The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-02

~
The season has now come when there will be
many instances Of frost bites Of mere or Ilsw 60
verify, and few words on the treatment Of these
cases may not be out of place in our columns
Frozen flesh is not difficult to manage, il We do
not attempt 10 improve upon or hasten the meth
I'd which nature has provided for thawfng the
fluids which have become concealed in the l.esh.
The correct method Of thawing any portion Of
living flesh that has become frozen 10 to let the
thawing commence by the action Of the warm
arterial blood On that portion that is deepest from
the surface. The reason Of this is that AZ soon a.
one part Of the frozen flesh becomes melted by
the action OF The warm blood it is Immediately
conveyed away by the veins without the rupture
Vt any OF the delicate network of vessels that
constitute the aesh. Ii, however, the thawing
commences on the surface, then the blood as It
becomes liquid will remain outside the frozen
part, a. all the tubes are frozen up that would
sthsrwise convey it away. This blood soon chan
ges in color, expands with the heat, and causes
intense pain, il indeed it does not rupture some
OF the delicate blood vessels contained in the
flesh
1t is obvious then that we must not thaw fro
zen Hesh by the application Of external heat, bu.
must wait Tor the slow but natural process we
have spoken of; We must even protect the frozen
surface from the warmth Of the room where We
may be, to give time to the thawing to 20 on
gradually from within. 50 that the skin shall be
'he last portion that shall yield TO the action Of
the heat.
How shall We accomplish tbis desired result ?
Pack the frozen foot, hand or nose, IS the case
may bs, in ice or snow, 10 the ready answer. Not
too fast. II the snow is within degree or two
Of the freezing point il is very we'll the interior
portion OF the frozen flesh would 90 On thawing
till the surface was reached. But suppose the
.now or ice is seventy degrees below the freezing
point, what then? Why, obviously the freezing
might 90 on until the entire limb was frozen
mas. This is not unfrsqusntly the case. Many
people seem 70 forget that snow and ice vary in
tsnpSFxtare like all other Substances and accord.
inEly they would apply snow "r ice To frozen
limb without testing the degreeef cold that they
contained
New the proper way 10 proceed is this: Put
she frozen part into water in which there is q
considerable portion OF ice in small pieces. The
ice will keep the temperature Of the water down
to about the requisite degree Of GOODNESS, bu,
there will be no danger of the freezing going on
while the water remains uncongealsd. A Their
moneter is very convenient to test the temper
ature of the water. I: one becomes frozen at a
distance from a hous. it would be advisable ~
plunge the hand as deep a. possible intn q drii,
OF snow, and take ssms Of it 10 apply to the af
hieted parts, as it will be 1T temperature much
above that on the surface.
Netting il hotter settled than that the frozeu
portion should not be rubbed, as the flesh would
become very sore in consequence. The flesh near
60 that which is frozen may be rubbed. however
70 good advantage, as that will hasten the eircu.
lation of blood. - Prairie Fnmrr.