406 



THE HUMAN MACHINE 



quickly. Wounds that bleed steadily, even if they are 

 deep, are not necessarily dangerous and may usually be 

 controlled by placing the wounded person flat on the back 

 and binding a pad or wad of sterile gauze or any clean 



cloth over the wound. 

 But if the blood comes 

 in spurts and is bright 

 red, an artery has been 

 cut. This means that 

 pressure should be ap- 

 plied between the cut 

 and the heart. You can 

 sometimes do this with 

 your fingers. If the cut 

 is in a limb, a tourniquet 

 (toor'ni-ket), made by 

 knotting a handkerchief 

 and twisting it tightly by 

 means of a stick so the 

 knot presses on the 

 artery, can be used. A 

 physician should be ob- 

 tained at the earliest pos- 

 sible moment and the patient kept absolutely quiet. Open 

 wounds must be kept clean. If a wound is covered with 

 a bandage or compress of gauze, it is very important that 

 such material be absolutely clean. Washing the surface 

 of the wound to get out the dirt is necessary, and if iodine 

 or Mercurochrome is available, pour some over the open 

 surface of the wound. The chief danger from a cut or 

 wound is that germs may get in and start an infection. 

 Therefore, cleanliness is the first need. 



What to Do for Burns. Burns are often very serious 

 because of the difficulty of getting them to heal. Slight 

 burns may be healed by excluding the air with a thin 



What two methods of treating cuts are 

 shown here ? Why the difference ? 



