Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-07
DOCTORS TALK SANE FOURTH
Favor the Elimination Of Toy Pistols
and Big Crackers.
LET YOUNGSTERS HAVE FUN
Advice of Physicians Calls for Mod
Grafton Rather Than s'rohibi-
tion Of the Use Of Fire
works.

II the people OF Omaha want a sane
Fourth Of July. toy pistols and giant fire
crackers should be done away with, accord
ing to the opinions OF some Of the city's
leading physicians. Some are opposed to
fireworks OF any kind, but the general opn-
ion Is that the things which need the most
attention are toy pistols and giant fire
crackers. from the use OF which the great
number OF cases OF lockjaw develop.
Prompt attention to injuries when re-
ceived is also suggested as a means Of
Iessening the evils connected with the cele-
bration OF Independence day The use Of
anti-tetanus serum is advised as a pre-
ventlve OF lockjsw when people are
wounded by exploding firecrackers or pow
der burns
II feel that the question OF a sane Fourth
IL being greatly exaggerated" said Or. A.
p. Condor and l know that IL firecrack-
ers and all other kinds Of fireworks were
taken away from me when was kid l
would have felt that | was being deprived
of great deal OF pleasure.
Il would limit the size Of the firecracker
to be used, but can see no reason why
the smaller firecrackers should not be used.
or course. there will be some accidents,
but there are accidents connected with
everything, and because an occasional case
of tetanus develops do not think that
there is any justification for doing away
with fireworks"
Toy Pistol TabOoed.
The dangerous cannon cracker and toy
pistol should be eliminated" said Dr.
Charles Rosewater. but l can see no rea
son for doing away with the smaller fire
crackers. The sanest way to observe a
sane Fourth is to take care OF injuries
promptly. ! believe that the people should
be instructed to take immediate action
after injuries have been received.
The first thing to do Is to call q conf
petent physician and in the case OF open
wounds they should be washed Immediately
and kept open. The up-to-date physician
knows that such wounds should not be
sewed up, for this often results in lock.
jaw. When dirt or powder is found In a
wound, anti-tetanus serum should be in
jected to prevent lockjaw. | believe that
fully 81 per cent of the cases recover where
the proper precautions are taken and the
Rnti-tetanus serum Is used.
Liability of LOckJaw.
Before this method was pursued. in Chi
cago out OF 800 cases thirty deaths resulted
from lockjaw. while during the last two
years since the introduction of anti-tetanus
only three deaths have resulted. 1t should
be used in time, as IT is not a cure, but a
preventive of the dreaded disease.
With regard to the sane Fourth OF July
proposition" said DR.. A. X Detweller II
would say, do away with the greatest OF
all evils connected with such celebrations
by abollshing the toy pistol. These are used
by youngsters who never ought to be al
lowed to handle them and are the cause
OF more lockjaw than all the other fire
works combined. Giant crackers also should
be prohibited, but there Is no use of making
fuss over the small rirecrackers."
III a sane Fourth said Dr. Frank
Wray, means doing away with foolish
fireworks l would say that am heartily
In favor Of a sane Fourth. The thing OF
imitation war and high explosives, beside.
killing off our young Is nothing but a
nuisance to the community and should be
prohibited"