Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-04-15
Before the Doctor Comes
-RrI1jSnS

| Out lew VI LuC HIATT OOAs uOW-
ever pacifcally disposed, man,
age in their encounter with life to
escape a black eye. This is a
bruise of the eyelids, and is so gen.
orally produced by blow of the
fist that when it is, as it may be,
the result of any other cause, it is
difficult to persuade the world of
the fact. Every one accordingly
does his best to get rid of or con-
ceal a black eye, which being uni
versally regarded as the mark of
blackguardism, is enough 10 damage
the reputation Of the most respec-
table. Prize fighters and roughs
of every sort are in the habit of
applying raw cold meat to black
eye, but we question whether it is
Of any benefit beyond the tempo
rary relief it gives by its freshness
and moisture. The bruise will
persist in going through its various
stages in spite of every treatment.
At first, as in all bruises, the part
swells, and if the blow has been
sufficiently severe to burst some
of the small vessels, the blood will
escape from them beneath the skin.
This produces a blackness, which
will in the course of time be
| changed to a dirty green and green
ish-yellow color. These again,
will pass into the various shades
between black, blue, green and
yellow, and finally into a marbIed
| combination of all before the skin
| and flesh recover their natural
hues. The remedy of all bruises
is a fermentation. This is best ap-
piled by wringing a piece of fan
mel out of hot water, and keeping
it to the injured part as long as it
remains warm and moist. This
should be perSevered in while the
pain and swelling continue, If
any of the joints are the seat OF
the brGise, they must be kept for
some timein perfect repobe, as there
is always danger of their becom-
ngseriously infamed. The tinct-
ure of arnica is a favorite remedy
for bruises, but it does not deserve
the high popular reputation it has
acquired. 1t, however, may be ap-
piled without fear of any bad re-
suit. The black eye must be pa
tiently endured while it passes
through its various discolorations,
though it may be partially con-
cealed by wearing a shade, or
touching up the skin artistically
with chalk and paint.
A very severe kind of bruise is
caused by jamming the finger in a
closing door or drawer. This is a
very painful and sometimes serious
accident. The small vessels are
generally broken, from which the
blood escapes, but being confined
beneath the nail, which it finally
destroys, causes at first excessive
pain by its pressure. The quick
est relief is obtained by plunging
the finger into water as hot as it
will bear. This will soften the
nail, and cause it to yield and give
room to the blood, the painful
pressure of which will be thus re-
lieved, After giving the finger
thorough soaking in the hot water,
you should wrap it up in a thick
poultice of bread and water or
milk. On the next or day after,
if the pain is still troublesome, it.
is good thing to scrape the nail
with a knife so thin that it may
readily yield to the pressure of the
blood, or matter which frequently
forms below. If this does not
produce the desired relief, it will
be well to make an opening into
the scraped nail, and let CIT the
fluid beneath. What is true of
.jammed finger is equally SO of
.iammed toe, which requires pre-
cisely the same treatment.
A heavy as well as sharp sub
stance falling on any part of the
body is apt to produce something
between a bruise and a cut. If
the bruise should be slight and
the cut tolerably clean, it will be
well to treat the accident as if it
were simply the latter, by bring
ing the edges of the wound to-
gether with sticking plaster, that
they may unite by what the sur
geons call "the first intention"