SCALP, TILE, is the term employed to designate the outer covering of the skull or Jrain-case. Except in the fact, that hair in both sexes grows more luxuriantly on the scalp than elsewhere, the skin of the scalp differs so slightly from ordinary skin that it is unnecessary to enter into any details on this point. But besides the skin, the scalp is composed of the expanded tendon of the ocei pito-frontal muscle, and of intermediate cellular tissue and hlood-vessels. Injuries of the scalp, however slight, must be watched with great caution, •' for they may 1)6 followed by erysipelas, or by inflamma tion and suppuration under the oecipito-frontal muscle, or within the cranium, or by suppuration of the veins of the cranial bones, and general pvtemia that may easily prove fatal."—Druites Surgeon'srade Mecum, 8th p. 332. In the treatment of a wound of this region, no part of the scalp, however injured it may be, should be cut or torn away; and, if possible, the use of stitches should be avoided, as plasters and bandages will generally suffice to keep the separated parts in apposition. The chance of suppura
tion may be prevented by coagulating, the blood externally, by dressing the wound will lint, saturated with friars' balsam (tinctura benzoin, comp.), so as to seal up the injured part from the access of air. The patient should be confined to the house (and in severe cases to bed), should be moderately purged, and fed upon non-stimulating, but not too low diet.
Burns of the scalp are very liable to be folldwed by erysipelas and diffuse inflam mation. but the brain is comparatively seldom affected in these cases.
Tumors of the scalp are not uncommon, the most frequent being the cutaneous cysts popularly kuowus as Wens (q.v.), and vascular tumors.