The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-11-13
BURNS AND SCALDS.

There is no practical subject in our pro
fessiun in which the disastrous and fatal IF.
fleets of maltrcatncnt by medical men. a>
well as the mschiciS of popular ignorance are
more apparent, than in the Remedies re>urtcd
to in the cases Of >cads and burns. now I'M
happily SO frequent III our country, by reason
OF the murderuus ecklcs>ness Of human life
i'll the men entrusted with our public convey
ances in whic! steam is employed.
We are grievcd TO learn from the public
press that such mulitudcs are annually per
i,hing by sracls in steamboats, sand from burns
by camphcne. spirit gas, and otherwise near
/. al of whom, however severely burned W,
do not hesitate to say. might tc preserved
from fatal result 10y the application of wheat
s'our Immediately after such accidents In
stc;t,! OF this however, We hear Of the applici.
ton OF c"id tra'rr. icnd wa'tr. moIdSse<. oils.
cotton. pain trtrar.or<." &C.. accompanied.
almost uniformly Nv the death of the sufferer
and often after ''lingcrins and excruciating
torture" for days or hours
Now 1t ought to be promnl gated to the pro-
fession, and for humanity, sake to bc known
to the whole people, that in any "a t Of barn
or scald, however extensive. all the acute
suitcrln. OF the patient may be at once an!
promptly relieved, and that in moment of
time. BY sprinkling over the injured surface
thick layer Of wheat -four bv the hand, O,
what is better, by a dredging box, Ever,
'estlEe Of pain produced by such injuries l.
Instantly removed, and the sufferer not o,,l,
escapes the shock to the nervous system az
companying such torture, but will general,
fall into aIulet sleep the moment the atmos
pherc temperature is thus excluded from tll
wounds.
Why then should persons thus injured b
allowed to die with intense agony occasionc
by burns and scald$, as they often do, if ne
without treatment by the applications so oite
made, many of which augment their suffering
and render such injuries irrcparable. Eve
III the late explosion on board the Reindee
ii is sad that many of the scaltled lived &c
hours, suffering all the time from thcircxtc
nal injuries, and then treated with raw co
ton, lime-water, linsccd OIL &C.. &C., unit
they were dead Not pang need have bee
endured beyond the time necessary to arnl
the flour which must have been at hand i
the ignorance of their friends, and the ant
quatcd pre- udiccs of their medical advise
had not led them to rely upon the miserab
substitutes which superstition has canoniz,
Tor centuries. And SO we affirm oteverv ca
OF burn and scad, even if the whole surta,
has suffered
In tine New York and Bellevue IloSpita
this mode OF treating burns has long been
use: until recently, as We learn. the same o.
Ject has been effected al the former ir>titl
ton by the analogous method of COVERING y
injured parts with a muciIaye Of gum arab
SO as to protect the denuded surface from ii
atmosphere, and which the surgeons the,
prefer to flour in some cases, where the weiel
OF the latter becomes an Inconvenience. 7
this method We have no objection, but ha
ing for 50 many Years used the flour alone.
the exclusion OF all other agents. and in ey
~ variety and extent Of injuries by fire. "
have thus reiterated our testimony; and
this agent Is found in every house, and ca
ne instantly procured with more readine
than any OF the other articles named. ", Of,
1t the preference over all Others,
And We repeat our full persuasion that n
one IN a hundred Of those lrri.hine hv burr
and scald> need succumb under ;i;..ir iriur;
they were at once. or as soon A. may !.
covered with wheat tlour. We have a,,.l;.
1t successfully. after nun-rou. otl..r reo.d;
mad been unsucc.ssiui. and when ,,.au,. hor
had elapsed after the accident. Il rive III
suggestion to the people, and scatter it i,roa,
east over the land vii! save a multitude q
lives IN single vrlr.-%r FORK ii.il.
Gu,rne