Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-28
MAY SAVE A LIFE
Timely Precautions to Observe in
Case of Accident on
the Fourth.
THE BOYS TIME OF DANGER
A Few Simple Drugs and Appliances
TO Use Before the Surgeon
Arrives.


mother is likely to have an emergen-
cy on the glorious Fourth. but statis-
tics gathered by hospital and police
surgeons, city and country doctors, so
to prove that many a small life might
be saved and many an injury lessened
by making timely preparation for the
great day. The right remedy at the
right moment, administered by
steady hand, backed by a cool brain,
is worth its weight in gold in case of
an accident with fireworks.
So long as small boys and Chinese
ingenuity combine to celebrate the
day with red fire and noise, the fam
lily circle is in danger Of depletion.
The pistol that is not loaded" the
fire cracker that has refused to go off
and demands relighting, the small
cannon that is Overcharged, keep the
maternal bosom in a fiutter from
dawn till dark and set telephone and
ambulance bells ringing.
In the case of any wound following
an explosion, cleanliness is of vital
importance. The majority of deaths
from Fourth of July injuries can be
traced. not to the actual explosion,
but to lockjaw, which sets in from a
|carelessly dressed wound. This must
be borne in mind by the mother or
older member of the family who
dresses the small boys injuries, when
a surgeon cannot be obtained at once.
Here are some of the things which
every mother should have at hand on
the Fourth: A porcelain or agate
pitcher and basin, a package of alb
soTbent cotton and one of iodofoam
gauze. some safety pins, a carbolic So
luton, a solution of linseed oil and
lime water; a solution of boric acid,
antiseptic soap. fiaXseed for poultices.
and a surgeons probe. The carbolic
solution is known as the '2 per cent.
teaspoonful of carbolic acid to a
pint of water. The boric solution calls
for teaspoonful of the acid to 4
glass of warm water.
Burn Simplest.
The simplest form of injury from
fireworks is the burn. Unless the pa
tient inhaleS the flames or is terribly
burned, fatal results do not follow
but the pain is eXcruciating. wise
proC is to dress children SenSibk
for the day i'm heavy clothes, and noi
in fluffy, inflanmablc materials. The
young girl in lawn or organdy, trim
med with filmy lace. who undertakes
to help her father set off the fireworks
at night. literally takes her life in her
hands. as a spark from 4 rocket or 70 |
man candle can set her dress ablaZo |
Should such n catastrophe happen. |
snatch a shawl or a porch rug, wrals |
the girl in it and roll her on the |
ground. If the clothing sticks to the |
burned spot. wet it with water or oil |
and cut it away from the wound. If
the burned space is large, dress a lit |
tie at a time, excluding the air. This |
last is important. as the contact of air
with the burned surface not only caus-
es pain, but is largely responsible for
soaring.
Cover the burn with a solution of
linseed oil and lime water. and swathe
in the antiseptic gauze. If the patient
suffers from shock, this condition will
be indicated by GOODNESS of the en-
tire body, feeble pulse and dropping
eyelids, if not complete inSensibility.
Apply hot-wateT. bottles around the
body, rub the arms and legs, and APP
ply mustard plasters to the wrists
and the seles of the feet. If the pa
tient is conscious. administer milk,
tea or coffee, but do not give an alco-
hOlic stimulant until ordered to do so
by the surgeon, who should be sum
mOned at once.
In case of slight burns use the same
of linseed oil and lime water
and bandage with the gauze. Simple
Il i
matches, of which children acquire a
goodly number on the Fourth, are
white of egg, which covers the burn
like mucilage and keeps out the air,
and common baking soda in the pro-
portion of one tablespoonful of soda
to half a glass of water. Cover with
gauze.
Powder In the Face.
Another very common accident on
independence day is the explosion or
shooting of powder into the face. Do
not allow the boy to pick this powder
out for himself. but send him at once
to the surgeon, after bathing the face
with Carbolic solution and cover it with
antiseptic gauze. This does not relieve
the Pain or remove the powder. but it
taOSo prevent oHAeil, uiIls HdluS
poisonous matter into torn 4
pores. The powder must be picked Il
out by the surgeons needle, as any \
powder remaining under the skin
shows all through the patients life as
minute black spots.
When the powder is blown into the
eyes. and the injury seems slight. do
not touch with the fingers, but have
the patient battle the eyeballs with
the solution of boric acid. one tea
spoonful of acid to 4 glass of warm
water. This will prevent bloodshot.
but the patient should be taken at
once 70 al ocHl.st. or. if one cannot
be found 10 q regular surgeon. 50 that
the exact extent of the injury may be
learned and immediate steps taken to
L. L. Z.