589. Internal Injuries

Shabbos 2:5

If a person has an affliction from his lips inward, be it in his mouth, alimentary canal, liver, spleen, or any other organ in the body cavity, he is considered dangerously ill and he does not require a doctor’s evaluation. His condition is serious and we violate Shabbos for him immediately without waiting for him to be examined. A wound on the back of one’s hand or foot is comparable to a wound in the body cavity and does not require an examination before we violate Shabbos for the patient. A fever that causes one’s skin to bristle is considered the same as a condition in the body cavity and we violate Shabbos for such a patient. Similarly, we violate the Shabbos whenever a doctor diagnoses a condition as dangerous even if it only affects the outside of the patient’s skin.

Shabbos 2:6

If a person swallows a leech, water may be heated for him on Shabbos and any necessary medical treatment may be administered because his life is at risk. Similarly, if a person is bitten by a rabid dog, a venomous snake or some other reptile, any necessary medical treatment may be administered in order to save him. This is true even if there is only a question as to whether the bite could prove fatal.