Chapter 49

If an artery is cut, this bleeding must be stopped. The blood spurts out. Press your hands hard on the back of the thigh towards the body of the wound. Another should tie some cloth around the thigh above the wound tightly. It can be made tighter by putting a stick under the band and twisting it around as much as possible. Raise the leg high up and put the head low. If the cut is below the knee or on the foot, bend the leg back. First put a pad or your fist in under the knee joint and bend leg over the pad or your fist. Sometimes the spurting artery can be caught or pressed upon with your finger. If the arm is injured, bandage as for the thigh. If the forearm, the same as for the leg.

If a finger is cut clean off, pick the piece up and wash it and the stump clean and then place the cut off part against the stump and tie on, or stick on with adhesive plaster. It sometimes grows fast.

SPRAINS.--Sprains or wrenches of the joints are caused by a twist or a blow. The injury consists in the tear or rupture of a number of the fibres of the ligaments.

Symptoms.--Severe pain, the joint is practically useless for a time; swelling, heat and later the joint discolored from effusion of the blood into the tissues.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES.--1. Sprains, Ointment for.--"The bark of bittersweet with chamomile and wormwood simmered in fresh lard make an excellent ointment for sprains and swellings."

2. Sprains, Vinegar and Bran Poultice for.--"Make a poultice with vinegar and bran only, or with the addition of oatmeal, or bread crumbs. As the poultice becomes dry it should be moistened with vinegar."

3. Sprains, Turpentine Most Common Remedy for.--"Rub the injured part with turpentine and keep warm and you will find this remedy to be one of the best to keep proud flesh out that has ever been used. I always have turpentine in my home and find that I have to use it often, and it always does as I said above, if once used you will never be without it."

4. Sprains, Quick Relief for.--"Bathe the parts with hot water as hot as one can bear it and relief comes at once." This is an old tried remedy, but if hot water does not give relief use cold water.

5. Sprains, Relieves Pain of.--"Put warm woolen cloth over sprain, drip hot water as hot as can be borne on cloth for half hour. Bathe with spirits of camphor."

[384 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

Bandaging and Photographs by DR. W. E. ZIEGENFUSS, of Detroit. Done expressly for this book.

[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 385]

6. Sprains, Quick Application for.--"A poultice of stiff clay and vinegar." Add enough vinegar to the clay to make a nice moist poultice. The clay is exceptionally good for swellings and sprains.

7. Sprains, Turpentine Liniment for.--"Equal parts of spirits of turpentine and vinegar and the yolk of one egg make a valuable liniment in cases of sprains, bruises and rheumatism poultice. Take common salt, roast it on a hot stove till dry as possible. Take one teaspoonful each of dry salt, venice turpentine and pulverized castile soap. Excellent for felon, apply twice daily until open." This is a very good liniment and if applied often will draw, which is one of the essential things for a felon.

8. Sprains, Old English White Oil.--

"Alcohol 1/4 pint. Turpentine 1/4 pint. Hartshorn 1/2 ounce. Oil Origanum 1 ounce.

For sprains and rubbing around sores."

9. Sprains, Arnica Much Used for.--"Tincture of arnica." This should be diluted with water about one and one-half for adults and one and three-fourths for a child. This is one of the best known remedies for sprains that can be obtained. Apply freely to the bruise or sprain.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Sprains.--Rest for a time (for some weeks). The parts should be raised to lessen the blood supply. Hot applications, through fomentations, or cold evaporations, lotions, massage later, and support with a pad and a firm bandage, in some cases. When there is not much swelling, a plaster of Paris bandage is sometimes applied at once in order that absolute rest can be secured.

1. Tincture of Arnica.--This is an excellent remedy for sprains When the part is much swollen and looks bluish is when it is especially beneficial. It can be used full strength by saturating cloths and applying either hot or cold, or diluted to half strength.

2. Hot Water.--Applied with soaked cloths on the part is very grateful in some cases. It should be kept hot and plenty of water on the part all the time. This should be applied for hours. Between the soakings, the parts should be dressed with the lead and laudanum wash, and rubbed with ichthyol ointment or camphor and laudanum liniment.

3. Cold Applications.--Cold water.--Some patients are more benefited by the cold applications. The part should be elevated and a cloth wrung out of ice cold water, or an ice bag should be kept on the part.

4. Lead and Laudanum Wash.--This should not be used if the skin is broken. Then the laudanum, three-fourths water, can be used alone. Composition of lead and laudanum wash, proportions four parts of undiluted lead water, diluted with sixteen parts of water to one of laudanum. This can be made stronger in the laudanum.

[386 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

5. Fomentations of hops, or smartweed or wormwood, etc., are also good.

6. Vinegar and Hops--Turpentine Liniment.--This can be used later, for stimulating purposes.

BURNS. SCALDS.--

A Burn is caused by dry heat.

A Scald is caused by moist heat.

A superficial burn, upon a young child, that involves the third of the body will almost certainly prove fatal, while a very deep burn, provided it is localized, may not be so serious, unless important nerves and blood vessels have been destroyed.

Burns may be divided into three degrees:

First degree are those burns that only affect the outer or superficial layer of the skin, producing a redness with some small vesicles.

Second degree burns: These extend through the true skin and blisters result.

Third degree burns: This goes down underneath and involves the deeper tissues. Charring and destruction of tissue takes place.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Burns, Linseed Oil for.--"Quick application of linseed oil." The oil forms a coating and is very soothing.

2. Burns, Common Soda for.--"There is nothing better than common baking soda for burns and scalds; apply a thick coating of dry soda. Bind a cloth over it, and keep on until the pain ceases, after which any good healing salve will do."

3. "Apply crushed onion poultice; cover to keep out the air. This will soon extract the heat and pain." Onions seem to possess many medicinal properties. They are very soothing, and in a case of scalds keep out the air and relieve the pain.

4. Burns, Molasses Takes Pain from.--"Apply New Orleans molasses to the burn and cover with flour. This forms a coating over the affected parts, keeping the air from it, thereby relieving the burning. This is an excellent remedy and one easily prepared."

5. Burns, Butter a Relief for.--"Spread butter on the affected parts and bandage well. This is one of the remedies our grandmothers used to use and is a good one."

6. Burns, Oil of Peppermint Draws Fire Out of.--"Apply oil of peppermint; it will take the fire out almost immediately."

7. Burns, Sweet Oil and Cotton Batting Relieves.--"Saturate cotton batting in sweet oil and cover the burns and keep covered until the fire is out. I had my hand burned with steam until the skin peeled off, and this remedy relieved the smarting."

8. Burns, Vinegar Prevents Blistering from.--"Vinegar applied every few minutes will keep it from blistering." This is a remedy always at hand, and will do just what it says.

[388 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Scalds, Elder Berries Soothing for.--"The flowers of the black elder berries and the bark all possess valuable medicinal properties. An ointment made by stirring the fresh flowers into melted lard or vaselin and occasionally stirring it, will be found an excellent remedy for scalds or burns." It is not only soothing, but forms a coating thereby keeping the air out.

2. Scalds, Alum for Slight.--"Put a teaspoonful of alum in a pint of water, and bathe the parts frequently. Keep the parts well wet with this solution which extracts the heat in a remarkable manner and soothes the patient into a calm and refreshing sleep." This remedy is most always at hand and will relieve if the case is not too severe.

3. Scalds, Scraped Potatoes will Relieve.--" A few raw potatoes scraped or grated and beaten in a bowl, then add a dram of laudanum; apply to the affected parts as you would a poultice."

4. Scalds, Crackers and Slippery Elm as Poultice for.--"Apply a poultice of cracker and slippery elm, made of raspberry leaf tea. Guard against taking cold." Use enough of the raspberry tea to make a soft mixture. This is very soothing, and keeps the air from the scald which is one of the essential things in order to get relief.

5. Scalds, Raisins' and Lard with Tobacco Helps.

"One pound Raisins, chopped. One pound Lard. Five cent package of Chewing Tobacco.

Mix all together and let this simmer about three hours slowly, strain it and put in a jar."

6. Scalds, Sweet Oil Soothing for.--"I know of nothing better than equal parts of sweet oil and lime water." This is very good and should be applied freely.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Superficial Bums.--Exclude the air; protect and treat the parts is the theory of treatment.

Superficial Burn.--When the skin is not broken, bicarbonate of soda may be sprinkled thick over the burn, then wrap the part in moist gauze, lint or linen, and over this a layer of common cotton, and hold in place with a bandage. Flour can be used in place of the soda. Oatmeal flour, rice flour, etc., will do also. The objection to all powders is that the moist gauze, etc., will make the flour form cakes and make removal painful and difficult. Applications in liquid form are therefore better.

Liquid Forms.--If the blisters are large, open them with a clean (sterile-boiled) instrument (scissors or knife) and absorb the fluid with a clean gauze. Then dissolve bicarbonate of soda in water--a saturated solution. This term means as much soda as the water will dissolve. Then gauze, lint or linen pads may be wrung out of this solution or the same strength of boric acid solution and applied. Put over this a layer of clean cotton and hold in place by a bandage or strip of adhesive plaster. (Keep parts always moist). Baking soda will do about as well as bicarbonate of soda.

[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 389]

Oil and ointments are also very beneficial. Spread the ointments or oil over the burn thick and cover with lint or soft linen, and change frequently to keep from smelling badly.

1. Carron oil made of equal parts of lime-water and linseed oil is good.

2. Carbolized oil or simple pure sweet oil is good.

3. Cosmoline, Vaselin, Pineoline (salves) are all good; they cover and protect.

4. Cold cream is very good.

5. Thick lather from any good pure soap spread over the part thick and then covered with the cloth dressing. This is very good and is always at hand.

6. Dr. Douglas, of Detroit, very strongly recommends the following simple remedy: One teaspoonful of common salt to one pint of boiled water, used comfortably warm. Old clean muslin or gauze cloths of several thicknesses should be dipped in this solution and spread evenly over the sores in several layers and over this oiled paper or paraffine paper should be applied to prevent evaporation or drying and bind all with a bandage. The covering should not be too thick or it might make the part too warm. This should be avoided in all dressings.

This salt water dressing can be moistened and changed when necessary.

7. Beeswax ointment. (Dr. Douglas).-

"Benzoinated Lard 6 ounces. Yellow Beeswax 1 ounce. Salicylic Acid 20 grains."

Mix the wax in a tin cup, then add the lard, when all is melted remove from the fire and stir till cool, then add the salicylic acid and continue stirring until cold. This makes an excellent covering, excludes the air.

8. Ointment of Oxide of Zinc is very good. The following are the ingredients:

"Oxide of Zinc 2 drams. Lanoline 5 drams. Alboline 1 dram. Salicylic Acid 10 grains.

Mix, and make ointment and apply."

The following is not very pleasant to think about, but farmers have frequently used it: Cow manure as a poultice.

Another: The inner bark of elder boiled in cream. Use the salve resulting. This is good for burns and sores.

Another: Slippery elm bark tea boiled down so it will be thick and oily, is very good.

[390 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

Some claim that immersing the part in milk and keeping it so is a very good remedy. We know that cream is, but it will soon become rancid.

Remedies must be of an oily covering nature to do good, or else do it by their antiseptic qualities like salt, boric acid, etc.

Another:

"Picric Acid 75 grains. Alcohol 20 ounces. Distilled Water 2 pints.

Mix and apply."

Cleanse the burns of dirt and charred clothing and then soak strips of clean gauze in this solution and apply to the part. Place over this a pad of dry absorbent cotton which can be fastened by a light bandage or adhesive straps. The dressing dries rapidly, and may be left in place for several days. Then moisten it with the same solution so as to soften the dressing and remove it. Then apply a fresh dressing of the same kind and leave on a week. This dressing soon relieves the pain, prevents the formation of matter (pus), hastens healing and, leaves a smooth surface. The dressing stains the hands so it is best applied with rubber gloves. This is good for all degree burns.

For Severe Case.--There may be and is shock and great weakness after some burns. The patient should be put to bed and given strong black coffee, or if you have it one teaspoonful of aromatic spirits of ammonia in a glass of water. Hot water bags and jars should be applied to the feet and one teaspoonful of paregoric may be given to an adult for the pain. Give the patient ice to hold in his mouth, as he is very thirsty. Cold water and milk to drink also. If the burn is severe put oil cloth or rubber on the bed to protect the bed from the wet dressing. Do not put a night-shirt or pajamas on him, as it pains to remove and renew the dressings, if such are used as need frequent removal and renewal. Cover warmly, but keep covers lifted so that their weight will not give unnecessary pain. The bowels can be kept open with soap-suds enemas. Watch carefully, especially a man, if urine is passed and enough in quantity. It must be drawn if it is not passed within twelve hours.

For Third Degree Burns.--In this kind there is a great shock. Stimulate the patient with whisky, etc. Put one ounce in a glass one-half full of water, and give two teaspoonfuls frequently, dependent upon how much stimulant the patient has ever used; or an enema of one ounce of hot coffee can be given.

The first dressings may be the same, but when the patient is stronger others should be used.

Warm Baths are now used when the deep tissues are burned, and the sloughs and charred material are removed.

[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 391]

When convenient, begin with a warm tub bath, with boric acid added to the water--handful to the tub. This is good for stimulating purposes, and also to relieve pain and for cleansing the surfaces before the applications of the dressings, these can be of those recommended.

When the air passages have been scalded by hot steam or hot liquids, the steam of lime-water, not too hot, may soothe.

Burns from Acid.--Soda, chalk, whiting, sprinkled over the surface of the skin and covered with moist coverings of gauze. Egg albumen is also good applied, on the part.

Bums from Alkali (like potash or strong ammonia).--Vinegar poured over the part, or dress with a mild solution of boric acid. One teaspoonful to four ounces of water.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Bruises, Cold Water Prevents Coloring.--"Bathe the parts in cold water, prevents turning black and blue."

2. Bruises, Kerosene Relieves the Pain of.--"Bathe freely with kerosene."

3. Bruises, Turpentine to Keep Proud Flesh from.--"Rub the injured part with turpentine and keep warm, and you will find this remedy to be one of the best to keep proud flesh out and gangrene that has ever been used. I always have turpentine in my home, and find that I have use for it often. If once used you will never be without it."

4. Bruises, Bread and Vinegar Quick Remedy for.--"Apply a poultice made of hot vinegar and bread. A girl bruised her fingers with some iron rings in a gymnasium. She applied this poultice at night, and they were well in the morning. Since then I always use it for a bruise."

5. Bruises, Good Liniment for.--"Where inflammation is under the thin covering of the bone, dissolve chloral and camphor gum together. They dissolve each other by putting together, and looks like glycerin. Apply very little with tip of finger, put absorbent cotton on and bind up with pure gum rubber band to keep it from evaporating as it is very volatile. Rubber band must not be too tight, as it will cut off the circulation."

6. Bruises, Liniment Used in Ohio for.--"Five cents' worth spirits ammonia, five cents' worth spirits turpentine, whites of two eggs beaten, one cup cider vinegar, two cups rain water." This gentleman from Ohio says he has used the liniment for many years, and his neighbors have used it with the utmost success. He recommends it as the best he ever used.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT. Bruises.--1. Tincture of Arnica applied from one-half to full strength is very good.

2. Alcohol about two-thirds strength is also very good, gently rubbed in the parts.

3. Cold or hot water applied with cloths.

4. Raw beefsteak (lean) is excellent. Place it on the bruise.

5. Lead and laudanum wash if the skin is not broken. Of course bruises usually disappear in time. The above remedies will help. Heat applied at some distance from the parts relaxes the surrounding vessels and promotes absorption of the blood in the bruise.

[392 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

CUTS. WOUNDS.--They are named cut (incised); contused, such as made by a blunt instrument.

Lacerated or torn, when the tissues are torn or ragged.

Punctured, stab-wounds, when made by a pointed instrument.

Treatment.--There may be pain, gaping (opening) of the edges and bleeding. In order to gape, the cut must pass through the deep skin. Cuts or wounds that do not go deep leave little or no scar. Such require only a little antiseptic dressing like this remedy:

"Boric Acid 1/2 ounce. Boiled Water 1 pint."

Wash the cut thoroughly and cover with gauze or clean linen. Cuts or wounds should always be washed first with boiled water, cooled enough to use. Do this with absolutely clean muslin, absorbent cotton or gauze and boiled water. After being thoroughly cleansed and washed with hot water and cloths, a thick pad of muslin, absorbent cotton or gauze thoroughly soaked with the boric acid solution, (strength one-half ounce of boric acid to a pint of boiled water) should be applied on the wound, and for an inch or two around it. Over this lay a thick layer of absorbent cotton or muslin, bandage all securely with a bandage or adhesive strap, so the dressing cannot slip.

Gaping Wounds generally need stitches. These should be put in deep enough to draw the deep edges together. If that is not done, a pocket will be left where the parts are not together and "matter" may form there. Plaster will not draw the deeper parts of wounds together. They should then be covered the same way as superficial wounds; of course the wound should be thoroughly cleansed in the same way before the stitches are put in. Such wounds unless they are large, need not be dressed for a day or two, unless there is soreness or pain. If the wound is sore and throbs it should be redressed immediately. Some discharge will no doubt he found penned in, and needs a drain through which to escape. This does not usually happen, and if it does, the wound was infected (poisoned) and then needs dressing once or twice a day, and full vent given to any discharge that may be present. The dressing immediately over the wound should then be thick and soft so as to absorb the discharge that may be present. The stitches are usually removed in small wounds the third or fourth day. This is easily done, with a sharp pointed scissors or knife; put one point underneath the stitch next to the knot, cut it off and with the forceps take hold of the knot and pull it out gently. It comes away easily as a rule.

[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 393]

Torn Wounds should be trimmed. That is, cut away the torn pieces and then stitch together as for other wounds. Of course all the tissue possible should be saved and only ragged flesh should be cut away. This would die anyway, and prove a foreign body, and would be very apt to cause pus. These wounds should be dressed the same way as previously directed.

Sometimes bleeding may cause trouble. Usually, hot water constantly applied will stop it. Pressing above the part will often stop bleeding. If an artery is cut it will spurt red blood. The artery should be tied and pressure made upon the limb above the cut toward the body; or tying the limb tight. If a finger or toe is cut and bleeds much, press on each side. The arteries are there. Put the limb high and the head low. Bandaging a limb tight, beginning at the end, often stops bleeding. Stimulants' are sometimes necessary for a time.

Punctured Wounds.--From a sharp pointed instrument, nail, etc. The first thing to do is to cleanse the wound thoroughly with hot water and about one-half ounce of salt to a pint of water. Keep this up constantly for one-half hour. Then if it is from a nail, put on a bread and milk poultice hot, and keep changing it every ten minutes to keep it good and hot. Keep this going for at least an hour. Salt pork can then be put on and kept on; or a cloth dipped in hot salt water can be applied, and kept on for a few hours when it can be dressed as other wounds are. There should be no throbbing pain the next day. A wound of this kind should be dressed every day, with great care in the matter of cleanliness. It is lack of cleanliness that usually causes trouble, either the poison that gets into the wound at the time of injury or that is allowed to get in and infect the wound afterwards. Clean hands, tools, basins, dressings and boiled water are essential to a quick healing.