The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-01-16 00:00:00

IGNITION OF WOMEN'S DRESS.

The attention of the public has been most strongly
directed to the danger incurred by women from the
ready inflammability of their attire, by several dis-
tressing and most painful cases that have lately
occurred. In a recent instance the impulsive self-
sacrifice of one lady, in the vain and worse than hope-
less effort to extinguish the fire in the dress of her
companion, has called forth the strongest and deepest
marks of sympathy. The courage of the young girl,
who at the sacrifice of her own life endeavoured to
put out the flames by which her friend's life was en-
dangered, ia everywhere recognised, and its merit.
hides the rashness and want of judgment by which
the act, so noble in itself, was characterised. That
one lady in a ball dress, made of muslin or other-
readily inflammable light material, could render any
assistance to another whose dress was already on fire,
is not an idea to be for a moment entertained: the
danger, in fact, would only be rendered the greater,
and the combustion increased, by the approach of
the two inflammable costumes. It is singular that
presence of mind and calmness under danger, which
is a far rarer mental attribute and of far greater
value than mere physical courage, should be so little
appreciated. Had the young lady whose loss we all
deplcre, ai d whose devotion to her friend cannot
be spoken of in terms of too great praise, called
upon her suffering companion to throw her-
self at full length on the floor, and roll over
over from one side to the other until a rug,
counterpane, blanket, or coat could have been em-
pleyed to extinguish the flames, she would, in all pro-
baeility, have saved the life of her friend without en—
dangering her own. In all cases of fire, presence of
mind and coolness is of much higher value than im-
pulsive courage, and this is equally important to the
sufferers as well as the spectators. As is well known,
heated air rises in consequence of its being lighter
than the colder air by which it is surrounded. Sparks
fly upward as surely as man is born to trouble.
Flame, being air or gaseous combustible matter at a.
very high temperature, rises with extreme rapidity,
and just as rapidly the heat attacks and destroys all
above it. The flames from an ignited dress scorch
the exposed skin of the face and neck, producing so-
great an extent of inflammation that death ensues as
a secondary effect, even if the victim escapes imme-
diate immolation. The destructive action of the
flames is very much increased by the victim rushing
rapidly along passages, or from one room to another-
-the current of air caused by the rapid motion
urging the fire to increased c)mbustion, and acting
like a blower or pair of bellows on the fuel in an
ordinary grate. It is strange, considering how com-
mon an occurrence is the ignition and combustion of
women's clothing, that all girls are not made acquainted,
as part of their education, with the safest method of
procedure in case of such an accident happening to
themselves. Girls are taught how to enter and leave
a room; the correct method of sitting, standing,
or walking; the correct method of eating soup, and
even drinking tea; but a matter so vital as the course
to be pursued if the common accident of taking fire
should occur to themselves, is quite out of the sphere
of the fashionable governess or proprietress of the
ladies' seminary. It is obvious that, as flame ascends,
the proper course is, as far as possible, to get below
it. By throwing onesself at full length on the floor,
and rolling over and over, the flames are not only
compelled to rise from the body, but are extinguished
in that part of the dress which is underneath the
sufferer. When a woman whose dress is on fire is
saved by the action of the bystanders, it is invariably
the action of some sensible self-possessed man, who
throws the victim on the floor and extinguishes the
flames by rolling her in a rug, carret, mat, or his own
coat, which he takes off for the purpose. A. girl
whose dress is on fire, and who rolls on the floor, not
only prevents the flames from reaching up to her, but
partially, or perhaps entirely, extinguishes them, and
places herself in the best position to receive aid from
the surrounding persons, who, even if they are women
dresed in inflammable attire, can usually find some
rug or covering to smother and rapidly extinguish the
flames. Surely there should be no difficulty in
instructing all girls in such a simple proceeding.
Whether all would have sufficient presence of
mind and common sense to act upon the
advice given is another matter. The fact cannot
be too strongly impressed on all persons
that the danger from burns is much more dependent
on the extent of the surface injured than on the
severity of the burn. If a large portion of the body
is but slightly burned or scalded, death almost in-
variably follows, whereas a smaller portion may be
severely burnt without necessarily entailing a fatal
result. Children often perish from pulling over a cup.
of scalding tea, which runs down between the dress
and the skin, and produces an extensive scald, which
is fatal. With the knowledge of the best method of
procedure should be associated that which will ensure
proper treatment of severe burns and scalds in case
medical assistance is not at hand. In extensiveburns,
cold water applied over a large surface is fatal. The
treatment is to exclude the air from the charred sur-
face. This is readily done by dredging it with flour
from a common kitchen flour dredger, and if with
the flour some eighth or tenth part of common bi-
carbonate of soda is mixed, the severity of the pain is
abated in a most marvellous manner. Now that am-
bulance classes for girls are so much the fashion, it.
is not too much to require that those who will be the
mothers of the next generation should have some use-
ful sanitary and hygienic knowledge imparted to them
by their instructors. The knowledge of the mode of
rescuing a fellow-creature from painful death is surelr
as important as that which teaches the best method:
of utilising old postage stamps or any other fashion.;
able frivolity.—The Queen.

"You can't add different things together," said
school teacher. "If you add a sheep and a cow tofi
gether, it does not make two sheep or two cows." Tilt* ,
little son of a milkman held up . his hand and said . '
"That may do with sheep and cows, but if you add
quart of water to a quart of milk, it makes two iitii-
of milk. rT6 seen it tried.". .....-,?
"Well, Bobby," said young Featherly, "we 11' i
quite a pleasant time at the house last evenin t
"Yes, indeed," replied Bobby.; "Ma was speak'
about it at-the breakfast table this morning." "$ :, -
your ma enjoyed the evening, too, did she?"
She told pa that she could never think of you w
_him*.
~
laughing." :
An American tourist in Switzerland wae awakeñ"è4 -,
by his room mate, an Englishman, who urged hilt. j_
get up. "Hurry up, or you will lose the magnifiCe .
spectacle of the sun rising." "Is that all the sun d
here? Well, it does that in New York, too. !. .
thought breakfast was ready by the joyous ring rO
your voice." .
A Western cowboy called a comrade a "blank
microbe," and died soon after from the sudden a
pearance of a small sphere of lead in his cranium,
The offended cowboy thought
." microbe " was
_thi.i
French for" dude."

MA
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