X.--WOUNDS AND MECHANICAL INJURIES

A wound may be defined as a 'breach of continuity in the structures of
the body, whether external or internal, suddenly occasioned by
mechanical violence.' The law does not define 'a wound,' but the _true
skin must be broken_. Wounds are dangerous from shock, haemorrhage, from
the supervention of crysipelas or pyaemia, and from _malum regimen_ on
the part of the patient or surgeon. _Is the wound dangerous to life?_
This question can only be answered by a full consideration of all the
circumstances of the case; a guarded prognosis is wise in all cases.

=Burns= are caused by flames, highly heated solids, or very cold solids,
as solid carbonic acid; scalds, by steam or hot fluids. Burns may cause
death from shock, suffocation, oedema glottidis, inflammation of serous
surfaces, bronchitis, pneumonia, duodenal ulcer, coma, or exhaustion. A
burn of the skin inflicted during life is followed by a bleb containing
serum; the edges of this blister are bright red, and the base, seen
after removing the cuticle, is red and inflamed; if sustained after
death, a bleb, if present, contains but little fluid, and there are no
signs of vital reaction. There are six degrees of burns: (1) Superficial
inflammation; (2) formation of vesicles; (3) destruction of superficial
layer of skin; (4) destruction of cellular tissue; (5) deep parts
charred; (6) carbonization of bones.

The larger the area of skin burnt, the more grave is the prognosis.
Burns of the abdomen and genital organs are especially dangerous. Young
children are specially liable to die after burns.

XI.--CONTUSED WOUNDS AND INJURIES UNACCOMPANIED BY SOLUTION OF
CONTINUITY

If a blow be inflicted with a blunt instrument, there is produced a
bruise, or _ecchymosis_, of which it is unnecessary here to describe the
appearance and progress. A bruise may be distinguished from a
post-mortem stain by the cuticle in the former often being abraded and
raised. When an incision is made into the bruise, the whole of the
subcutaneous tissues are found to be infiltrated with blood-clot, and
there is no clear margin. In the case of a post-mortem stain the edges
are sharply defined, not raised, and, on section, mere bloody points
are seen which are the cut ends of the divided blood vessels.

XII.--INCISED WOUNDS AND THOSE ACCOMPANIED BY SOLUTION OF CONTINUITY

These comprise incised, punctured, and lacerated wounds. In a recent