Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-17
MEDICAL EMERGENCIEs.
What to DO I'm the Absence Of a
Phystctan-Lecture by DR.. Norman

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.
What to Do I'm the Absence of a
Bridge.
DR.. Norman Bridge delivered very interest
ing and instructive lecture, yesterday evening,
having for his subject what TO Do In Emer-
gencies In the Absence of Physician" which
he treated In colloquial way, thus making his
f hd KS an the more appreciate to those who
The trouble in connection with emery ,ncies
was mat people would insist In managing them
even the doctor could do in such cases were
very few, and the necessity OF summoning him
was not SO great as was many times imagined.
The things to be accomplished lay In the Way
OF aiding the process of nature while those
which people were In the habit of doing were
frequently directly to the contrary. In many
remedy, and all that was necessary was for the
pystaoders to keep their hands OF from sud-
denly sick person.
Taking up such emergencies in the order OF
tneH frequency or occurrence, he spoke first of
the simple accident Of fainting. AS matter of
fact simple fainting TT was merely the result
OF temporary cessation Of the flow of blood to
the brain, and no one ever died Of 1t. In few
moments the blood ran back to the brain again
and the fit was over. And yet people did all
kinds OF ridiculous things to the patient lifting
MN up and throwing cold water into his face.
the former process really tending to retard the
cure, while the latter made no difference eth r
way. The patient should be allowed to lie on
the ground as he fell, the horizontal position
pelng most favorable to the return OF the blood
10 the brain: Ii the recovery did not soon occur
the feet might be raised by which means the
blood would be sent from the extremities, and
the patient would recover almost Immediately.
occasionally person who was sick at the time
OF the fatntfng would die under the fit. but the
raising him up and applications of cold water
would only have tendency to make him die all
the quicker.
Children In convulsions form of sickness
winch, by reason OF its dreadful appearance,
frightened the friends of the patients, were sub,
Jected to all sorts of foolish treatment: were
plunged into hot baths, dashed with cold water.
shaken, negotiated and not unfrequently dosed
with medicine. In 999 out OF 900 cases the
CONFUSION is an epileptic fit which lasts gen
orally about three minutes and in which it was
very unusual for patient to die OCCASIONALLY
Where there Is disease Of the brain, the tit might
laSt an hour or more, or he might die; but the
recovery OF the patient in any case would not
be fastened by the adoption of any of the treat
ment alluded to- At the end OF the tit the suf-
ierer usually fell into deep slumber, and no.
thing should be done to interfere with this
means taken by nature to aid the recovery OF
me me patient: The same statement applied to
the hySterical fit, which was a matter of no
consequence. because it never killed ANYBODY.
and even In the apoplectic fit.
NOTHING COULD BE DONE
further than to keep the patients mouth clear,
to prevent him from hurting himself or other
PEOPLE from doing so.
In cases Where children suffered from concrs-
slons people were afraid to let the sufferers go
10 steep. The knock on the head which the
child received In the fall produced certain iniu-
rleS In the brain, and Natures process for curing
them was to let the parts rest, and this caused
the desire to sleep to arise after such an acct
dent. This desire should always be gratified.
NE chlld being placed In as favorable conditions
10 good sound sleep as soon as possible.
On the SUBJECT OF hemOrrhage the Doctor ex-
pla!ned that II was necessary for people to tell
py the pulse whether the patient was In danger
or not. The normal rate of the pulse was from
S Sled 10 eighty beats minute; if patient
Died extensively the pulse ran up as high as
from l2O TO l40 beats minute, which indicated
mat the patient was in danger. The easiest way
10 b en neGt the bleeding to apply at
external injury. A handkerchief or finger
plunged into the wound could always accom-
plish I'M, this It was good thing, too, to elevate
lne umD where the cut or bruiSe was, as that
Drought the attraction of gravtation to the aid
Applications of cold water, which contracted
Ihe blood vessels and retarded the flow of blood,
were also beneficial. How to dress a serious
wound was also matter which puzzled people
great deal The best thing to apply was hot
water, which gave the injured parts the best
OPPORTUNITY OF recovery which they could have.
Inc water should always be at a temperature
somewhat higher than that of the blOod.-say
from IS to 100 degrees.
The emergency of great pain was one which
oIJen occurred to children and under circum-
stances which might lead to the destruction of
some or the senses. One OF the most common
pans was that which occurred in the ear, the
oest means OF alternating which was the appli-
cation OF hot water. A constant stream OF hot
water should be poured into the child's ear by
means or syringe or teaspoon, and it would
soon stop the pain. The child should then be
allowed TO rest, and IL the pain occurred again
the same treatment should be repeated, Ear.
acne should never be diSregarded as it was
quite likely TO result In loss of hearing. Heat
was the most useful Of all simple agents to stOp
pain. lamentations should be applied as hOt
as possible, and common wringlng- machine
was very useful help in handling The cloths
just taken from the intensely hot water. The
person handling the cloths for the patient
might not be able easily to stand their heat
out patient suffering from the collie for in.
stance, would welcome them heated almost up
TO the scalding point.
In speaking or medicines, the lecturer recon-
mended Doyers powders and paregOric as sim
USED In the family, especially the former, which
was less dangerous than any others OF this elias,
OF medicines.
IN THE CASE OF POISONING
he recommended the application or an emetic
and the giving OF quantities OF water by which
means the poison would be diluted, and its effect
greatly weakened. The simplest way to produce
vomiting was TO thrust the middle finger down
lne throat or the patient and tickle it until yOm-
iting was produced; OF emetics none was more
simple and efhcaciOuS than tablespoonful of
table mustard mixed In pint of hot water In
cases or poisoning by any OF the various forms
OF opium, the best antidOte was strong coffee I'm
cOp10uS quantities. Here, too, was the only case
In which the patient should not be allowed to
sleep: lie should be walked up and down, and
Kept Dy every available means from relapsing
into slHmber from which 1t might be tmpossible
TO awaken him.-CHicGgO Tribune