Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-12-20
ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN.


-Remedies and Expedients Will
which Everybody should be Famii
lar.
Whenever an accident occurs, do not stii
till YOU know just what to do. Take
things quietly-keep silent. Avoid adding
to a panic in those around you. Disasters
are always worse for fright and perturba-
ton. SelfpossessiOn is the first step to
presence of mind, and nothing helps one
to maintain selfpossessiOn and presence
of mind more than knowing what to do.
Study these rules, therefore, and get them
durably impressed on the mind, so that
you may recall them on any emergency.
BURNS.
If slight, immcrse the part i'm cold water,
or put on it ice or snow. If done imme-
diately, a continued application long
enough will keep down Inflammation. Or
apply powdered chalk or whiting mixed
with lard. If so severe as to destroy the
skin, cover with varnish, or a strong solu-
ton of alum, or a mixture of lime-water
and sweet-oil; or if none of these are at
hand, mix whiting with linseed or sweet
oil thin with little honey, and apply
with a soft brush or feather-eyery touch
will give relief.
If the clothes catch fire, the first thing is
to extinguish the blaze. Do not let the
sufferer run abOut-every motion fans the
flame; but lay him quietly on the floor,
and wrap closely i'm folds of carpet,
wooden shawl, hearth-rug, or wooden table
cover. Then use water to put out the re-
naming fire. Next, remove the clothes
very carefully, cutting them gently with
scissors or very sharp knife. Be care
full not to injure the skin. Then shake on
flour or powdered starch, to exclude air.
Or apply wet cloths to reduce the redness
and heat. Do not use cold water-let it
be slightly warm. Lime-water and lin
seed oil may be applied ON old linen or
calico well soaked. Or the parts may be
covered with castor oil. All these are use
full, but some may not be at hand. Abb
sence of pain is bad sign, and shows that
the burn has been severe and the part de-
stroyed. Keep away idlers, and let the
patient be quiet. If the person has suffi-
Gent presence of mind when the clothes
first take fire, slide the hands down the
dress as closely to the body as possible, to
check the blaze; at the same time sink on
the knees. If this is not sufficient, lie
down quickly and roll on the fire, and
wrap yourself closely in wooden shawl,
piece OF carpet, or any wooden cloth which
can be seized. Never continue standing a
moment, and especially never run about.
HOUSE TAKING FIRE.
The first thing is to keep all the doors
shut. Currents of flame will then be con-
lined, and cannot sweep so rapidly through
the building. Keeping the doors all shut
will sometimes so retard the flames that
they may be eXtinguished. If they can
not, it will help much towards removing
the furniture. If the lower story is in
flames, the first thing for the inmates
above to do is to loosen a BEDFORD ifpossi-
Bile, or to tie the bed clothes together by
secure knots, and then fasten one end to
the bedstead. This will admit safe descent,
and often prevent broken limbs from Jump
ing. The quickest way to tie secure
knot, is to place two ends parallel together,
and tie common single knot near the
end.
Before passing through smoke, take
full breath and then stoop low. But if the
fire has burned some time, and less smoke
is present, aud carbonic acid is therefore
feared, walk erect.
Out-h0uses are sometimes set ON fire by
burglars, to draw attention from the
dwelling. Whenever, therefore, you find
an clubhouse burning, and suspect it was
set ON fire, let strong guard examine the
house.
Every room which is lighted with a
kerosene lamp should have wooden |
blanket, table cover, rug, shawl, or other |
wooden fabric, ready in the same room, so |
that In case OF an explosion it may be in |
stantly applied to smother the flames.
Many lives would be saved every year if |
this were everywhere attended to. Do
not use water on burning oil, rs il often |
forms steam and spreads the oil.
To save horses from rapidly burning
stable, blindfold them, or they cannot be
led.out. Throwing harness on horse
will often assist.
If the SCOT in chimney takes fire. and
danger is feared, first shut all the doors
and windows in the room, to lesson the
draught; then stop up the chimney flue
with piece Of wet carpet or blanket. If
a little water or common salt is then
thrown on the fire, it will reduce the
flames. The draught of the chimney will
be checked, and the fire will soon be ex
for want of air.
DRIVING HORSES.
IL horses become frightened and run, i'm
all cases keep your seat, unless they stop
so you may jump out safely. Jumping
out when moving swiftly is sure to throw
You severely against obstacles. The car
rage itself will protect you in many cases.
If the harness breaks while you are driv-
ing up hill where there is a bank on one
side and precipice on the other, turn the
horses head toward the bank, if you have
a four-wheeled vehicle. This will cause
the wheels in breaking, to turn against the
bank. But if you have a two-wheeled car
riage, turn the horse toward the precipice,
which will run the wheels from it. OBJ
serve the same precautions If balky horse
should commence backing.
BLEEDING.
If an artery is cut, compress above the
wound, or between the wound and the ,
heart; If a vein is cut, compress below.
Arterial bleeding is known from the bright
scarlet color of the blood, and from its issu-
ing in jerks. To stop it, put your finger {
'n the wound Ddpress upon the bleeding :
lperture-this will stop the bleeding as !
ong as the pressure, if properly applied, /
S continued. To.maintain the pressure, !
lie a handkerchief twice around the limb G
lbove the injury, with pad on the artery C
,lace stick at the knot, and turn il till the I
Hood stops. Or fold piece of soft rag {
everal times, put it quickly over the OPEN
ng. and secure it by piece Of broad tape ! !,
n bandage. .
Blood from the veins is dark colored, and q