The Newtown bee., 1880-11-10
ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
What Should be Done in Certain Emsr-
 gencies.

l Nc&hCicS.
 In the household certain accidents oc- cur, generally of 8 harmless character,
 says New York paper, but as they
 sometimes are of certain gravity we
 refer to clever little book entitled
 What to do First," written by Dr. c. w. Dulles, which contains, in small
 space, great deal which is useful to
 know in certain emergencies. Now, as
 there are copper boilers attached to
 ranges in many kitchens, the use of OK
 alic acid to SCOUT them with is quite
 common. Occasionally we hear ot ac- i cidents arising from carelessp ess when
 oxalic acid has been left about. The
 writer of this uses oxalic acid in her own kitchen, but with great precaution. The bottle containing it is never given
 to the cook, but only small portion of
 it's contents, and whenever 1t has been
 used the servant is asked eff all of it
 has been employed" If any remains
 over it is thrown away. It is the most
 stupid of drug clerks that confounds OK
 aiic acid with Epsom salts, The acid,
 as Dr. Dulles describes it, "comes in
 small, heavy, bright-colored crystals,
 making clear rattle in bottle or jar" l In case by any accident oxalic acid has
 been taken, the antidote for it is lime. | The chemical reason for using lime Is
 that oxalic acid forms with it an insol-
 uble compound. and its corrosive action
 on the coating of the stomach is at once l stopped. "If lime-water is at hand it
 may be given freely, or whitewash, l tooth powder (its base is always chalk, 1 chalk. whiting or plaster from the wall. The latter may be crushed and stirred
 up in water without regard to grittiness, which will not do any harm"
 | For sanitary purposes carbolic acid is I f,-r.1 G-r, 1 | cases ot it's accidental use must be of rare occurrence, as it's peculiar strong l odor makes it recognizable at once. Still, cases of its having been taken in the dark are not uncommon. It is 6
 most dangerous poison, because, as | Doctor Dulles states, 1t seems after the | first painful corrosive effects to berumb the stomach. At once large and repeated doses ot oil or milk should be given. Certain cases of poisoning with carbolic acid have been successfully treated, after oil had been taken, by stimulation. But 1t Is dangerous acid, and care should be taken with the bottle contain ing it. ....
 Corrosive sublimate is often employed | about house to rid a bed of vermin. As it is colorless when in solution it | often escapes notice. If taken vomiting | must be provoked, and some form of tannic acid given. Tea IS the strongest
 thing which is easy at hand, and pow ertul decoction should be at once admin istered. Adults rarely meddle with phos- phorus, but children sometimes suck | this very deadly substance from matches.
 Very fortunately it is discoverable by it's odor in the child's breath, and it's action is not rapid. Fiye-grain doses of sulphate of copper dissolved in water may be given at intervals of ten minutes until vomiting comes on. Then dose of magnesia should be administered, but no oil.
 Mistakes as to quantity Of opium pre- parations are by no means uncommon accidents. Such are to be found. most unfortunately, in what Dr. Dulles very properly calls "the many poisonous nostrnms sold as soothing syrups, pain destroyers and drops for infants.n There is no expression 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 for paregoric, 1.-The symptoms are deep sleep, with narrowing of the pupil ofthe eye to a small circle, which does not en- large in the dark" Dr. Dulles advises the immediate and persis ent use of emetics, and to allow the patient to vomit over and over again" Particular at ''So long as the breathing does not tail below ten to the minute there is nc inn mediate danger of death; but opium is dangerous poison, and requires all the skill that can be obtained to combat it." Formerly the custom was 10 walk patient up and down, and to slap him with wet towels. What to Do First " deprecates this, for the reason that it exLausts the patient, who, if very i'll, cannot rally. Ii physical stimulent IS to be used, lay the patient on Il bed or lounge, and slap with the back of 8 hair brush, or with slipper. This is all the nursing necessary, so long as breath ing keeps above ten to the minute. Should 1t fall below this, or If the breath ing should cease. artificial respiration should be employed"
 It sometimes happens that a child gets, through accident, an overdose of wine or brandy. We have known of little girl made dangerously i'll from having purloined branded fruit. It was case of stupor. The cure was made by means of What To Do First advises, hartshorn and water, Q teaspoontul of the first in teacupiul of water. The use of tainted food, such aS of decayed meat or vegetables, sometimes 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 of9a .y4o 11oS in fho f0y,,ou fhov1 have given their children. One infalli- ble rule in using any powder or fluid. no matter what 1t is, is never to take it up, much less to administer it, in the dark. What is the use of having labels l marked poison pasted on bottle. if 1t be invisible in the darkp A bottle of medicine may remain in one position for weeks, untouched, but an hour before it is used somebody or other may have inadvertently substituted something I else. If medicines were always locked | up less accidents would occur. There is one word of final advice to be given: On the least suspicion of poisoning in g house, send at once for the doctor, not l necessarily your own, but the very | nearest at hand.
 The question is often asked in case of | poisoning as to the simplest way to Lro- yoke vomiting. Lukwarm water in | quantity is good. but it is better to add I q teaspoonful of ground mustard, or 9 teaspoonful of fipecac, or a tablespoonful | of the syrup of ipecac. Further, jet it be l remembered that there is no occasion for | fastidiousness. Any water will do. | Water in which hands or dishes, for that matter. have been washed, acts l more quickly than anything else, and if | soap has been used, it will be all the | better for that, as soap is an antidote for be large; the sufferer must be urged to l drink a hint at a lime. until he can c an- l