The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-04-22
ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES In
FAMILIES, AND HOW TO MANAGE
THEM.

Wounds of a very grave and painful
character, and differing in some respects
from ordinary cuts, may be inflicted by
a bludgcon, the kick of horse, the fall
of n weight, the explosion of gun, etc.
What can be a more painful accident
than that of child having its little fin
gers between the door and its casing
when the former is closed with bang,
or OH the windowsil when the sash
comes down with a crash? Yet such
accidents often occur. They are called
Commissions or bruises. The parts may
be torn rudely apart, crushed, lacerated,
abraded, cut, bruised, discolored, or
otherwise injured. Wounds of this
character rarely bleed as much as those
made by sharp instruments; but they
are treated on similar principles. 1.-THE
bleeding is from an artery, which is
known by its bright scarlet color and is
suing in jerks with every beat of the
heart, it must be stopped. This may be
done as follows: 1. Put your finger in
the wound and press OH the bleeding
aperture. 2. Tie cord or handkerchief
round the limb above the injury, and
with short stick, common ruler, or any
other suitable article, twist it until the
pressure is so great that the blood ceases
to flow. 8. Take common door key,
and with its ring padded with strip of
common cloth, press externally on the
bleeding vessel. 4. Fold piece OF soft
cotton cloth several times, place it over
the aperture, and secure tight as posi-
BILE with a strong bandage. 5. Should
there be no one present having knowl-
edge and courage enough TO tie the end,
go for the nearest doctor. The opera
ton is generally very easy and simple,
and can be done by any person of nerve
and frmness. One end of thesilk must
be left outside so that it can be drawn
out in few days. The patient may
complain, but arterial bleeding must be
stopped or death will ensIIe. When the
flow of blood is arrested, proceed to
dress the wound as l have previously
told you. In cases where the skin is
abraded, or the parts bruised or discol-
orcd, cloths dipped in warm water
should be freely and frequently applied,
until the pain is relieved. If the pain
is severe and persistent, and no relief is
obtained in an hour or two, add two
ounces of the tincture of arnica to a
pint of warm water, aud apply to the
part, instead of water alone. Tineture
of arnica flowers is cheap and can be
obtained at any drug store. Some ply
sicians prefer warm poultices made of
bread, bran, meal, powdered flax seed,
or slippery elm bark, either of which is
good when made with boiling water.
But as the only object is to supply the
part with heat aud moisture, these indi-
cations can be fulfilled much more salts
factorily with simple water. Of the
thousands of wounds made on the bat
tle-fieIds of the late war by shot, shell,
and bayonet, very few If any, were
treated, topically, with anything but
water. A surgeon found using any
other application in the treatment of
wound in its early stages, would have
been regarded as an ignoramus by his
fellow -surgeons, and denounced as
lhumbug by the, soldiers. Yet we often
meet men calling themselves doctors,
who when called upon to attend a
wound, will cover it with piece of salt
pork, pulpified cranberries, fancy &C.
lrates. and other absurd nostrums. Some
commit these absurdities because they
really do not know any better, and
others because they prefer rather to
pamper the stereotyped notions Of the
lIookerson than to manfully carry out
the principles of sensible and scientific
surgery, Cunning, crafty men these