Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-03-28
SATURDAY., MARCH IS.
From The Liberty Hall.

extract from the Baltimore Medlcai ana Phl-
losophical Lyceum, on the virtue OF COZ ION
in cases of scalds and burns. was sorry to
find that you had mislaid It'll think you will
do well to publish this statement OF facts In
the Liberty Hall
Tn Baltimore I became acquainted with Dr.
Nathaniel Potter, who formerly studied under
Dr. BENJAMIN Rush, and whose character
stands high in the line ofhis profession, and is
the editor of the above work. Being conyers-
inc with him one day in the street, a person
came by whose hand was wrapped In hand
ksrchief; the doctor stopped him and request
ed him 20 shew me bis hand, and informed
We what was the matter with it. He inform
ed that on the Monday preceding he was boil
ing some rosin TO make up salYe Tor the sore
back Of horse, (being a farrier) the vessel
beiao- in danger Of upsettiag, he caught 1t
v;th his haad and thereby scalded his fingers
,yith The boiling rosin. He said the pain was
ca exquisite that he threw himself upon the
Ground in an agony but finding the rosin
STUCK TO his fingers, he applied lard and melt
FL of the resin by the same FIRE. He after
verbs wrapped it IN cotton wool, Cor raw cot
ton)--tise anguish moderated and the fingers
soon healed. On removing the handkerchief,
ncticed that there was scarcely the appear
ance Of any scald near the nail OF the little
s6nper was a small sore and some cotton stick
in.s to il; but he informed me that he intend
ed The next day Saturday TO lay aside the CO.
yeriom as it was no longer troublesome. The
doctor referred me to the publication as be
wished the subject to be universally known.-
On examining the piece, 1t contained COM
nIrnicatiou FROM Dr. Hallam Gf my memory
is correer1 TO she editors, in which he states,
that a certain woman being Carding cotton
wool, her child pulled vessel of hot water
then on the ERE, and quantity splashed over
lis BODY. The mother stripped of the clothes,
and not having others near. to prevent the
child from taking cold wrapped the child in
raw cotton. The distress Of the child was
GREAT for a short time, but, it soon became
quiet and in an hour fell asleep. AS she did
not wish to disturb the child, it remained in
che cotton all night, and to the establishment
of the mother, In the morning there was but
little appearance OF the scald
Another case was therein stated, Of a ne
GRO child who burnt its hands with hot cinders.
Cotton was Immediately applied, and produc-
ed the same effect as in the former case. The
doctor had an opportunity O. proof on his
own child, who was stalded by hot water and
found the salutary effects The Same day the
child with its mother pair, visit to Hayre de
Grace, and next morning there was no appear
nncc of the seald. This led the doctor to try
the efficacy of cotton in inAammatory cases,
and found it relieved an Inflammation in the
face.
Doctor Potter states a case Ia his practice,
of a bow scaided hy water from the spout Of
4 r H., i, L al
wool-the boy was ii great distress Tor short
time, about twenty minutes, whenthc anguish
abated and in all hour he fell asleep The
next morning he examined the patient, and the
scAld was cured, save small spot, and Oh en-
curry he learnt that the cotton bad split from
that part (: by the second day that part was
cured also,
The case having strong impression on my
mind, I have endeayored to Communicate the
subject in a variety Of companies, and since
have been in this neighborhood have had Sc
yeral opportunities Of proving it. Two In
stances in the family af the Rev Dr. Samuel
BlackGofd, of I4aasinghuYg, and one at Wa
terford, whilst was visiting at those places.
The doctor suggested an idea, that if cotton
BE useful IN cases ,ofbarns and scaids, it might
also be uslttl In cases Of chiIbiains and frozen
feet. One evening last week aneighbor Of the
doctors having been at work in the snow, found
his heels frozen: he happening to call at the
doctors to visit me, complained OF his heels
add that he had tried bathing his feet III cold
water, but they were still very painful | adj
vised the trial of cotton he Immediately ap-
FLIED some, and having sat with us about two
hours, on enquiry found the pain had ceased
vas mentioning the circumstance to a gen
tlenlan in this town, who Yesterday informed
me, that gentleman of his acquaintance hae
applied cotton to his chiblains, and found
great relief