Bisbee daily review., 1918-10-13
TREATMENT OF WOUNDS TREATED
 OF BY EXPERT
Safety Engineer Dickinson Tells How Injuries Under ground Should Be Handled by Men
CBy s. c. DICKINSON, Safety Engi-
 naar IL s D MI

tBy S. C. D1O OhlNSON, odlelH EuSi
 neer U. S. D. M)
 Injuries in which the skin is pierced CT broken are called wounds. Wounds may be large or small, deep and shal- low, clean and sharp, or ragged and dirty, all depending upon the force ana instrument which which they have beeen produced. In every would there lies the possibilities of infection by pus germs. which means that inflama- tion will follow, more or less matter will form and there will be some ab- sorption of poison from the wound, which may result in the more severe forms of blood-poisoning, and almost inevitable death.
 External Germ Infection
 These infections are caused by dis ease germs which get into the would from outside sources, such as from the hands, clothing, rock ore, dust, etc, or in fact, from any that comes in contact with the wound.
 There are more different and origi- nal treatments for wounds than there are types Some of the wound treat- ments advanced by laymen are very dangerous. Infection is caused by germs which exist on everything and in everything, but the air-eXcept when they have been killed by an antiseptic or by the heat and the fol- lowing are septic, rather than asep- tic.
 Washing Wounds Dangerous
 l. It was a practice in olden times, and even until recent date, to imme- diately wash wounds with a solution containing carbolic acid or corrosive sublimate (bichloride of mercury), or some antiseptic agent. The idea was, that in washing the wound it was cleansed and in the application of a dilute antiseptic, the germs are usual ly not strong enough to kill the germs, and if they were they would also de- stroy the cells of the body, which help dispose of the pus germs. Experience has proven that instead of cleansing the wound, washing more often carries germs into it. Water is dangerous as it contains many pus germs.
 Menace of Peroxioe
 2. Peroxide of hydrogen, common ly called peroxide" is especially dan gerous, as it washes germs into in fected parts of a wound. Peroxide is not strong enough to kill the germs and its use should be strongly con- demned.
 3. Cobwebs, chewing tobacco and waste should never be used, due to the fact that they contain many pus germs.
 4. The use of plaster must be abso- lutely condemned, for not only does the plaster seal the wound so that any germs within will be in most favorable position to increase in numbers, but is, itself most likely to be covered with pus germs.
 ,. Germs have no chance to escape when the wound has been sealed with collodian, therefore it should not be used.
 Cloth is Taboo
 6. Covering a wound with any piece of cloth is not the proper treatment.
 '. A cut finger should not be put into the mouth as the would will then be subject to contamination.
 Exposure to the air is much safer than the application of anything which is not surgically clean or antiseptic.
 Nature Is Chief Physician
 Treatment of open wounds is simple, but must be done with some intelli- gence. Nature is the chief physician whose aid never fails if due attention is paid to her laws. When a wound is made blood immediately makes its appearance, and in this blood, or ser um, is natures first application of an antiseptic. The living blood has a certain resistance to infectious germs.