Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-08-24
Wounds and Injuries.

If there be one department of domestic
medicine that above all others should be
familiar to the mind of the American
mother, that department is the proper ap-
prec;ation and management of ordinary
wounds and injuries. Scarcely day
passes among a family of children that
some little accident does not happen, triv-
ial though it may be, that the mother is !
called upon to administer to. And she, |
not merely as matter Of economy, or |
trouble of summoning a physician, but
because she is the most suitable person |
in the world, should possess the faculty
of paying the little attentions that are re-
quisite, and performing them properly and
intelligently. That child is fortunate
whose motheri is capable of paying towards
it this important part. We wish all the
mothers in the land were equal to it. and
why may they not be? Books and infor-
nation abound on every side, and they
can learn it if they will Families con-
tract physicians bills year after year in
attention to these little occurrences, that
are entirely needless and uncalled for, and
which any person with the smallest grain
of common sense could attend to as well
as the physician. What earthly good
does doctor do in case little one has
cut its finger, no matter how bad it is?
He comes and applies strip of adhesive
plaster does it up in a rag, leaves a little
advice as to the dressing that should be
applied and an immense impression of his
Importance, and nature does the rest. 1t
throws out its fluids and granulations,
heals up the wound, and covers the place
in little while with its natural and
healthy skin. Mothers can do this just
as we'll as doctors can, and doit in much
less expensive manner. Doctors never
cured disease nor healed a wound in the
world. Nature does it, and doctors only
direct her efforts. Mothers can direct as
doctors can, if they only think they can,
and they ought to, both for their child
ren's good and the good oftheir husband s
purses, for there is no med of throwing
away money on anything. Thinking
thus, we have drawn up word of inst..c,--l-
ton upon this point, and presentit to our
readers
| Wounds are arranged by physicians un-
der six different heads, according to the
instrument or accident by which they are
produced. Thus, an ancised wound is one
produced by sharp instrument, as knife
or axe; confused wound one made by &
+ blunt body punctured wound one made
, by narrow ard pointed weapon, as {
sword, spike, or nail !; a penetrating wount
, is one that communicates with cavity
as joint, the chest, or the abdomen anC
J a poisoned wound is one inoculated Will
t some peculiar virus. as bite from
/ a snake or a bee sting. Wounds are
? also specified as superficial or deep, re
1 cent or old, simple or complicated, etc
/ which terms are too obvious to require an,
e particular explanation.
The leading indication in every wound
r of whatever kind it may be, is, 1st T
stop the bleeding; I'd. To remove any ex
, traneous matter, as dirt or coagulate
a blood; Sd. To approximate the edges G
:. the wound, and retain them; and lastly
To prevent the occurrence of too muc
inflammation or other untoward occur
rences. The bleeding usually stoDs of il
g self in a short time, unless large arterie
a have teen severed, and this fact is mad
$ known by the blood escaping il jets il
I. stead of steady stream. Exposing th
e wound to the air, or bathing it in col
n water, will hasten to stop the flow {
t. blood, ifit flows unusually long, and N
n large vessels are injured.
y These are the only means that are r'
: sorted TO, outside of tying the arterie
e even in amputation of limb, to contrC
l. the hemorrhage. Sometimes a littl
t wound on the finger, which bleeds obst
L nately, may be stopped by applying to
l, piece Of ice, or wrapping it with col
e webs, but larger ones will seldom be four
st to cause any trouble. Wounds ju
ID through the skin are proverbially MOI
1t prone to bleed protractedly than those
ut deeper injury. Tho removal of foreig
n matters from the edges or cavity of Il
ID wound is matter of much importanc
N although it at first may seem Of little CO..
n sequence. Unless it be done, the wour
k may be slow in healing, and inflammatio
s. set up from the irritation of the ofendir
N substance. The smallest thing, as hal
De or little grain of dirt, left in the wour
m will sometimes make a serious matter
Id what was at first but trivial affair. I'll
rs operation should be done carefully, hoy
ever SO as not to irritate the parts al
r more than possible. In incised wound
he or those made by sharp instrument, Il
to edges should be carefully placed in po:
be ton, and held by strips ofadhesive plastt
be not too tightly drawn as to interfere wi
l the circulation. A cloth wet with co
Id water may then be placed over the woun
be and this is all the dressing that is nece
i'll ssry. Care should be taken t5 make d
dressing as light and easy, and everythil
:. as neat and comfortable as possible.
10 the parts show an indispositioc to heal
n. little cold tea-which, though d vule
he remedy, is always at hand and very ei
m cient-may be sprinkled upon the drei
W. ing in the place of the water.
he Punctured wounds are to be treatedu L
lat on the same principle as incised on
,ut All dirt or other extraneous substaus
It's must be carefully removed, the parts nis
ot- ly approximated, and cold water dressi
rk used as before. The great danger in pun
tured wounds is the disposition they ha
of being followed by lockjaw. A nail
!, the foot, for instance, is very frequent
no attended with this unfortunate G
" currence. Stiffness of the muse
rn of the neck and difficulty of sw
ca lowing are the first symptoms of its q