The North-Carolinian., 1851-11-01

rom the Scientific American
COLD WATER AND BURNS.


When about IS years Of age. a woman
told the 4 l ever got burned, to plunge the
part into cold water. Since that time
have frequently been benefited by her
advice. When burned with hot iron,
at once imfnerse the burned part in cold
water. 4 few days since, when forging
small article. l cut u small piece from
its end. while red hot. and BY mistake.
when looking in contrary .i.rcctian, l
took hold Of the anvi: cutter with my right
hand thumb aud finger. when the small
piece of iron had cut oa stuck to the end
Ut any ihger,i shook Ton, s4tI at~cnce
dipped my hantli in wafer aud k4aN II there
for about one minute, after which dipped
it in spirits ot turpentine and put on
cloth no blister arose, nor was it sore.
believe that cold water prevents the
heat from penetrating into the system, and
1t 1t were possible for person to be sent
ten feet through boiling water into cold,
as fast as bullet travels from rifle, not
a blister woui.: BE- raised. Heat docs not
travel faster than sound.
l once went to distant shop to con-
struc, a steam gun, and il SO happened,
the third night afterwards, the shop caught
lire. Having some money, and valuable
tools In trunk | b,rst open the door
while the flames were rolling high in the
room and the heat was so intense that
was forced back toget breath, Iasain made
the attempt and dashing through the flames
secured my trunk. When | came out, all
the garments | had on were in flames, but
fortunately two men were about thirty
feet distant, with pals OF water, to whom
ran. and requested them to throw their
water upon me: this they did, and the
result was only few blsters. If an at
tempt had been made to tear off my
clothes, | might have lost NV eyes and
perhaps my life. While relating this c,r-
cumstauce to a man short time since, he
said it reminded him Of an incident which
took place recently over the mountain -
"A mother left her little daughter in
the house to go some distance for two
pals Of water, and before she got back
the little girl came running out OF the house
with her clothes on fire. The mother
dropped her pals when she saw her, and
tried to pull of her clothes. and by SD do
ing her own caught fire, and then she ran
back to her pals ol water. 1t was too
late for her daughter, who died from the.
injuries. md sh. herself suffered much.
Either ot the pals Of water. if used al
once. | believe, would have saved the
child's life.
Incidents Of this kind are not unfrc-
quent :-some years since Member Of
Congress, at Baltimore, was severely burn
ed, while trying to extinsuished his wife's
clothes. and believe she died. In Port
land. Maine, ii Member Of Congress burn
ed his hands So severely as to unfit him 70,
business, by cndea>oring 10 extinguish the
tlames of the clothes OF s'r!. Not long
since IA gentleman Of some distinction. in
/ Boston, had his hands burned by similar
accident. Now | believe that in ninety
nine cases out Of hundred. there is water
within thirty feet Of persons whose clothes
take fire (and such cases will always be
occurring), and if it was at once used to
extinsuish the fire. and to molfy the parts
burned, it would prevent serious couse-
quences. and believing this, is the reason
why have made the above statements.
ELIAS HALL.