Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-10
A FoURTH OF JULY WARNING.
How Death May Come From a Slight
Rruise or Scratch.

Rruise or Scratch.
Blood poisoning. following a slight
scratch from a cat, has caused the
death at Los Angeles of a well-known
railroad man. But it cannot be in
ferred from this that the claws of a
cat are poisonous, for thousands of
children get badly scratched by the
domestic pet and yet suffer nothing
more than the smart
In such cases as that of the Los
Angeles victim the claw or instrument
causing a slight wound may directly
inoculate the blood with the micro
scopic germs which cause the poison.
ing. Or the microbes may be on the
skin before the injury, and through it
find access to the system.
Before the days of aseptic surgery
suppuration of wounds was usual and
expected, and blood poisoning a famil.
lar sequence. But since the discovery
by Sir Joseph Lister tina such results
are due to germs. the strictest surgi-
cal cleanliness is observed and disin-
lection is practised whenever there
may be reason to suppose injurious
microbes have found entrance
For time antiseptics-tha is to
say. substances fatal to germs-were
the reliance of the surgeon. but now
simple asepsis, by which is meant
absolute freedom from germs, is the
aim of scientific urgery. This is ac-
complished by thorough sterilizing
of instruments, dressings and every
thing that may come into contact
with the wound. Even the air of the
operating room is sterilized, and be-
fore every operation the skin of the
patient is made surgically clean, TO
guard against possible infection
Where there is no formation of pus
wounds usually heal quickly by what
the surgeons used to call the first
intention" of nature In the recent
war between Russia and Japan the
medical department of the Japanese
army astonished the world by its
remarkable success. Under The most
advanced surgical methods, and owing
to the scientific first aid rendered the
!
wounded in the field by the soldiers
themselves, infection was rare. Re-
coveries were common from wounds
that formerly would have been con-
sidered necessarily fatal Many men
were shot through and through. and
yet lived to fight again. On the eve
of an expected battle the Japanese
soldiers were required to battle, and
to don clean underclothes, to diminish
the risk of infection of wounds.
danger sometimes even greater
than that of blood poisoning is the
possibility of lockjaw Wounds on the
palm of the hand or the sole of the
foot are more liable than others to the
entrance of the germ which causes
lockjaw or tetanus. because ii is an
.earth-born microbe and the hands and
feet are constantly exposed to contact
with earthly substances or things
which may have been charged with
tetanus germs.
Because of these various dangers.
even the slightest injuries, such as
scratches, bruises. cuts or punctures,
should be disinfected by the use of
some harmless wash, and afterwards
kept perfectly clean and guarded
against exposure to baneful germs.
Domestic or personal attention is com
monty sufficient, if ii be given prompt
ly, intelligently and thoroughly,
For this purpose a saturated solu-
ton of boric acid may be recommend
ed 1t is perfectly harmless when
applied freely to a wound of any sort,
and one of the best and cheapest of
germicides much used in hospitals.
It's employment, Or that of some other
effective antiseptic as an application
to minor injuries would often save
life otherwise sacrificed to ignorance
and neglect.
After the fourth Of July many cases
o. lockjaw are reported, nearly all of
which are fatal. These are common
ly due to injuries 10 the palm of the
hand by toy pistols or firecrackers OF
some kind. 1t appears that in many
instances the germs of tetanus are
contained in the powder used in the
caps or crackers, and are forced under
the skin or into the circulation at
the moment of the infection of the
wound. In other cases the germs
may be on the skin at the time, or
get into the wound later.
In any event. all such injuries
should receive prompt surgical atten-
ton, in order that the wound may be
thoroughly cleansed and disinfected.
But where professional aid cannot
readily be had. the home use of boric
acid solution, or still better. of oil
Of cloves, which Is very powerful
germicide, should not be neglected,
Where nothing better can be obtained,
strong solution Of common salt, or
even an application of syrup or
.nnolasses. may be effective. The rea-
son why sugar is so much used for
the curing of hams is that it is anti
septic as well as palatable. 1t pre-
vents decay by killing the germs Of
'putrefaction.