THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



75 



is no reaction, and the patient dies. Treat- 

 ment: A gread deal can be done to re- 

 lieve shock. If the patient is wounded 

 and bleeding, the hemorrhage must be 

 stopped as soon as possible. Place the 

 patient in horizontal position, with the 

 head slightly raised. If there is no injury 

 to the head,g\v& a drachm or two of good 

 brandy or whiskey in half an ounce of 

 hot water every ten minutes, until five 

 or six doses have been taken. Wring 

 out flannels in hot water every five 

 minutes and lay on the chest and 

 abdomen; cover patient with a blanket 

 to keep in the heat. Place hot bottles, 

 hot bricks and hot water bags along both 

 sides of the body and legs and under the 

 arm-pits. To warm and stimulate in every 

 way is the object of treatment. 



Cerebral Apoplexy. — This is caused by 

 the rupture of a blood-vessel within the 

 skull, and the consequent escape of the 

 blood, producing pressure on the brain, 

 or by the plugging up of a blood-vessel 

 so that part of the brain-tissue is cut off 

 from the circulation. Sometimes the 

 sufferer falls as if struck by a heavy 

 blow; at other times he becomes insensi- 

 ble more slowly. In a well marked case 

 no efforts will arouse the patient from 

 insensibility. The face is flushed, the 

 pupils are generally dilated, or one may 

 be dilated, the other contracted. The 

 breathing is slow, irregular and snoring, 

 and the cheeks are often puffed out with 

 each inspiration — the air being blown 

 through the lips. The pulse is slow, 

 full and hard; sometimes there are con- 

 vulsions or vomiting. The paralysis ac- 

 companying this condition is very im- 

 portant, and must be looked for. You 

 will find that the patient can move the 

 leg and arm of only one side, the other 

 side being as powerless as if dead. The 

 face is paralyzed on the opposite side 

 from the body paralysis, and the mouth 

 is usually drawn away from the aftected 



side of the face. Treatment: Lay the 

 patient down, with the head slightly 

 raised. Apply cold to the head in 

 the shape of cracked ice in an ice-bag or 

 in a towel. The feet should be put in a 

 hot mustard bath. Give no stimulant, 

 and disturb the patient as little as pos- 

 sible. 



Compression of the Brain results from 

 a blow or fall on the head, causing a 

 piece of bone to press on the brain, or 

 rupturing a blood-vessel and allowing 

 escape of blood into the skull cavity. 

 Bleeding from the ears or nose after such 

 an injury indicates fracture of the base of 

 the skuil. Treatment: Pending the ar- 

 rival of the physician, the measures 

 spoken of under apoplexy are indicated, 

 the constitutional symptoms being about 

 the same, 



Co7iciissio7i of the Brain or Stunning is 

 due to a fall or blow on the head without 

 a depressed fracture. The patient is 

 stupid, confused, sick at the stomach, 

 often vomits, and is pale and shivering. 

 He sometimes faints, and is more or less 

 insensible, depending upon the severity 

 of the accident. Treatment; Place the 

 patient in a cool, quiet room, on his 

 back, with the head slightly raised, and 

 the clothing about the neck and body 

 made loose. If the patient is cold and 

 faint, or shivers, apply heat to the body 

 as described under shock. Never give 

 stimulants in head injicries. After the 

 first shock has passed, cold may be ap- 

 plied to the head. 



Heat Stroke or Sun Stroke. — This you 

 will meet with only in hot weather, ex- 

 cept (rarely) in cases occurring among 

 engineers or firemen working in a heated 

 atmosphere. The patient is unconscious; 

 the skin will be found to be burning hot 

 and dry. There is apt to be absence of 

 perspiration, and the face is red and 

 flushed. On inquiry you will learn that 

 the patient fell suddenly unconscious, or 



