The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-04-01
When a Dress Catches Fire.

York Stn.
When Dress Catches Fire.
DR.. John Marsha, F. r. S., writing
from Cannes to the London Times"
gives the following weIl.consilercd adj
vice in regard to coping with not
infrequent household accident:
a girl or woman who meets with tiis
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 necdfnl,
throw her down in 3 horizontal position,
and keep her in it. Sparks fly upward
and flames ascend. Ignition from below
mounts with fearful rapidly and, as a
result we'll known to experts, the fatality
or disfguremcnts in these lamentab!c
cases is due to the burns inflicted about
the body, neck, face, and rot 10 injuries
to the lower limbs. Now, the very mo-
ment that the person whose clothes are
on fire is iu Il horizontal position Oh fiat
surface the flames still ascend, but Only
into the air, and not encircling the victim.
Time is thus gained for further action;
and in sucl, crisis in fight against fire
few seconds are priceless. Once in the
prone position, the person afflicted may
crawl to beil-rull or to door, so as to
clutch at the one or open the other 10
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 rug or tablc.cover, or
other article at hand, to smother any
remaining flames. say remaining
flames, for rs soon as the horizontal posi-.
tion is assumed they have no longer much
to feed upon, and may either 60 out, as
the phrase is, or may be accidentally or
Intentionally extinguished as the person
rolls or moves upon the floor. In any
case, not only is time gained, but the
injury inflicted is minimized. In the
event of the conditions not being those Of
self help, but of assistance from another,
if it be man who comes to the rescue,
having first and instantly thrown the girl
or woman down, it is easy 10 take off his
coat aud so stiae the diminished flames
with this or some other suitable covering,
the flames now playing upward from the
lower limbs or lower part of the body of
the PROSTATE fellow creature. fit be
woman who rushes 10 give aid, this last.
named condition suggests that the safer
mode Of rendering it is to approach the
sufferer by the head and fling something
thence oTer the lower part Of the body,
for fear of setting fire to herself.
If, in these fearful accidents, the hori.
zontal position be assumed or enforced
there would be, in short, comparative
immunity and limited injury. If not,
whatmust happen? The fire will mount;
the flames land il is these which do TIE
injury will envelop the body inside and
outside the clothes, and will reach the
neck and head, and then, indeed, they
may be smothered by a coat or wrapper
O, rug while the victim is frightfuly dis
figured or doomed to perish.
For years l have urged these views
while lecturing on injuries from burns,
and once had occasion to illustrate them
practically, though in a comparatively
trivial accident. Some dressings of
very inhammable character caught fire
at the bedside of patient in one Of my
surgical wards; they were promptly seized
By student, who threw them into the
middle of the ward and endeavored TO
stamp out the flaming material. But
this containing parafline and resin
adhered to his boots, and his legs were
getting uncomfortabIy hot. To his as
tonishmen,, and to the undoubted sur
prise OF every one in sight, caught him
by the collar Of his coat and tripped up
his legs. Instantly the flames became
harmless, and were cxtinguished by a
nurse throwing jug OF water on
them.
have often thought that on the ap
proach of the winter season there should
be al every school, whether board, vol.
untary, or private, whether for girls or
boys, an address, if not an actual demon
stration by means of suitable models,
pointing out what should be donc in
these special calamities 1.-two upright
models were prepared alike and siniul-
,ancous!y sci on fire, orc being taken
down after two secoaGs and one after
thirty seconds, or at any other two diff
ieren! times, the memories OF children
would receive y lasting anil i; might be a
,cryiccable impression.