The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-21
Home Nursing
WHEN FIRST AID WAS NEEDED
 By DIR. JESSIE LEITCH

Tommie Lee was q pathetic little or phan who came from no one knew exactly where. At the age of 12, hs came to live with the Brown family who were kind but ignorant. The Browns lived on farm. st
 Like little Orphan Annie. Tommi, was expected to o'tearT his board anC keep" Being normal boy, he erret often, strayed from the beaten patti and went birdnestine and idling in tht woods without permission while chores waited to be done.
 When scolded, he became sullen Punished, he became morose and be gan to hide away and brood in the biz hay-loft./
 One day harsh words from his mas ter made him desperate. There was paris green in the granary. He knew it was a poison used to kill mice and rats. Nothing n1attered. His heart was bursting with unhappiness and misery, so Tommie swallowed a lot oi paris green and when the farmer found him he was writhing in agony on the granary floor. He gasped out what he had done and Farmer Brown carried him to the house, tears of remorse run. ming down his rough cheeks.
 Were dririn' him to it." he said brokenly to his wife as they put the suffering lad to bed. They sent for the doctor and waited helplessly foI him to come. Fortunately. the doctor was at home and came as fast as his his high-powered runabout could bring him.
 What have you done for him ?' the doctor asked as he reached the boy'i bedside. and grasped the situation at a | glance.
 ''Nothing-we didn't know what to do," admitted the farmer and his wife
 "The prompt administration of an emetic would have helped considerable, ' said the doctor. If you people will keep poison lying around within reach of youngsters, you should know what to do in case they swallow some of it. J
 Grimly he called for quantities of | tepid water, pointing out that in an emergency anything, even tepid water will cause vomiting if given in quanti ties. The object Is to rid the system oi poison by emptying the stomach quick ly and before the poison has been ab sorbed if possible. This is not true oi poisoning by corrosive acids, such a. carbolic and lysol, because in the sct of vomiting the throat is burned a sec ond time. Tn such cases one must try to neutralize the acid.
 In case of paris green, however, thu thing to do is to empty the stomach as soon as possible. Then treat thC sufferer for shock-which means stimu lation--by means of external heat. ab solute rest and quiet, quantities ot fresh air and careful watching for symp toms of collapse.
 While doctors carry stomach pumps to empty and wash out the stomach skillfully, the ordinary household can always provide good emergency emet ics such as table salt. tepid water ana mustard.
 Two tablespoonfuls of salt in a tum bley of water. repeated until vomiting occurs, or a dessert-spoonful of mustard in a glass of water will have a similar effect. If the patient says he cannot swallow, urge it gently but firmly upor 1 him pointing out that his life depend! upon quick action. One may even in duce vomiting by putting two fingers down the patients throat and gagginI him.
 After vomiting, raw eggs may b. swallowed or doses of olive oil, tC soothe the irritated stomach lining Knowledge of first aid in poisoning may save a life, so its value should no be underestimated by anyone