Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-04-24
What People May Do in Cases Of Emer
gency.

DIR. Norman Bridge lectured IN Lower
Farwen Hall on last evening on &c What
to Do in Emergencies in the Absence of
a Physician" The audience was large
and attentive. ..ts-
The subject, DR.. Bridge said, was so
large one that it would be impossible
to do more than touch on the most inn
portant points within the limits of his
discourse. Among the public at large
there was an uncertainty about emergen-
cies, and there was a habit of dealing
with them in an unscientific manner.
There were few emergencies in which
even doctors had more than few reme-
dies. Therefore, the getting of doctor
on the spot was not nearly as important
as many supposed, if the people had a
larger medical knowledge. We should
keep our hands off sick or injured per-
son unless we know what to do. The
best thing was to let the patient alone in
many cases, but, in some, there should
be prompt action.
The common accident of fainting fit
is the most familiar of all. Such persons
generally recover spontaneously. Very
few have died in swoon, unless the re-
suit of accident. Yet the impulse of the
populace was to seize the patient, throw
water in his face, and SO on. A faint
ing fit was the result of the nervous ac-
ton of the heart and brain. The brain
is deprived of its natural quantity Of
blood, because some of the smaller blood
vessels contract. This was why patients
turned pale. Instead of compelling the
patient to sit up, let him lie down that
the blood may return to the brain in the
natural manner. To dash water in his
face is useless, but harmless. If the pa
tient does not at once recover when ly-
ing down, lift his feet SO that the flow of
blood headward may be increased. It
was singular that old traditions chung to
people so long. While it was true that
people died in fainting fits who were suf-
fering from disease, yet they died all the
quicker for being put in sitting post
ure.
The next branch of his subject was
convulsions. These generally frightened
people, but nothing was more absurd.
The patient was pounded, faggelated,
gently, of course, put in hot baths, and
received other severe and absurd treat
ment. An epileptic fit lasted, ordinarily,
not more than three minutes, and peo-
pie very rarely died of them. The con-
tortion of the features were very disa-
greeable, and nobody who once wit
messed such fit would desire to see it re-
peated. The best thing to do was to let
the patient alone. Generally, after fit,
a patient goes into deep slumber-na-
lures restorer. All that was necessary
was to see that the patient did not bite
his tongue or injure himself in any man
ner. The feeling of the people was to
interfere, but they ought to have courage
to let the patient alone.
Much may be done by the doctor. after
the attack, to prevent its recurrence.
There is little or no fear of death in the
great majority of cases.
The hysterical fit was next spoken of.
1t would be hard to describe hysterical
fit, as it assumed many forms. There
was also the apoplectic fit, which de
prived people of consciousness. There
to let the patient alone, keep him quiet
and horizontal, wipe the fluid from his
mouth with napkin. and allow nature
to assert itself.
The next thing was conclusion. A
his head. He soon becomes drowsy, and
the efforts of the household are directed
to keep the child awake, which was a
deadly error. The best thing to do,was
to let the child fall asleep and let the
shaken up brain recuperate. Itwas the
natural process, and the child should not
be disturbed. The best remedy for 8
conclusion was rest The principle to
be kept in mind by surgeons and nurses
was to allow the patient to go to rest.
He was sorry to say that some medical
men had become possessed of the idea
that the injured child should not be al
lowed to go to sleep. IF the child is to re-
cover at all, sleep will revive him.
Another style of accident that stirred
people up was that which produced
hemorrhage-of course violent hemor.
rhage generally led to speedy death, but
nature had provided its own remedy in
stopping up the bruised blood vessels
with clots. A large artery would bleed
on until the patient died. Therefore il
a doctor were not present, let the pulse
of the patient be felt, and if it beats rap
idly and grows weak, he is losing toe
much blood. The normal pulse of a
healthy person was seventy to eighty,
while a bleeding patient would run up to
$50 or 40, which indicated danger. The
thing a surgeon would do would be to
make pressure ON the severed artery.
This required knowledge of anatomy,
but every one knew enough to bring
pressure on the wound itself, with a
handkerchief or with the fingers, which
will form clot until the surgeon arrives.
Some people had horror of blood, which
was foolish, as it was perfectly innocu.
Gus. Some people, however, could not
help fainting at the sight of blood. An
internal hemorThage was, however, be-
yond the reach of the unprofessional.
Crushed members and injured parts oi
the body should be stepped in hot water
that is water as warm as the blood OF
the patient, almost ninety-three degrees
Fahrenheit. Cold water also stopped
bleeding by contracting the blood vessels.
1t was a singular thing that both hot and
cold water ha1 an excellent healing effect
on bruises, and prevented, in most cases,
modification.
Another emergency was that of pain,
which most frequently occurred to chill
dren. often causing loss Of gensation. A
eommons thing with childrea was the ear