Pueblo chieftain., 1921-06-19
Vacation peri]s

remedies are bicarbonate of soda (or-
dinary baking soda) and common
laundry soap. which contains uncom-
bined alkah. After the poison has
broken out on you, these things will
help. but the best time to apply them
is after the exposure and before the
appearance of the rash. Once the rash
has appeared, the chances are that you
are in for painful illness OF from
three to ten days. One frequently
hears of sure cures for the afrliction.
and there are patented remedies on
sale. but the experience of most per-
sons is that the poison must run its
course. The remedy that usually gets
the credit for effecting the cure is the
one that is applied wnen nature has
about done the work.
How to Prevent Poisoning
But II an alkali is applied before the
poison has sunk into the skin, the pre-
vention of trouble is possible. Those
who go into the woods wnere they
know that the plant grows should.
upon reaching home, wash the hands
and face and any other parts of the
body that may have been exposed with
solution of bicarbonate of soda, using
laundry soap. 1t should not be for
, gotten that the poso., may have got
and may be contracted by handling
these
Next to plants, insects are the great
enemies of vacationists. There are
patented dopes for keeping away hies
and mosquitoes, and many parts of the
north woods would be uninha bitable
for man without some such protection.
Deerflies and horsef1ies are especially
annoying. Do not go into an unknown
county without some such prepara-
ton, and also take along some am
monia water. A dilute solution of this
applied to the sting VIII help. and 1t
is also good in case of bee or wasp
sting.
Fear of snakes probably keeps more
persons out of the bushes and the tall
grass than all other apprehensions put
together. This fear is largely neurotic
and innate and little justified, in this
country. by the actual damage done
by the snakes. The only poisonous
snakes in the United States are the
rattlesnakes. copperheads, moccasins,
other kinds are all harmless. and many
of them. like the black snake and the
garter snake, are decidedly useful
None the less, most of these are killed
''on principle"
Against snakes. prevention is again
worth more than cur-. In rattle
snake country. especially. 1t is well to
wear either leggings or shoes that
reach the knee. A snake seldom, III
ever. strikes higher than the knee of a
man MS VIII ipt
reach you thru canvas or leather, and
any but the thinncst clothing is apt
to take most of the poison out of the
glands. The real danger is that in
picking UP flrewood. or a shot bird or
something like that. you might put
fsHkeu. Apc. IN climbing clths where the
hands are used for support.
In the case of any kind of snake
bite, Immediately cut open the two
little punctures made by the fangs and
suck out the poison. Then cauteriSe
anything with you. let it be some cry
stalls of permanganate of potash.
Washing the wound with a solution Of
these crystals and injecting the solu-
ton into the surrounding tissues Will
cauterize II effectively. II no water
or syringe Is available the crystals
may he rubbed into the wound. which
is heroic treatment.
While this is done. the bitten part
should be cut of in Isrt from the gem
cral circulation by tying a bandaEo
tightly about the limb. between the
wound and the heart After a while
this should be released for a moment.
and then frightened again. and this op-
Grafton repeated about every ~ min
utes. thus letting what poison has no:
been extracted into the system grad
ua'iy.
n no permanKanate rs carried, the
wound must be cauterized by heating
ject and soaring the wound. This pain
ful emergency. " applied promptly and
effectively, will practically prevent the
possibility Of fatal result.
This account Of the horrors he risks
may deter the timid vaca Zionist. 1t
should not Life ia fnl, Of risks amy
whore. and safety lies in understand
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