The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-10-29

l,uDilCttiiOlS iI il1iilc
Even in the late Thcra-
work of DR.. r. j.. Mitchell,
SSuf 81 .a'hiladelplia, this identical practice
~ ascribcd to DR.. John Thomas, of
/. England; who, in 1882, called the at
[ tention of the protessnn thereto. as
{ ne are told in the Ohio Medical ly-
3 ccum, two years after our publication
p MS aforesaid. and twelve years after
our testimony to its efficacy had been
published.
But, waving the mimportant sub
I ject Of priority, we arc gricvcd to
bearn from the public press that such
1nultitudcs are annually pcrishing by
4 scalds in steamboats,, and from burns
S by camphine; spirit gas, and otherwise;
ssilearly all of whom, however severely
burnt, we do not hesitate to say might
fyc preserved from q fatal result if this
/, simple prarticc were adopted imncdi-
! atcly after such accidents. Instead Of
! this, however, we hear of the applica-
! tion of cold water, molasscs, oils, cot
ton, spain cxtractors," &c, accornpa
nied uniformly by the death of the
I. sufferer, and often "attcr such acct
dents. Instead of this however, we
( hear Of the application Of cold Wa
Ter, lead water, ,nolasscs, oils, cot
ton, spain cxlractors," &c, accompan-
! led almost uniformly by the death of
the sufferer and often :'aftcr lingering
I i'll excruciating torture" for days
er hours.
Now, it ought to he promulgated
10 the profession, and for humanity
sake to be known to the whole1-Ssr7FElIs
ple,. that in any case Of
scald, however cXtensi l1sseass 81
zss9iffering Of the patient may be ar pUce
and permanently relieved, and that in
I n moment Of time, by sprinkling over
the injured surface q thick layer Of
wheat flour by the hand, or, what is
better, by q dredging box. Every
vcstige of pain produced by such inju-
ries is instantly removed, and the s,ll:
tGrer not only escapes the shock to the
nervous system accompanying such
torture, but will generally fall into a
quiet sleep the moment the atmos-
phcric temperature is thus excluded
from the wounds.
Why, then, should persons thus in
iurcd be allowed to die with intense
agony occasioncd hy burns and scaldS,
rs they often do, if not without treat
lnent by the applications SO often
made, many Of which augment their
sntierings, and render suc! injuries ir-
rcparablc? Even in the late explosion
on board the Reindeer, it is said that
many of the scadcd lived for hours,
suffering all the time from their cx-
ternal injuries. and then treated with
raw c,tton, lime water, and liusccd
oil, &c, until they were dead. Not Il
pang need have been endured beyond
the time necessary to apply the flour,
which must have been at hand, if the
ignorance Of their friends, and the am
tiquatcd prcjudices OF their medical
advisers, had not led them to rely up
on the miserable substitutes which
superstition has canonizcd for ccrtu-
iics.. And SO we affirm OF every case
nflburn and scald, even il the cn,irc
surface has suffered.
la the New York and Bellevue hos
pitals this mode OF treating burns has
. l'cen long in use; until recently, as we
&arn, the same object has been effect
I'd ut the former institution by the
analogous method Of covering the in
.Flrcd parts with a muciIagc of gum
arabic, so rs to protect the dcnudcd
surface from the atmosphere, and
which the surgeons there prefer to lhc
flour in some cases, where the weight
sf the latter becomes IN Inconvenience.
To this method we make no objection:
but having for SO many years employ
cd the flour alone, to the exclusion OF
all other agents, and in every variety
and extent Of injuries by fire, We have
thus reiterated our testimony; and as
this agent is found in every house, and
en- be instantly procured with more
readiness than any Of the other arti-
clos named, VIC give it the preference
over all others.
And we repeat our full persuasion
tat not one in hundred OF those
rcrishing by burns and scnldS need
slccumb under their injuries, if they
were at once, or as soon after as may
bc, covered with wheat flour. We
!save applied it successfully, after nu-
lncrous other remedies had been M
p,crous other remedies hac been un-
srccessful: and when many hours had
elapsed after the accident. TO give
.lds suggestion to the people, and scat
ar it broadcast over the land, will
ave multitude Of lives in single
grar. ReeSe's Medic0i G0zcNc.