SIMPLE AILMENTS 323 



place by means of the nerves, and therefore stagnated at 

 this spot, bringing along with it thousands of phagocytes, 

 who pass through the walls of the blood-vessels into the 

 inflamed tissue, when they at once attack and eat up the 

 injurious bacteria who have entered through the broken 

 surface of the skin. The germs of disease are thus 

 destroyed. 



The phagocytes may, however, not be present in sufficient 

 numbers to be equal to the occasion, and art can frequently 

 assist nature. A wound should be washed clear of all dirt, 

 as mentioned in the treatment of over-reach ; and in very 

 simple cases a little Iodoform, or powdered Alum and Fuller's 

 Earth, may be dusted over it through a piece of fine muslin. 



A wound must always heal up from the bottom, and deep 

 ones are apt to close up too quickly, and should be probed 

 daily to keep them open. For this purpose a tallow candle 

 often answers, for there is nothing hard about it to cause 

 injury, while it is sufficiently firm to force its way in. 

 Warm water with some soft soap dissolved in it should be 

 frequently squirted into the interior to cleanse the wound, 

 and the Iodoform puffed in afterwards, or some other anti- 

 septic lotion. But wounds somehow seem to form a scab 

 quicker when a dry powder is used as a dressing than when 

 liquids are employed. Sometimes although a wound has 

 filled up from the bottom it still does not form a scab, and 

 there is too much granulation or "proud flesh," which 

 will require drying up before the place will heal. A little 

 powdered Sulphate of Copper (blue stone) dusted over a few 

 times will usually alter this state of things. The condition 

 frequently arises from too much fomentation or poulticing 

 having been employed. If the wound looks greasy and 

 does not heal a little powdered Alum mixed with Fuller's 

 Earth should be dusted over it. 



Broken Knees. 



The above treatment should be followed for broken knees : 

 A piece of linen, with the surface well covered with cold cream 

 or zinc ointment to prevent any sticking to the wound, 



