Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/771

 743 MEDICAL GENERAL ACCSDEHTS Continued from p<ts:e 62S, Part s 3. Foreign Bodies in the Nostril. — These undesirable intrusions may often be met with among the more juvenile section of the community, but mind and body of the small sufferer car soon be eased. Place the patient with the back of the head well supported by the operator, press against the free nostril, make the patient blow down the nose, and at the same time distend the nostril with the bent end of a hairpin (Fig. i.) 4. Burns and Scalds. — Of more srrious nature arc those injuries of the tissues known as burns and scalds, which may be so severe as to lead to a fatal issue. Burns are injuries caused by dry heat or by corrosive fluids, such as strong acids and alkahs. Scalds are similar injuries caused by moist heat, but as the method of treatment is essentially the same, both will be described under the general name of burns. The severity of a burn depends upon the amount of tissue injured, as well as on its position. A large superficial burn may be as serious as a small deep one, since injury to the skin impairs its functions. Burns on the chest or abdomen must always be regarded as more serious than similar ones on the limbs. The chief point to at- tend to in treating a burn is to avoid exposing it to the air. As quickly as possible the wound should be covered with cotton- wool, lint, or clean linen, soaked with any kind of oil, provided it is not a mineral oil ; or if the burn occurs -on a limb the limb should be plunged into cold water. Carbonate of soda dissolved in the water greatly relieves the pain and induces healing, and as this treatment is generally available, it should be resorted to until a proper dressing can be procured. Boric wool spread over the wound makes an excellent dressing. Carron oil, an emulsion formed by shaking in a bottle equal quantities of linseed oil and lime-water, when .spread on lint is good provided it is not stale, but even when freshly made it is liable to become offensive after it has been kept on a wound for any length of time. A far better preparation is a mixture of equal parts of vaseline and zinc ointment, which can be kept almost indefinitely, and remains sweet until the wound is healed. This last is a great point in its favour, for a burn should be dressed as seldom as possible. When applying the first dressing to a burn do not drag off any charred fabric which has become attached to the injured part. Such debris will be sloughed as the wound heals. The dressing should take the form of small pieces rather than one large sheet, as an overlapping succession of strips fit to the contour of the body better than a large piece ; and, moreover, if a change of dressing becomes necessary it can be replaced little by little without exposing the whole injury. Never drag off a dressing ; if it sticks, syringe the part, or soak it with a warm solution of soda. Burns always occasion shock, which must be treated as soon as the wounds have been dressed. Scalded Pharynx. — There is one form of injury which is fairly common among the children of the poor, and that is scalded pharynx, brought about by attempting to drink from a kettle or teapot. The child shrieks, and the skin soon assumes a dusky colour, the breath comes brassily, and with such difficulty that the muscles of the chest are drawn in, and there are symptoms of collapse. Send at once for the doctor, place the child immediately on a bed or couch, loosen the cloth- ing around the neck, and apply hot fomentations to the throat. Arrange a canopy over the bed to form a " tent " bed, which can be extempo- rised by tying a broom at each corner and covering a sheet over the upstanding ends (Fig. 2). Set a bronchitis kettle to work near the child's head, so that warm moist air may be breathed. FaiUng a proper kettle, extemporise one from an ordinary kettle with a funnel or child's toy trumpet in the spout (Fig. 3). Treat the patient for shock. What to do with clothing alight. — A very simple experiment suffices to show that fire cannot bum without a sufficient supply of air, that when in motion fabrics burn more quickly than when at rest, and that flames ascend more quickly than they descend. Having grasped these simple principles, burning garments can be managed so as to minimise the risk of injury to their wearer. Thus, when a person is seen to be on fire, hold up a rug, blanket, or overcoat in front for self-protection, and throw the person down on the floor with the flames upwards. KemCving a glass biad from the nostril