The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-07-31
How to Deal with Minor Injuries.

Inc Old proyerb, accidents will hap
pen, IS exemplitied daily in every houses
hold, and every child should be taughA
how to take prompt and proper meas
ures to remedy the mischief, and to keen
perfectly cool, no matter what NAV
happen, preserving self-control and
presence of mind. When accidents
occur, it viii only add to the confusion
II you rush wildly about and scream.
Prompt action and perfect quiet are then
called for. Every mistress of house
should have a basket. or o bureau or
closet drawer filled 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 of, pair of scissors. three
or four needles of different sizes threaded
with cotton, little lint, some wide tape
Tor iigatures, some old gloves to afford
''cots for sore fingers, a bottle of arnica
uncture, roll OF sticking plaster, an
ether OF belladonna plaster and arnica
plaster, some court plaster, a box of
yaseline, bundle of ground fiaxseed
and oil meal for poultices, some ground
slippery elm, and box of simple cerate
lmade by simmering beeswax and sweet
Oil together), a bottle of aqua ammonia,
one OF calnphor and one of laudanurn
With these article close at hand, any
one who possesses self-control and de-.
cision of character sufficient to control
the nervous system will be able to dress
at least temporarily of ell
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 it in
cold water until the blood ceases to
how, washing out all dirt or bits of for
eign substances that have entered the
cut. Ii it is deep, notice how the blood
flows; If it is dark and oozes slowly
from the cut, only a vein is severed and
it is not serious, but will soon heal if
kept from the air. But if it is of bright
scarlet hue and spurts out in Jets, an
artery is severed and a doctor must be
called at once. Meanwhile ligattlre
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 plas-
ter over the whole surface, and put the
finger or thumb of kid glove over the
finger it it is the injured part. IF in a
little while the wound throbs painfully,
cover 1t thiclzly with vaseline with few
drops of laudanum stirred into it, and,
il. needful, from severe Inflammation,
put on poultice of faxseed boiled in a
little water with afew drops of lauda-
mum. But vaseline alone possesses
great healing powers for all kinds of
wounds, boils, infiammations and abra-
sions of the skin.
As long as the first dressing Of cut
remains firm, and it 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
is healed.
Cuts on the head are apt to be dan
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
scald; it is more likely to prove danger
Gus on the chest and body than on the
| limbs and face. Common cooking
''saleratas" (bicarbonate of soda) is q
| 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 win rarely
| blister il this is applied at once, and
/ the inner wrapping is nGs removed for
| twelve hours or more. A six months
old baby once dipped its fingers into a
| cupful of boiling tea, turning over the
cup upon the hand. Saleratus was at
once applied, and the scald kept tightly
covered, and the cloth moistened for
hours, the following morning there was
no soreness in the hand, and only a
little redness to be seen.
/ If the clothes catch fire, wrap coat,
rug. a tablecloth, or blanket-any
/ wooden material directly 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.
If blisterS are formed by burns or
scalds, dress them with vaseline, and
keep them from the air, not opening the
bandages oftener than once a day
Country Gentleman.
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