When a person receives a severe contusion of the leg or foot, or breaks his leg, or has painful ulcers over the leg, or is unable from some cause to bear the pressure of the bedclothes, it is advisable to know how to keep them from hurting the leg. This may be done by bending up a fire-guard, or placing a chair, resting upon the edge of its back and front of the seat over the leg, or putting a box on each side of it. and placing a plank over them; but the best way is to make a cradle, as it is called. This is done by getting three pieces of wood, and three pieces of iron wire, and passing the wire or hoop through the wood. This can be placed to any height, and is very useful in all cases where pressure cannot be borne. Wooden hoops cut in halves answer better than the wire.

2224. When a person breaks his leg, and splints cannot be had directly, get a bunch of straw or twigs, and roll it up in a handkerchief, and place one on each side of the leg or arm, and bind another handkerchief firmly around them, or make a long bag about three inches in diameter, or even more, of coarse linen duck, or carpet, and stuff this full of bran, sawdust or sand, sew up the end, and use this the same as the twigs. It forms an excellent extemporaneous splint. Another good plan is to get a hat-box made of chip, and cut it into suitable lengths, or for want of all these, some bones out of a pair of stays, and run them through a stout piece of rug, protecting the leg with a fold of rug, linen, etc.

2225. When dry warmth is required to be applied to any part of the body, fry a flour pancake and lay it over the part; or warm some sand and place in the patient's socks, and lay it to the part; salt does as well, and may be put into a paper bag; or warm water put into ginger-beer bottles or stone jars, and rolled up in flannel.