Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-14
what 10 do when Dress Catches Fire.

The following letter appears in late
number Of the London Times
Sir,-Will you grant me space to
explain briefly what, think, should be
the first thing to be done by a girl or
woman whose dress has caught fire, and
similarly the first duty of any one who
goes to her rescue?
A girl or woman who meets with this
accident should Immediately lie down
on the floor, and so any one who goes
to her assistance should instantly, if
she still be erect, make her lie down,
or, if needful, throw her down into a
horizontal position, and keep her in it.
Sparks fly upward and flames ascend.
Ignition from below mounts with fear
full rapidity, and as a result well known
to experts, the fatality or disligure-
ment in these lamentable cases is due
to the burns inflicted about the body,
neck, face, and head, and not to in
iuries of the lower limbs. Now. the
very moment that the person whose
clothes are on fire is in horizontal po-
sition en- fiat surface the flames still
ascend, but only into the air and not
encircling their victim. Time Is thus
gained for further action, and in
such crisis in a fight against
fire few seconds are precious, nay,
priceless. Once in the prone position
the person afflicted may crawl to bell
pull or to a door, so as to clutch at the
one or open the other to obtain help.
The draught from an open door into the
room would serve to blow the flames.
if any, away from the body; or, again,
still crawling, the sufferer may be able
to secure a rug or table-coyer, or other
article at hand, to smother any re-
naming flames. | say remaining
flames, for as soon as the horl-
zontal position is assumed they
have no longer much to feed upon, and
may either 90 out, as the phrase is, or
may be accidentally or Intentionally
extipguished as the person rolls or
moves upon the floor. In any case, not
only is time gained, but the injury in
nicted is minimized. In the event Of
the conditions not being those Of self
help, but of assistance from another, if il
be man who comes to the rescue, having
first and instantly thrown the girl Oh
woman down, it is easy to take Oft hi
coat and so stihe the diminished flame
with this or some other suitable cover.
ing, the flames playing now upward
from the lower limbs or lower part o.
the body of the PROSTATE fellow-crea
ture. Ii it be woman who rushes tC
give aid, this last-named condition sug.
gests that the safer mode Of rendering
it is to approach the sufferer by the
head and fling something thence over
the lower part of the body, for fear Of
setting fire to hereslf.
If, in these fearful accidents, the
horizontal position be assumed or en-
forced there would be, IN short, com
paratiye immunity and limited injury.
II not, what must happen: The fire
will mount; the flames land IL is
these which do the injury will en-
velop the body inside and outside the
clothes, and will reach the neck and
head, and then, indeed, they may bC
smothered by a coat, or wrapper, oil
rug, while the victim is frightfally
disfgured or is doomed to perish.
T For many years l have urged these
views while lecturing on injuries frou
burns and once | had an occasion Il
illustrate them practically. though in I
comparatively trivial accident. Some
dressings of very inhammable charac
ter caught fire at the bedside Of ,
patient in one Of my surgical wards
they were promptly seized b,