ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, 



AND 



HOW TO MEET THEM. 



As accidents are constantly liable to 

 occur, the importance of knowing how best 

 to meet the various emergencies that may- 

 arise can hardly be over-estimated. In all 

 cases, and under all circumstances, the 

 best help to assist a party in this trying 

 moment is presence of mind. 



BITES.— See Wounds. 



BITES, Harvest Bug.— The best reme- 

 dy is the use of benzine, which immedi- 

 ately kills the insect. A small drop ot 

 tincture of iodine has the same effect. 



BITES and Stings of Insects — Such as 

 bees, wasps, hornets, etc., although gen- 

 erally painful, and ofttimes causing much 

 disturbance, yet are rarely attended with 

 fatal results. The pain and swelling may 

 generally be promptly arrested by bath- 

 ing freely with a strong solution of equal 

 parts of common salt and baking soda, in 

 warm water; or by the application of 

 spirits of hartshorn; or of volatile lini- 

 ment (one part of spirits of hartshorn and 

 two of olive oil). In the absence of the 

 other articles, warm oil may be used ; or, 

 if this is not at hand, apply a paste made 

 from fresh clay-earth. If the sting of the 

 insect is left in the wound, as is frequent- 

 the case, it should always be extracted. 

 If there is faintness, give some stimulant ; 

 as, a table-spoonful or two of brandy and 

 water, or brandy and ammonia. 



BITES, Mad Dog.— i. Take immedi- 

 ately warm vinegar or tepid water ; wash 

 the wound clean therewith and then dry 

 it; pour upon the wound, then, ten or 

 twelve drops of muriatic acid. Mineral 

 acids destroy the poison of the saliva, by 

 which means the evil effects of the latter 

 are neutralized. 2. Many think that the 

 only sure preventive of evil following the 

 bite of a rabid dog is to suck the wound 



immediately, before the poison has had 

 time to circulate with the blood. If the 

 person bit cannot get to the wound to 

 suck it, he must persuade or pay another 

 to do it for him. There is no fear of any 

 harm following this, for the poison enter- 

 ing by the stomach cannot hurt a person. 

 A spoonful of the poison might be swal- 

 lowed with impunity, but the person who 

 sucks the place should have no wound op 

 the lip or tongue, or it might be danger- 

 ous. The precaution alluded to is a most 

 important one, and should nevei be 

 omitted prior to an excision and the ap- 

 plication of lunar caustic in every part, 

 especially the interior and deep-seated 

 portions. No injury need be anticipated 

 if this treatment is adopted promptly and 

 effectively. The poison of hydrophobia 

 remains latent on an average six weeks; 

 the part heals over, but there is a pimple 

 or wound, more or less irritable ; it then 

 becomes painful, and the germ, whatever 

 it is, ripe for dissemination into the sys- 

 tem, and then all hope is gone. Never- 

 theless, between the time of the bite and 

 the activity of the wound previous to dis- 

 semination, the caustic of nitrate of silver 

 is a sure preventive; after that it is as 

 useless as all the other means. The best 

 mode of application of the nitrate of sil- 

 ver is by introducing it solidly into the 

 wound. 



BITES, Serpents. — The poison inserted 

 by the stings and bites of many venomous 

 reptiles is so rapidly absorbed, and of so 

 fatal a description, as frequently to occa- 

 sion death before any remedy or antidote 

 can be applied; and they are rendered 

 yet more dangerous from the fact that 

 these wounds are inflicted in parts of the 

 country and world where precautionary 



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