THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



119 



(b.) artificial methods. 

 1 . Pressure of the (a) thumb or finger 

 directly in the wound is the most 

 natural and almost instinctive way 

 of arresting bleeding, or a (b) pad 

 ot gauze, muslin, or linen wet in water, 

 squeezed as dry as possible and tightly 

 bandaged over the wound will readily 

 control the hemorrhage. When, however, 

 large arteries have been severed, and ex- 

 tensive injury done, it will be necessary 

 to bring pressure to bear at some point 

 above the injury to shut off the whole 

 blood supply to the limb by compressing 

 the main artery. In the middle of the 

 groin the femoral artery can be readily 

 compressed by the thumbs on ihe thigh 

 bone ; and the brachial artery is easily 

 recognized, pulsating, by pressure of the 

 fingers in the groove along the inner side 

 of the upper aim. These two landmarks 

 are known as pressure points and import- 

 ant to keep in mind. The fingers or 

 thumbs soon become tired and resort 

 must be had to the (c) "improvised 

 torniquet " or the (d) Esmarch rubber 

 tube. To apply the torniquet, loosely 

 tie a piece of bandage, muslin or string 

 around the limb, place a pad of gauze, 

 or a roller bandage, over the artery at 

 the points named above, and with a stick 

 twist the loop until the pad is pressed 

 very tightly against the limb and the 

 bleeding ceases. Any piece of rubber- 

 tubing or bandage, elastic suspenders 

 or garters wound very tightly around a 

 limb will control the most severe hemor- 

 rhage. A hard pad place in the bend at 

 the knee, and the leg pressed firmly 

 against the thigh will stop bleeding irom 

 the foot or leg. It is important to remem- 

 ber that the blood is forced from the 

 heart through the arteries to every organ 

 and member of the body, thence passes 

 through the hair like capillares and is 

 then taken up by the veins and carried 

 back to the heart to be again sent out on 



its life-giving function. If large veins are 

 torn the bleeding will continue even after 

 we have put on the torniquet above the 

 wound as it has only stopped the current 

 from the heart and not toward it. A 

 tightly fitting bandage or another torni- 

 quet ivithout a pad must be put on below 

 the seat of injury. 



2. Position. — Raising a limb to the 

 perpendicular will markedly diminish 

 the blood supply and materially aid in 

 arresting hemorrhage, 



DRESS THE WOUND, 



In considering how to dress a wound 

 our chief anxiety must be to prevent the 

 serious condition, unfortunately so fre- 

 quent, known as blood poisoning. 



Whenever the epidermis or scarf-skin 

 is injured, even if the opening be no 

 larger than the prick of a needle-point, 

 serious results may occur. You ask me 

 why ? Certain forms of vegetable life or 

 bacteria (almost omnipresent), when in 

 any way introduced and shut in under 

 the skin, rapidly multiply and produce 

 poisons (toxines), which being unable to 

 get out at the point of entrance, are 

 forced into the blood and lymph vessels 

 and poison the whole system. How can 

 we avoid so dire a result ? By apply- 

 ing a dressing that will prevent the skin 

 from healing over and shutting up the 

 poisonous germs, and which, sponge- 

 like, will soak up the bacteria, the poi- 

 sons which they generate, and put the 

 wound in such a condition that they can- 

 not live. Recent investigations by some 

 for the most eminent pathologists have 

 proven that infected living tissue cannot 

 be wholly freed from infection by any 

 known method of washing or by the use 

 of chemicals not dangerous to life. Ab- 

 sorbent cotton, dry gauze, powders, 

 ointments, etc., only help to form an im- 

 pregnable " scab" which dries over the 

 wound, shuts in the germs and produces 

 the condition we wish most to avoid. 



