The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-11-19

dctluehJ ONOnC aClu mas Dccn taken. the
antidote for it is lime. The chemical
reason for using lime is that oxolic acid
forms with it an insouble compound
and its corrosive action on the coating
of the stomach is at once stopped If
lime-water is at hand it may be given
freely or whitCwash tooth powder, Gts
base is always chalk chalk, whiting or
plaster from the wall The latter may
be crushed and stirred up in water with
ont regard to grittiness, which will not
do any harm.
For sanitary purposes carholic acid is
now found III houses. The cases of its
accidental use must be of rare occurrence.
as its peculiar strong odOr makes it rec
ognzable at once. Still, cases of its hav
ing been taken in the dark are not un-
common. 1t is Il most dangerous poison
because as DR.. Dulles states.,it seems
after the first painful corrosive effects to
benumb the stomach. At once large
and repeated doses of oil or milk should
be given. Certain cases of poisoning
with carbolc acid have been successful
ly treated, after oil had been taken. 10y
stimulation. But it is dangerous acid,
and care should be taken with the bottle
containing it.
Corrosive sublimate is often employed
about Il house to rid bed of vermin.
AS it is colorless when in solution it of
ten escapes notice. If taken vomiting
must be provoked, and some form OF
fannie acid given.i Tea is the strongest
thing which is easy at hand, and pow
erfnl decoction should be at once admin
istered. Adults rarely meddle with phor
phorus, but children sometimes suck this
very deadly substance from matches
Very fortunately it is discovered by its
odor in the child's breath, and its action
is not raid. Five grain doses OF sulphate
of copper dissolved in water may be Civ
en at intervals of 10 minutes until vom-
iting comes on. Then dose of magnc-
sia should be administered, but no OIL.
Mistakes as to quantity of opium pre-
paratlons are by no means uncommon ac
cidents Such are to be found, most un-
fortunately, in what Dr. Dulles very pro
perly calls the many poisonous nostrums
sold as soothing syrup, pain destroyers,
and drops for infants There is no eX-
preston harsh enough which would serve
TO brand the woman who administers
such poison to her baby. A mother
who gives such substances TO
her child without doctors advice
takes the chances of life or death in her
own hands. To such capable of seeing
their children waste away before their
eyes, no advice would be of avail. We
address, then, those who, unfortunately.
may give laudanum or black drop fol
paregoric. The symptoms are deep
sleep,with narrowing of the pupil of the
eye to a small circle, which does not en-
large in the dark. DR.. Dulles advises
the immediate and persistent use of EN-
etics, and to allow the patient to vomit
over and over again Particular atten-
tention should be paid to the breathing,
so long as the breathing does not fall
below 10 to the minute there is no inn
mediate danger of deatd; but opium il
dangerous poison, and requires all the
skill that can be obtained to combat it.
Formerly the custom was to walk a Ia
tient up and down, and to slap with wet
towels, What to Do First deprt GATES
this, for the reason that it eNhausts tn,
patient, who, if very i'll, cannot rally. II
physical stimulant is to be used, lay the
patient on a aubed or loungeand slap with
the back of a hairbrush, or with n slip
per. This is all the nursing necessary,
so long as breathing keeps above 10 TO
the minute, Should it fall below this, or
if the breathing should cease, artificial
breathing should be employed
1t sometimes happens that child gets
through accident, an overdose of wine or
brandy, We have know of little girl
made dangerously i'll from having pur-
loined branded tuit 1t was case of
siupor The cure was made by means of
What to Do First advises, 'hartshorn
and water, a teaspoonful of the first III Il
teacuptul of water, The use of tainted
food, such as Of decayed meat or vege-
tables, sometims occurs The treatment
Is to excite vomiting, and to follow this
with dose Of castor oil and powdered
charcoal
Mothers are very careful, but the most
prudent of them, in the experience Of the
writer of this, have sometimes made mis-
takes in the medicines they have given
their children. One infallibe rule in MS
ing any powder or fluid, no matter what
it is, is never to take it up, much less to
administer it, in the dark What is the
use of having labels marked poison pas
ted on a bottle, if it be invisible in the
dark! \ bottle of medicine may remain
in one position for weeks, untouched, but
an hour before it is used somebody may
have inadvertently substituted something
else. If medicines We're always locked
up less accidents would occur. There is
one word of final advice to be given :
On the least suspicion of poisoning in a
house, send at once for the doctor, not
necessarily your wn,but the very nearest
at hand.
The question is often asked in case of
poisoning as to the simplest way to pro
woke vomiting Lukewarm water in
quantity is good, 'but it is better to add
tablespoonful of ground mustard, Or a
tablespoonful of the syrup of ipecac,
Further, let it be remembered that there
is no occasion for, fastdiousness. Any
water will do. Water in which hands or
dishes, for that matter, have been wash
ed, acts more quickly than anything else
and if soap is used, it will be all the bet
ter for that, as soap is an antidote for
poisOns. The quantity used must be
large; the sufferer must be urged to
drink a pint at time, until he can con
tain no more, and has been made to vom
it over and over again.