The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-12-13
How to Deal with Minor Injuries.

The old proverb, accidents will hap
pen, is exemplified daily In every houses
hold, and every child should be laughs
how 70 take prompt and proper meas
ures to remedy the mischief and to keen
perfectly cool, no matter what may
happen, preserving self-control and
presence of mind. When accidents
occur, it will only add to the confusion
II you rush wildly about and scream.
Prompt action and perfect quiet are then
called for. Every mistress of q house
should have a basket, or a bureau or
closet drawer filed with necessary ar
ticles with which to remedy the every
day injuries to which all flesh Is liable,
and learn how to apply them. There
should be rolls Of old linen and cotton,
parts OF old flannel garments with the
buttons cut off, pair of scissors, three
or four needles of different sizes threaded
with cotton, a little lint, some wide tape
for ligatures, some old gloves to afford
''cots' for sore fingers, a bottle of arnica
tinoture, roll OF sticking plaster, an
other OF belladonna plaster and arnica
plaster, some court plaster, box of
vaseline, bundle of ground faxseed
and oil meal for poultices, some ground
slippery elm, and q box of simple cerate
(made by simmerinC beeswax and sweet
oil together), bottle of aqua ammonia,
one Of camphor and one of laudanum.
With these article close at hand, any
one who possesses self-control and de-
cision of character sufficient to control
the nervous system viii be able to dress
AT least temporarily -wounds of all
kinds, cuts and bruises, burns and
scalds, or stings of insects.
Cuts must be treated according to
their position and severity. If finger
or toe is cut, battle or immerse 1t in
cold water until the blood ceases to
flow, washing out all dirt or bits of for
eign substances that have entered the
cut II it Is deep, notice how the blood
flows; II II is dark and oozes slowly
from the cut, only vein is severed and
1t is not serious, but will soon heal if
kept from the air. But il it is of bright
scarlet hue and spurts out in Jets, an
artery Is severed and doctor must be
called at once. Meanwhile ligature
must be tied above the wound, and the
thumb pressed down and held upon the
artery to prevent loss of blood. If the
skin gapes from cut, draw the edges
together, apply piece Of sticking p1as-
ter over the whole surface, and put the
finger or thumb of kid glove over The
finger il it Is the Injured part. If in q
little while the wound throbs painfully,
cover it thickly with vaseline with few
drops of laudanum stirred into is, and,
II needfgll, from severe Inflammation,
put on poultice of fiaxseed boiled in a
little water with q few drops of lauda-
mum. But vaseline alone possesses
great healing powers for all kinds of
wounds, boils, infanmations and abra-
sions of the skin.
AS long as the first dressing of cut
remains firm, and 1t does not throb or
burn, it should not be touched. An
outer clean cloth can be added, but let
the inner one alone until the wound
10 healed.
Cuts on the head are apt to be dam
gerous and require much care. The
hair should be cut off all around, and
arnica plaster put directly over the
wound.
A burn Is usually more serious than q
scald; it is more likely to prove danger
01ao OA e1lC OAC5b d0O DOO1 biidu Oh bll5
limbs and face. Common cooking
''saleratus" (bicarbonate Of soda) is a
specific for both burns and scalds. Wet
the powder to q paste, and spread all
over the injured surface, cover with q
damp cloth, and keep it moistened until
all pain has disappeared. 1t will rarely
blister Il this is applied at once, and
the inner wrapping Is not removed for
twelve hours or more. A six months
old baby once dipped It's fingers into a
cupful OF boiling tea, turning over the
cup upon the hand. Saleratus was at
once applied, and the seald kept tightly
covered, and the cloth moistened for
hours, the following morning there was
no soreness in the hand, and only
little redness to be seen.
If the clothes catch fire, wrap a coat,
q rug, 9 tablecloth, or blanket-any
WOODEN overwhelmingly around the
person, who should be made to lie on
the floor, and let the flames be smoth-
cred by the wrappings. There would
be few fatal injuries from the clothes
catching fire, If the person would lie
down and press out the flames with any
wooden material. Exclude the air, and
the flames must die.
Ii blisters are formed by burns or
scaids, dress them with vaseline, and
keep them from the air, not opening the
bandages oftener than once day
Country Gentleman.