The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-01-18
Lessons in First Aid.
From the Philadelphia Press.

She was very capable little woman and
usually "sized up to any occasion, but
the care of those children was likely to
prove little too much for her.
When she married a widower and un-
dertook the care of his five boys she knew
that she would have to face many unex-
pected situations, and braced herself to do
her best. She was not prepared, however,
for what she called the ''breakage' in the
family. The constant risk to life and limb
that five active, sport loving boys were
capable of was new feature in her yonng
life, and she felt that she was in danger
of losing her head unless she perpared her
self to meet the different calls upon her
motherly care.
In her extremity she appealed to her
friend, the trained nurse.
Cant you give me some points, she
said. Tell me of the proper things to
do before the doctor comes in case of GER
tain aecidents-won' you? Then there
are many little things and burns
and things that | could attend to myself
without sending for doctor if only knew
how. Do help me out Suppose. for in
stance, one of the boys fell and broke his
arm, what should | do before the doctor
came p
eff were you, I would do nothing but
wait, unless the surgeon was delayed In
that case | would simply place the limb in
between folded pillow, fastening the pill
low firmly together, thus making sort of
splint.
''You will very likely have a sprain or
two to deal with You can either apply
cloths saturated with ice water until the
swelling disappears, or you may use very
hot water with vinegar in the same way
After the swelling has disappeared you had
better bandage the limb and let the little
patient rest it on level until it gets
strong
''But don't know how to apply ban
dage," was the forlorn reply.
'sThen it is about time that You did, -
said the trained nurse ''Give me piece
of muslin and your bare foot, and I Il show
you how. -
Then the nurse took the piece of mus
lin and tore it into strips of 3 inches in
width. Then saying, "Always begin at
the extremity of limb and work toward
the center of the body from left to right, "
she placed one of the ends of the strip at
the instep and made turn around the
base of the toe. Then she carried the
band diagonally over the foot, across the
point of the heel and back from the other
side, until it conceded with the first turn.
This was then covered and carried second
turn around the heel half an inch higher
than the first. She then continued to
make alternate turns under the sole and
behind the heel, crossing over the instep
until the entire foot was covered In fin
ishing the bandage she split the last quar-
ter of yard of the strip through the mid
die, wound the ends in opposite direction
around the limb and tied them in bow
Then the band was all unwound again,
and the pupil, trying her hand, was de-
lighted to see what firm bandage' she
could make after two or three attempts
SIN case of dislocation, continued the
nurse, ''there is always need of instant
action. Muscular tension increases rapidly
and its reduction becomes more difficult
with every hour that passes.
Fingers and thumbs can be set by
pulling in place, but be careful not to use
too much force. A joint is always weaker
after an accident and should be strapped
in place until strong again.
"Freddie's nose bled awfully the other
day andfrightened me SO because 1 could not
stop it. It stopped itself after awhile, but
what should l have done ?''
1T is a good thing to press gently the
facial artery at the base of the nose and
place cold applications to forehead aud
neck. l suppose you had him lean his
head over basin. Yes; most people do,
and that is Just the worst attitude possible.
You should have made him stand erect,
throw his head back and elevate his arms,
while you held cold, damp sponge to his
nostrils. If you have an occasion like
that again, and the bleeding continues after
what have told you to do has been tried,
you had better syringe with salt aud ice
cold water or solution of iron.
''In the case of burns or scalds, if they
are very bad send for your physician, but
slight ones you can very well attend to.
The first thing in such cases is to exclude
the air | find that baking soda and
sweet oil makes soothing, healing ap-
plication. If you can't get that cOnve-
niently, beat up the white of an egg and
apply that with bandage.'
"Will you tell me how to stop the flow
of blood in case of cut, and then I'll let
you go?''
''Find the artery that is cut and tie a
handkerchief around the limb just over
where it bleeds. Tie the handkerchief
tightly; then make say, three hard knots.
In the last knot insert piece of stick with
which you must twist the handkerchief
until it is tight enough to stop the flow.
The handkerchief and stick make az good
touruiquet, ~ we call il, as any one
would wish.