218 ' WITH BOAT AND GUN IN THE YANGTZE VALLEY. 



f. — Carbonate of Soda. — "Soda mint tabloids" are a good substitute for this; useful 

 in dyspepsia with acidity; give as much as will lie on a ten cent piece in a wine- 

 glassful of water. 



g. — BORACIC Acid. — A saturated solution in cold water makes an excellent gargle or 

 eye-wash. Add the acid to water until some falls to the bottom undissolved; the 

 water is then " saturated *' with the acid. In using this do not shake up the sediment. 

 As an eye-wash use the saturated solution diluted with an equal quantity of warm 

 water. 



h.— Carbolic Acid Solution, 5 P.a— Use this as a rule diluted with an equal quantity of 

 clean (boiled) water. 



i. — Universal Ointment. — Made by mixing i drachm of iodoform with i ounce of boracic 

 acid ointment (Martindale's No. 2). If the iodoform be objected to, plain boracic 

 ointment may be substituted, but this is not so generally useful. 



k. — Carbolic Oil, 10 P.C. — Useful to dress burns or scalds. Apply on a strip of lint, 

 covered by a cotton pad or folded handkerchief and secured by a bandage. 



L— Absorbent or Salicylic Cotton.— Sold in packets. Do not open these until the 

 cotton is needed ; if opened, keep covered up in a clean towel. 



m. — Bandages. — Best made of Japanese cloth or fine flannel. Cloth bandages 2 and 3 

 inches wide, flannel bandages at least 3 inches : length 4 to 6 yards. A firmly rolled 

 cloth bandage is easily cut across with a sharp table knife and a narrow (finger) 

 bandage provided. 



n. — Court Plaster.— Keep this for trifling cuts only : before applying it wash the cut with 

 diluted carbolic lotion. 



o. — Clinical Thermometer. — The use of the clinical thermometer is now so generally 

 understood by the public as scarcely to need description here. Before taking the 

 temperature see that the top of the mercury, the index as it is called, is below the 

 arrow marking the normal temperature in the arm-pit (98.4.). Temperatures are best 

 taken in the mouth, the bulb of the thermometer placed below the tongue and the lips 

 closed. The old thermometers needed to be kept in place for five minutes, with the 

 modern instruments half to one minute is a sufficient exposure. 



The numerous books now published for the instruction of ambulance classes render the 

 introduction of what is now to follow almost unnecessary. One of these books should 

 be carried by every houseboat which has not a doctor on board. With this under- 

 standing the following hints may be found useful. 



Cuts and Wounds. — In treating these injuries cleanliness should always be the first 

 consideration. To secure perfect, surgical cleanliness it is generally necessary to 

 make use of antiseptics, among which solutions of carbolic acid and perchloride of 

 mercury hold the foremost place. The carbolic acid solution, carried in a houseboat 

 should be a 5 % solution, one part of the pure acid dissolved in twenty parts of 

 distilled water; this will be used as a rule diluted with an equal quantity of clean, 

 boiled water; in what is to follow I shall speak of the stronger (the 5 % solution) as 

 solution, "A," the further diluted (the 2i % solution) as solution "B." 



