EMERGENCIES 287 



lution of any other alkaline substance that can be 

 obtained most quickly. Water containing vinegar, 

 lemon juice, or other readily obtained acid should be 

 applied to burns caused by lye, lime, or other alkalies. 

 These are the best remedies to use in such cases, 

 because acids and alkalies neutralize each other; that 

 is, they make each other incapable of having the 

 effect that each might have alone. Severe burns 

 caused by either are so serious that no time should 

 be lost in getting a physician. Children should never 

 touch electric wires, for serious injury and even death 

 may result from coming in contact with them. 



Sunstroke is another injury from heat to which 

 Jack's House is subject. It usually occurs on a hot, 

 muggy day. Often it is preceded by pains in the 

 head and a general feeling of oppression which result 

 finally in a loss of consciousness with heavy, labored 

 breathing and very dry, hot skin. The patient should 

 be taken to a cool place, and his clothing should be 

 removed. Sunstroke is often followed by permanent 

 injury to the mind, so a physician cannot be too 

 quickly summoned. Absence of perspiration in the 

 presence of great heat is often the cause of sunstroke. 

 Therefore, while one is perspiring freely, such misfor- 

 tune is less likely. 



People are sometimes exhausted by heat when 

 the cause is not sunstroke, but the depressing effect 

 of long-continued high temperature on the system. 

 This is called heat exhaustion. In such cases the skin 



