Year: 1879

These injuries are not essentially diff
ferent in their nature, the difference
being simply that one is caused by moist
heat, and the other by dry. They are
often so slight as to be of little moment,
but occasionally they are so severe as to
require the most prompt and energetic
treatment.


When burn does not break the skin,
it is of little consequence, and should be
treated like any ordinary inflammation.
Keeping cold water upon the part until
the smart ting ceases, and then the appli-
cation of glycerine, or, if this is not tol-
Grated, common lard rubbed upon the
burned surface, is all the treatment nee
essary If blisters are formed, they
should be pricked to let out the water,
and then a poultice of slippery elm bark
and water, or mixture of beeswax and
lard melted together and spread upon a
cloth, may be applied with great comfort
to the patient.


But if the injury is more extensive,
covering over large surface, and especl-
ally if the tissues beneath the skin are
destroyed, the difficulty is necessarily
distressing and often dangerous. In
such cases the nervous system may be-
come affected. so that the patient wilt
have severe chills, the pulse may be
small, frequent and feeble, the breathing
becomes oppressed, there is a tendency
to delirium, and death may occur as a
result to the nervous system. In general,
if one limb is entirely involved, or a
greater part of the trunk, the prospect
| of recovery is small.


The treatment in the severest cases
should be both constitutional and local.
The shock to the nervous system is best
relieved by prolonged hot full bath.
| The patient should be immersed in water
at 100 degrees, save the injured part, and
the temperature of the water should be
| increased until IL cannot be tolerated
any hotter. The bath should be con-
| tinued until the nervous prostratlon is
relieved, or from thirty to forty minutes.
| If the burns are deep, good applica-
ton is thick solution of gum arabic,
which may be prepared in few minutes
by dissolving the gum in hot water.
| After it is applied, it may be busted over
with dry powder, and so the tissues un-
derneath will be completely protected.
| Another good remedy is collodion and
sweet OIL in the proportion of one part
of the oil to two parts of collodlon. This
may be kept in an air-tight bottle for any


length of time, and may be applied by a
camel's hair brush. 1t Immediately
forms firm covering to the exposed sur


faces, and so takes the place of the de-
stroyed cuticle. If these substances are
not at hand, common dry flour may be


busted upon the injured part to the depth


of half an inch or so. All iniments to


"draw out the fire. are worse than use


less, for there is no fire to draw out. 1t


should be borne in mind that these, as


we'll as all other injuries, are healed by


the action of the vital forces alone, and


all that can be done from without is to


protect the exposed surfaces from the


irritating influence of the atmosphere,


and to balance the general circulation,


should it become disturbed. People in


general trust too much to external agen-


cies, and too little to the true source of


healing, the vitality within.-Laa0S of


Health.