634 FIRST AID TO THE INJURED 



solved in water; tannic acid; strong hot coffee; strychnia, $ 



to -A r - 



Keep awake by non-exhausting means, such as nicking with 

 a damp towel, shouting in ear, and making walk. Keep warm 

 with hot water bottles, blankets, etc. Perform artificial respira- 

 tion, if necessary. 



2) Chloral hydrate (chloral, knock-out drops). 

 Antidotes: Emetics, stimulants, ammonia. 



Keep body warm with head low. Keep patient awake. Per- 

 form artificial respiration, if necessary. 



3) Alcohol (drunk) 1 : 



Antidotes: Hot coffee and dilute ammonia in small repeated 

 doses. Apply first hot and then cold water. Keep patient 

 warm. 



Ptomaines and toxins. Ptomaines and toxins arise, 

 as we have seen, from the decomposition of animal and 

 vegetable matter due to the activity of microbes. They 

 may be ^ found in food materials which have not been 

 preserved by cold and even in some, as in ice cream, 

 which have been so preserved. The symptoms of the 

 poisoning are characteristic and include headache, purg- 

 ing and vomiting, fever and abdominal pain. 



Treatment: A doctor should be called at once. The 

 patient should not be allowed to eat but should have 

 plenty of hot water to drink. If a doctor cannot be got 

 without delay, 2 tablespoonfuls of castor oil, a dose of 

 Epsom salts, or a Seidlitz powder should be given, in 

 order to clean out the bowels and intestines. The doctor 

 can then complete the treatment. 



Stings of insects. The poison injected by insects 

 varies with the nature of the insect. In some cases, 

 as in the stings of wasps and bees, the poison is irritant 

 and results in pain and swelling but is not dangerous 



1 Wood alcohol and denatured alcohol, which contains wood 

 alcohol, are extremely dangerous poisons. 



