Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-06-20
How 10 Save the Small Boy After the
Fourth of July.

Fourth of July.
Perhaps this may seem like seeking
trouble, but If mothers would act upon
these hints they might save themselves
many unavailing tears and regrets, for
boys will burn hands aud faces on the
glorious Fourth of July. And lockjaw
is but too apt to follow such burns
This dread malady comes not so much
from the burns as from caTelessly
dressed wounds.
1t is better not to dress a wound at
all than to touch it with unsterilized
hands. Do not permit a wound made
by a firecracker or toy pistol to heal
until you have a surgeons word that
1t Is safe to do so. Many a lad ties up
his wounded hand himself, and it is
thought little of, but so long as a bit
of the wadding is left in the wound
there is danger. If the germs of lock-
jaw are present in the blackened wad-
ding the danger is too grave to disre-
gard. So 1t is q wise precaution for
mothers to obtain proper antiseptic
washes and bandages. 1t is not always
possible to find surgeon at once, and
so wound may be made innocuous If
properly dressed until doctor can be
found in case the wound is dangerous.
And all toy pistols with their poisonous
wadding are as deadly as bullets.
More so, for boy will go TO a doctor
If wounded by ball, but he counts
the wadding as nothing and dies of
lockjaw.
Every mother should have porce-
lain pitcher and basin handy, some
safety pins, package of absorbent
cotton and one of iodoform gauze, a
solution OF linseed oil and limewater.
a solution of boric acid, fiaxseed for
poultices and surgeons probe. The
carbolic solution has one teaspoonful
Of carbolic acid to pint of water The
bOric solution means a teaspoonful of
the acid to a glass of warm water.
Burns are the most frequent injuries.
The pain Is great Girls and boys
should on this day be dressed in wool
en- garments so far as is possible. More
than half the burns are received be-
cause of the filmy nature of the dresses
worn on this day. A spark sets them
afire. If any one is set on fire he or
she should be thrown to the ground
and shawl or rug or some other wool
en- article thrown about the victim
This is to protect the person from in
haling the fire. After the fire is out
dress the burns at once with the solu-
ton of linseed oil and water, q little at
a time. excluding the air. If the cloth
ing sticks to the burned spot wet it
with a little oil and cut 1t away from
the wound. Cover the burned place
with the solution of linseed OIL and
limewater and swathe ii In the anti
septic gauZe. II the patient suffers
pulse grow feeble and eyelids close,
and sometimes complete insensibility
Supervenes. In that case apply hot
bottles around the body, rub the arms
and legs and apply mustard plasters to
the wrists and Soles of the feet. If the
patient Is conscious give milk or coffee,
but no liquor of any kind. and send for
the family doctor at once.
When an explosion tears the palm or
inside of the hand the danger is great
est and calls for drastic measures The
mother must be firm in this moment.
Here she saves her boy from lockjaw.
The wound must not be touched by
anything but sterilzed implements and
fabrics. The basin Is to be put over Il
flame and the probe in the water and
allowed to boil five minutes. In the
meantime the hands are to be washed
In water as hot as can be BORNE with
antiseptic soap and touching nothing
that has not been steriliZed- Remove
the wadding with the steriEfzed probe,
battle the wound with the steriliZed
water, with carbolic in 1t. Use absorb
ent, antiseptic cotton to- cleanse the
wound and throw each ptece aside aft
er using, but not in the. wuter. After
the wound Is cleansed of all substances
wrap it In iodoform gauze and leave
the rest to the surgeon. Linseed and
Oil would calm the pain, but as they
are not entirely antiseptic it is better
to wait the arrival of the physician
The prompt cleaning of the wound and
the use of germicideS in the solutions
are far more important at this time
than relief from pain.
If these simple but. necessary PIE
cautions are taken the. long death hist
of our children would be made very
much smaller