[Hand injuries due to agricultural accidents (author's transl)]

Agricultural injuries are common in childhood. About a quarter of the cases shows injuries of the hand. These are sometimes very extensive and, particularly in younger children, open fractures or amputation of one or more fingers are often found. Machines for peeling maize-cobs, cutting and mixing fodder, and tractors are those implements which cause the commonest serious injuries to the hand. The high percentage of children under eight years of age among our cases clearly indicates the small account of safety measures held among country people. For successful accident-prevention it is therefore necessary to increase the consciousness of danger to children among the farming population by means of detailed information, as well as to carry out improvements on the machines themselves.