Closing Up a Wound Without Using 

 a Surgeon's Needle 



ANEW method of drawing together 

 the parts of a wound so as 

 give Nature a chance to knit 

 them permanently together 

 again, eliminates the sur 

 geon's needle, together 

 with the pain of the 

 sewing-up process. In 

 this new method 

 a lacing plaster 

 is used, a strip on 

 each side of the 

 wound. After the 

 wound has been 

 cleaned and dressed, 

 the plaster is ap- 

 plied, one strip on 

 each side of the cut, 

 with the edges of the 

 plaster about one- 

 quarter of an inch 

 from the edges of the 

 wound. 



Loops of thread, like a 

 scalloped edging, are pro- 

 vided in the plaster to 

 receive the lacing, which 

 is stiffened and used with- 

 out a needle. The ends 

 of these scallops are 

 woven into the material 

 so that they will not pull out. When the 

 thread has been looped through opposite 

 scallops in the sections of the plaster, the 

 loops are drawn up, thus gently 

 closing up the gap in the torn 

 flesh. The wound is left 

 exposed to the air through 

 the threads, so that it 

 may be drained and ex- 

 amined occasionally with- 

 out disturbing the ar- 

 rangement of the plaster. 



If a dressing of gauze is 

 used, it may be changed 

 when desired without re- 

 moving the plaster. The 

 threads are clipped and 

 removed, leaving the wound 

 exposed for the treatment. 

 Afterwards the plaster is 

 laced again with fresh 

 thread. One application 

 of the plaster strips is 

 usually sufficient for the 

 entire period of healing. 



Popular Science Monthly 

 The 



Pretty Maids" of a 

 Window Garden 



269 

 Chinese 



how 



Lacing the plaster over a wound. The 

 edges of the cut are gently drawn to- 

 gether and held in place until healed 



How the "pretty maids" 

 of a Chinese garden grow 

 their verdant costumes 



MARY, Mary, quite contrary, 

 does your garden grow?" 

 "With tinkle bells and conchal shells 

 and pretty maids all in a row." 

 So goes the English nursery 

 hyme,but it remained for the 

 Chinese to make a practical 

 application of the idea. 

 The two photographs 

 below show how the 

 pretty maids are made 

 to grow in the minia- 

 ture flower gardens 

 of China. But any 

 little American girl 

 may do the same 

 thing with the head 

 and arms of an old 

 discarded doll. 

 First an ordinary 

 flower pot is filled 

 with soil. Into the 

 center of this is thrust a 

 stick about ten or twelve 

 inches long. To this 

 other sticks are tied (ar- 

 ranged as shown at left 

 in the illustration) in 

 order to give breadth to 

 the lady's skirt when she 

 is dressed in her verdant 

 costume. The head of the doll should be 

 fitted securely on these sticks, and the arms 

 should be fastened with twine or wire. 



Plant in the soil a few seeds 

 of dwarf nasturtium, morning 

 glory or any small creeper 

 and keep them well 

 watered. As the plants 

 grow up, train the shoots 

 on the framework of the 

 doll and pinch them off 

 as soon as they reach the 

 neck in order to cause a 

 thicker growth at the 

 sides. Soon the entire 

 frame will be covered, 

 and the lady will be 

 gorgeously attired. But 

 in order to keep her 

 looking her very best 

 continually, it will be 

 necessary to keep the 

 vines closely cropped. 

 Ornamentation is pro- 

 vided by the blossoms. 



