The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-07-01
FOR A SANE FOURTH
Doctors and Police Officers TO
Unite To Prevent Serious
Accidents on July 9Th
DOCTORS URGE GREAT CARE
Police Will Make the Usual Restric-
tions in the Sale of Dangerous
Fireworks and Order
Will be Enforced

Kenosha is going to join with other
cities in the state and nation in the
effort to have the Fourth of July this
year "sane Fourth" and within a
few days an order will be issued by
the chief Of police regulating the sale
of fire works. The order will be SINH
lar to that issued in other years and
most Of the dealers have been warned
against laying in fire works, the sale
of which will be prohibited. While
there will be no set celebration Of the
Fourth Of July in Kenosha there will
be the usual amount Of fire works sold
and it is expected that there will be
the usual number of accidents. The
members of the Kenosha County Medi-
cal Society through President G. f..
Adams have issued statement in re-
gard to the treatment of wounds fol-
lowing Fourth of July accidents. The
statement is in keeping with the one
sent out by the Chicago Board Of
Health and is Of great interest to all
parents in the city.
A close observance of the rules laid
down will undoubtedly guard against
serious results from the accidents which
always follow the celebration of the
Fourth of July in Kenosha. The
statement follows:
"EThe day which has been devoted
to the pursuit of tetanus is but one
week hence-the Fourth OF July.
eff the very excellent advice issued
by the department of police and given
cOmmendable publicity in the daily
press should be given the heed it
merits, there will be few casualties.
"Doubtless the police will be partic-
ularly active in enforcing the new ordi-
nance which prohibits the sale or use
Of many diabohcal devices for making
noise and inficting injuries, but in
spite Of this increased vigilance on the
part of the police and Notwithstanding
the wide circulation given the words
Of warning, it is a foregone conclusion
that there will still be many who will
require the attention of the physician.
"Tetanus, or lockjaw, as it is com
monty known, is caused by the lodg
lnent of the tetanus germ in a wound,
often slight and quite unnoticed
wound. This germ exists abundantly
in street dirt and especially in and
around stables.
F'The tetanus germ remains inactive
so long as exposed to the air, but when
carried beneath the skin and buried in
the flesh, as in wounds from blank
cartridges, percussion caps, rusty nails,
ETC., and the air thus excluded, it is
aroused to activity and produces a
poison the virulence of which is dead
ly in the extreme.
"Fourth of July wounds, no matter
how insignificant they may appear,
should be attended to by physicians,
who know best how to thoroughly
cleanse them and apply the treatment
necessary to prevent the growth and
activity of the germ that causes lock-
jaw. All such wounds should be kept
open to the air until dressed by the
physician. Never seal wound with
court plaster, collodion, or similar
dressings. AS a preliminary precau-
tion, pending the attention of the
physician, the wound may be washed
with peroxide of hydrogen.
'"Ihat any doubt as to the necessity
Of having physician attend to Fourth
of July wounds may be removed we
cite the following as the necessary
treatment, even in cases of slight
wounds:
"1 Freely incise every wound.
"2 Carefully and thoroughly remove
from the wound every particle of
foreign matter.
"3 Cauterize the wound thoroughly
with 25 per cent carbohc acid.
"a Apply loosely a wet pack of
boric acid
"5 Give full dose of anti-tetanic
serum.
Gin no case should the wound be
closed-it should be allowed to heal by
granulation, The dressing and pack
ing should be removed every day.