by Paré and Le Dran, fractures do sometimes take place without being accompanied by all these symptoms, still there can be no doubt that as a general rule the doctrine of Celsus is correct, and that, at all events, a case is to be treated as serious in which these symptoms occur. With regard to one of the characteristics of a fracture, thus noticed by Celsus, a modern authority of great experience, but little acquaintance with ancient learning, observes, “Blood flowing from the nose and ears is a symptom attending fracture of the skull. It may be consequent on mere concussion, a vibration which ruptures the membranes; but oftener it is a consequence of fissure across the bone.” (Institutes of Surgery, by Sir Charles Bell, vol., i, p. 173.)