Stopping Hemorrhage 161 



blood-vessels contract and the blood collecting in the 

 wound coagulates, forming a clot, which effectually 

 checks the flow. In ordinary wounds the treatment 

 is to hasten the formation of a clot. This can be 

 done by bringing the edges of the wound together and 

 binding them there. Any finely divided substance 

 applied to the wound serves to gather and hold the 

 blood, and so hastens clotting. Absorbent cotton is 

 excellent. Cobwebs should not be used on account of 

 the large amount of dirt and germs which they con- 

 tain. Finely powdered substances also stop hemor- 

 rhage, but they should be clean and not irritating to 

 the wound. Ordinary flour is good. So is a mild 

 astringent solution, as of alum or tincture of chlorid 

 of iron, just enough of the drug being used to make 

 the solution "puckery" to the tongue. Cold water 

 applied to a wound will also check bleeding. The 

 astringent solutions are especially useful when there 

 is oozing of blood from a large surface. After the 

 hemorrhage is checked, the wound should be carefully 

 cleansed and all foreign bodies removed, such as sticks, 

 nails, etc.; the wound will not heal with these present. 

 Extra care in this particular should be exercised in 

 punctured wounds. 



Barb -wire cuts occur most frequently about the legs 

 or just above the feet in places where it is often im- 

 possible to stitch up the wound. In many instances it is 

 difficult to tie the cut blood-vessels; in such cases, the 

 best treatment is to take clean soft rags, or, better, 

 absorbent cotton, and bind on firmly over the cut ; if 

 plenty of material is used a clot will soon form and 



