Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-01
P 1RIOTIC BUR N s
Fourth Of July Suggestions While Wait
ing for the Doctor.
An Emergency Hospital Expert Gives
the Benefit of His Experience In
Treating Gunpowder Injuries.

Already the premature explosions at long
intervals of lonesome sounding irecrackers
proclaims the fact that the Fourth Of
July-the same old glorious and long estab-
lished F'ourth-approacheth, and that the
small boy is animated and eagerly awaiting
the advent Of Thursday next. The dealers
in fireworks have also anticipated the COM
ing Of the anniversary of the signing of the
Declaration Of Independence and display
generous stocks to satisfy the explosion
appetite of the small boy referred to.
OF course, history will repeat ITSELF and
even before the day is born there will be
burnt fingers, powdered faces-not with
cosmetics, but the genuine article; and cuts,
CORY and galore. All this has grown to be
an established custom, 1t Is a feature of the
celebration, and the day would not seem
like the Fourth without such an accompant-
ment. 1t Is an occasion in the year when
the physician is kept particularly busy, and
the hospitals are far from idle-in fact
those in charge of the Emergency Hospital,
where the majority of accidents of the
nature referred to are treated, 1t is said,
are putting in extra hours of sleep, prepar-
ing dressings. getting instruments in readi-
Tess and otherwise looking forward to
twenty-four or more hours of unusual
tivity.
OF course mammas will be very careful
to see that little Johnnie. and also little
Mary, do not injure themselves or permit
others to injure them by the improper use
OF fireworks, but nevertheless, In spite Of
every precaution the accident will occur
and the anxious parents should be familiar
with the proper action to take in regard to
the injured ones pending the arrival Of a
physician.
Until The Doctor Comes.
Star reporter today conversed with Dr.
]. r. Church, the resident physician of the
Emergency Hospital, on the subject of
treatment for accidents attendant upon the
Fourth of July, and CLEANED considerable
information that ought to prove of value.
BY far the most common injuries re-
sulting from the setting off of fireworks
are burns" said DR.. Church. 'In the
treatment Of such the primary object is to
exclude the air. A dressing Of carron oil,
which consists of equal parts of lime water
ard linseed oil, makes a good dressing, as
does solution of boric acid. If the burns
are extensive the patient is liable to be
shocked, that is, he will complain of cold
ard depression of the nervous system, and
should be kept warm and stimulants given
until the arrival of a physician. If the
eye is burned a little sweet oil is a good
thing to apply.
1.-The cases of explosion of toy cannons
are many" continued DR.. Church, land
usually result in countless grains of pow
der being blown into the face of the gun
ner which will cause Disagreement if not
removed. The only remedy is to pick out
the grains with a needle or the point of a
knife. The wound remaining is slight and
needs no special attention.
''Lacerated wounds and cuts are not
among the impossbilities as an outcome of
a proper observance of the day." the ply
stefan went on to say. I'm such cases
many persons Immediately fill the wound
with SCOT, cobwebs, wood ashes tobacco
presumably In order to stop the bleeding.
This is a great mistake, for such applica-
tons will not check a hemorrhage that Is
dangerous, and they necesstate much ex-
ira labor on the part of the surgeon who
finally dresses the aperture. for ne must
remove all such foreign matter, and in
der to do SO it often bet ones necessary to
cut away quantity of the tissue, and in
that manner enlarge the wound. The only
steps to be taken are to place a cloth about
the injury, and If the hemorrhage is pro-
fuse to check the same by tight binding
above it.
Gun Shot Wounds.
about the only other injuries recall
characteristic of the Fourth are gun shot
wounds. If the bullet lodges in the body,
that Is, the trl nix, and there Is shock, the
pulse rapid and faint, with a clammy per-
spiration, stimuants should be admins
tered, the wound covered with a cloth and
a physician summoned soon as possible.
A shot gun fired at close range would pro-
duce tho effect of a large bullet, while the
explosion sking place at a distance would
cause number of puncture wounds. which
are not dangerous"
Over thirty persons received treatment
on the Fourth of July Of last year at the
Emergency Hospital from fireworks inju-
ries. One youth was carrying giant fire.
cracker in his pistol pocket, when
thoughtless, or perhaps malicious, comrade
applied the lighted end of piece of punk
to the fuse of the cracker. The result,
which removed a considerable portion of
the trousers of the victim, can be mag
ined.
Another boy held giant cracker in his
hand and applied a light. His attention
was attracted elsewhere for moment, but
the cracker attended strictly to business
and was successful in blowing off G thumb
and manning several fingers almost before
the owner knew it. One of those who ap-
piled for treatment was boy who stopped