Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-01-18

FIRST AIDS IN ILLNESS.
There Is no household 80 happy that
sickness never enters therein, and often
It comes when knowledge how to meet It
Il lacking. There are diseases which are
much changed In their course by prop
er treatment In the beginning. "what
to do and when to do It" should be q
part Of the everyday knowledge Of the
mother, and part Of every girls educa-
ton.
The home nurse has, for . common
and important part OF her duties, the
making OF plasters and poultices, and all
kinds Of hot applications. They are used
for softenipg and healing, or for draw
ing TO the surface the Inward irritation,
and are Of two classes accordingly, and
Of great variety Of substances.
The simplest Of these applications Il
water, hot or cold. Cloths dipped In hot
water readily act as poultice, and have
few equals In reducing pain. Cloths
which have been dipped In hot water
and then are wrapped around hot
water bottle will have all the efficacy Of
those freshly dipped and wrung out, and
will retain their heat and moisture for
hours. This is good thing to bear In
mind when II IL difficult to change hot
cloths every few minutes, as when one Ii
taken suddenly Ill In a boarding house,
or wherever attendants are hard to find.
The bottle freshly filed will retain the
heat In plaster for long time.
One Of the most healing applications
In the case OF bad burns IL made from
raw potato. without anything added TO
IL. Crate II freshly every time the
poultice.is to be changed, and after put.
ting il thickly on cloth, lay over the
burn. The heat Of the burn will yield
like magic to its dripping ccolness,
which, however, dries rapidly. IL should
be renewed ss fast rs the juice Of the
vegetable evaporates. Burns treated Ia
this way rarely leave scar, no matter
how severe they have been.
Another healing poultice liked for
pressure In breathing or for pleurisy
pains is made Of onions, boiled with
pork until half done, then mashed OF
chopped and applied hot. This was or
dered for an incipient case OF pneumonis
In child, and Was the only remedy
tried for some hours. IL was made to
line jacket next TO the skin, aud was
renewed before II got cool. The remedial
effects OF the mixture OF heat, grease
and onions are remarkable.
Bread and milk, or cracker and milk
poultices are usually given TO help sores
that need TO be brought 10 head. They
are made By crumbing bread or crackers
In milk and bringing II to boiling point
They make quick gathering. More
painful because quicker In action ID 3
dressing Of powdered alum and white OF
egg. This draws quickly and severely
Flsxseed poultlces are known to every
household, and heal as well as draw out
pain. As usually made. the htxseed
pouliice Is sll IL should not be, and IL .
wet, nasty mass which no one can wish
applied to his person. There are two
methods Of making n ilsXseed poultics
favored by professionals. In one cast
the meal IL mixed with cold water ant
allow ed 10 boil ua,il It thickens. II viii
swell considerably. In the other IN,
meal Is scalded with boiling water, al
lowed to swell, and then heated to the
boiling point again. Flsxseed poultlce,
are used where something that work,
gently Is desired. To increase theil
efficacy in certain cases mustard Is add
ed In small proportions. The well-mad'
pouliice should be soft, moist, bat moi
| vet, and hot.
The mustard poultice Is the one best
known. and though II should be "th'
friend Of man." 1t, too, often seems like
something else. The instances wher
blisteriug is desirable are very few. II
those the undiluted mustard may be
used. but for all ordinary purposes Their,
should be only one spoonful OF mustard
TO four OF -four. This proportion vii
make poultice that can be worn al
night without a blister, and II has ne
equal for severe infismmstory pains. |,
has been said that TO mix the mustard
with white OF egg or with vinegar will
prevent blistering, but this has not beer
the writer's experience.
/. Other substances for outward applies
rions are very numerous, and OF these
there is nothing better than blcarbons,t
Of soda for burns. This Is In all house
holds. and needs but 10 be wet to be APP
piled.
II poultice Is TO be made everything
should be In readiness before the max
ing is begun. To stop during the diff
fersnt stages Is TO half do the work. The
poultice should be spread on the cloth
and applied as soon as possible, and
should never be dripping wet. Poultice:
soon dry, and must then be made anew.
They I'LL place In the home medicsnt.
that nothing else does, and are the
nurses best assistant. But 10 be OF the
best service they must be properly made
and spplied.-Table Talk.