614 CEMENTS, PAINTS, GLUES, WAXES 



the kettle and allow to drain and dry, after which they may be put 

 away for future use. 



This material is strong enough and at the same time breaks so easily 

 that it does not injure the hands. When the string is used, it sticks 

 without tying. 



Covers for wounds. 



Before applying any dressing, the wounds should be thoroughly 

 cleaned. Cut out or remove the broken bark and the decayed wood. 

 It is also advisable to disinfect with Bordeaux mixture or a solution 

 of corrosive sublimate, 1 ounce in 7 gallons. 



It should be remembered that dressings do not hasten the healing 

 of wounds, but they allow the healing process to progress unchecked, 

 because they prevent the wounds from drying out and protect them 

 from disease. 



1. Any of the above grafting-waxes are excellent for dressing wounds, 

 although most of them cleave off after the first year, in which case it 

 is necessary to apply another dressing. 



2. HosKiNs' WAX. — Boil pine-tar slowly for three or four hours ; 

 add ^ pound of beeswax to a quart of the tar. Have ready 

 some dry and finely sifted clay, and when the mixture of tar and wax 

 is partly cold, stir into the above-named quantity about 12 ounces 

 of the clay ; continue the stirring until the mixture is so stiff and so 

 nearly cool that the clay will not settle. This is soft enough in mild 

 weather to be easily applied with a knife or spatula. — Used by the 

 late Dr. Hoskins, of Vermont. 



3. Sch.\efell's healing-paint. — Boil linseed oil (free from cotton- 

 seed oil) one hour, with an ounce of litharge to each pint of oil ; then 

 stir in sifted wood ashes until the paint is of the proper consistency. 

 Pare the bark until smooth, as the fuzzy edge left by the saw will cause 

 it to die back. Paint the wound over in dry weather, and if the wound 

 is very large, cover with a gunny-sack. 



4. Paint. — One of the most convenient and useful dressings for 

 wounds is paint. Use white lead, but mix thicker than usually ap- 

 plied. A little lampblack should be added to this until the paint 

 is nearly the color of the bark. Apply with a brush or swab, working 

 the paint into the grain of the wood. Be careful that it does not run 

 down from the wound. 



