The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-09-14
NURSE.
BY Iona l.. TROTT
Written for NEA Seryi,

old Helen was helping her moth
er make lard when she accident
ally tipped a kettle of hot ia.
ever her hand.
The burn was deep and very
painful. Mrs. Dickson had taken
first aid course and knew at
once that Helen must have
prompt medical attention, but il
was 30 miles to the nearest PHI
slcian.
Quickly Mrs. Dickson filled a
pan with boiled water from the
teakettle and added three or four
tablespoonfuls of common bak-
ing soda. She found clean
piece Of an old white tablecloth
that was soft and absorbent. She
dipped the linen in the soda
water. wrung it out slightly and
wrapped it firmly around tho
burned hanS, being careful that
each finger was wrapped sep
arately. Then she covered the
dressing with several thicknesses
of waxed paper to retain the
moisture.
SECURE BANDAGE
To hold the waxed paper In
place Mrs. Dickson applied tri-
angular bandage, made by fold
ing a square floursack dish towel
diagonnally from corner to corn
er. To apply it she first placed
the triangle on the table. Then
the injured hand was aid on it,
palm down, with the diagonal
fold beneath the wrist, and fin
ger tips at the center of the tri-
angle. The tip of the triangle
was folded back over the hand to
the wrist. The long ends were
brought UP and crossed over the
back of the wrist, carried around
in front, crossed again and re-
turned to the back where they
were tied. A safety pin was put
through the bandage at the wrist
so that the tip could not slip out
Another square dish towel was
used to make a sling by which
the injured hand was held Up
against Helen's body and sup
ported in a comfortable position
during the long trip to town.
Mrs. Dickson felt greatly re.
l;eved when the doctor told her
she had given the best possible
emergency care TO the injury.
MOTHER, I've got a splinter, ="
says ten-year-old Leslie, hold
ing up a grimy finger for in
spection.
A splinter may seem like a
trivial matter bu it can bequite
serious of it is acquired around
the barn yard or garden where
tetanus germs abound.
If the splinter is small and
!. merely goes under the outer lay
or of skin or the edge of the
finger nail the home nurse may
safely remove it with pair
. OF tweezers and treat the wound
with two per cent iodine. 1t Is
| best to leave it unwrapped.
If the splinter is large and
deep it should be removed by a
physician. In all probability he
will advise giving tetanus anti
toxin as precautionary meas
ure.
Punctured wounds made by
nails, splinters and wire are like
: iy to be deep and usually do not
bleed enough to wash out the
dirt and germs as a cut wound
does. For this reason a tetanus
infection is always possibility
; 10 be concerned about. Tetanus
IL the disease commonly spoken
Of as lockjaw, to which all peo-
t pie are susceptible.
, TREAT ALL WOUNDS
Early symptoms of tetanus are
stiffness in the neck and jaw
muscles. Such symptoms follow
: ing any injury that may have
been contaminated with barn
I yard, garden or street soil should
: be reported promptly to a ply
sician.
Children who play about the
barnyard or streets should he
$ taught 60 home at once to have
: even small injuries treated with
c an antiseptic.
: Farmers and workmen might
we'll carry a small ampoule OF
iodine in their pockets so that
: injuries can be treated at once
! Too often they are neglected be.
: cause ii takes too much time Ia
60 TO the house for first aid care
8 Active immunit against tetan.
l. us has been developed recently
:. So that those who are continu.
ously exposed to the possibility
$ OF infection may be immunized
against it, in much the same
e manner as they may be immun'
lied against diphtheria.