252 
A FEW SIMPLE FACTS. 
and look sufficiently hardy to withstand the rigors 
of an arfic winter. 
Those breeders, who desire to obtain a fresh cross 
in their flocks, increase the size of the sheep, and 
add to the weight and evenness of fleece, we can 
confidently recommend to the produce of Mr. 
Taintor’s importation. 
A FEW SIMPLE FACTS. 
It has frequently happened that valuable lives 
have been lost by persons who have taken saltpetre 
(nitrate of potash), by mistake for Glauber’s, or Ep¬ 
som salts. The appearance, and even the taste of 
these articles are too similar to be readily distin¬ 
guished by people in haste, or those who are not 
much in the habit of administering medicines. A 
very little elementary knowledge of their chemical 
properties, which are extremely unlike, might pre¬ 
vent intense suffering, or even loss of life from the 
effect of taking into the stomach saltpetre, instead 
of either of the intended harmless drugs. There¬ 
fore, when a dose of Glauber’s salts is to be taken, 
and the box, or bottle, is not properly labelled, or 
3 suspicion arises, that there may be a mistake, 
throw a small portion on some burning coals, and 
if no unusual appearance takes place, if it only 
damps the fire, or crackles a little, like common 
salt, it is the desired salts, which are incombusti¬ 
ble; but if it is saltpetre (one of the component 
parts of gunpowder), it will deflagrate, or burn, 
with sparkling rapidity, and cannot be swallowed 
without great danger to health. 
If, however, the mistake is discovered too late, 
give as quickly as possible, mustard and water, un¬ 
til it acts freely as an emetic; and when the stom¬ 
ach is well cleansed, give flaxseed tea, mallows tea, 
or any other tasteless mucilage : and then adminis¬ 
ter, if necessary, small doses of laudanum. 
Laudanum has often been given by inexperien¬ 
ced persons, or by careless, or unprincipled nurses, 
instead of syrup of rhubarb, or other common medi¬ 
cines, which it much resembles in color and con¬ 
sistence. As soon as it is discovered, if the stom¬ 
ach pump cannot be resorted to, give emetics of 
mustard and water, repeated at short intervals, un¬ 
til all the laudanum is thrown off; keep the patient 
in motion to prevent sleep, and then give some 
warm mucilage. 
In order to prevent the excessive, or too long 
continued effect of an emetic, give Peruvian bark, 
mixed with water: or if that is not at hand, a cup of 
very strong tea without sugar or milk, and after¬ 
wards a few drops of lavender compound. The 
nausea can be relieved by the application of a mus¬ 
tard plaster laid over the “pit of the stomach,” 
made by mixing mustard with whiskey, or hot 
water, and kept on until the skin becomes red, or 
the burning -extreme, say fifteer or twenty minuses. 
If left on too long, the blister becomes very sore, 
and is difficult to heal. A piece of very thin mus¬ 
lin, or gauze, should always be placed between the 
skin and the plaster, to prevent it from sticking, 
and to facilitate its removal. 
When arsenic, which strongly resembles magne¬ 
sia, has been given by mistake, or with poisonous 
intent, large doses of magnesia speedily adminis¬ 
tered, will often prove an excellent antidote. 
If insects are taken into the stomach, their lives 
1 can be destroyed by swallowing strong vinegar, in 
which salt has been dissolved. 
The air of a vault, or well, that has long been 
shut up closely, is unfit for respiration, and is fatal 
to animal life, if taken into the lungs. This is 
owing to an accumulation of carbonic acid gas, 
which, being heavier than common atmospheric air, 
naturally sinks to, and remains at, the bottom of the 
cavity, and therefore is not easily detected. Such 
places should always be entered with extreme cau¬ 
tion, and the presence or absence of the noxious 
vapor ascertained, which can easily be done by 
lowering a lighted candle to the bottom of the well, 
or vault. If it continue to burn freely, the air is 
fit to breathe, and the place may be entered with 
impunity : but if it promptly extinguish a light¬ 
ed candle, after repeated trials, danger lurks at the 
bottom, and means must be taken to expel the gas, 
before the life of a fellow creature is exposed to 
certain destruction. 
The knowledge of the distinction between arte¬ 
ries and veins is of the utmost practical impor¬ 
tance, particularly to people residing in districts re¬ 
mote from surgical aid, where those who receive 
serious wounds may actually bleed to death for 
want of such easily-acquired information. The 
arteries are composed of y\ 0 ijoss than four .very 
firm, strong, elastic memm-o^es, or coats, and this, 
as well as their being generally deeply seated in 
the flesh, to guard them from injury, renders them 
less liable to be hurt by accident; but when cut, or 
wounded, the firmness of these coats prevents their 
closing, and hence arises the fatal tendency of 
wounds of large blood vessels, which will remain 
open till they are tied up, or till death ensues. 
Another distinctive character is, that the pulse of 
the heart is felt in the arteries only. 
The veins lie near the surface ; and bleeding 
from them may readily be stopped, in common 
cases, by closing the orifice, and bandaging in the 
manner usually adopted by operators after having 
opened a vein in the arm, or foot. 
When a person, or animal, is seriously wounded, 
and a surgeon cannot immediately be procured, ig¬ 
norant by-standers will often content themselves 
with laying on a little lint, or cobweb, or some other 
trifling application, wholly inadequate to the case; 
they ought to kn»w that when such remedies fail, 
and more especially when the blood flows from the 
wound by pulsatory leaps, it should be arrested by 
mechanical compression, until professional aid can 
be obtained. This can easily be done by the most 
ignorant person present, by winding a string, or 
bandage, tightly above the wound. Those more 
skilful, or better informed, may take up the severed 
artery, and twist, or tie it up. 
By thus acquiring a little elementary knowledge, 
and thoughtfully bringing it into use, in cases of 
unexpected peril, we should be enabled to act the 
part of the good Samaritan with happy effect; 
whereas, without it, we must be idle, and perhaps 
agonized spectators of human suffering, deeply re¬ 
proaching ourselves when too late, with selfish neg¬ 
lect of opportunities for learning what can hardly 
fail, at some time or other, to be useful to our fel 
low creatures, in their own persons, or in the do¬ 
mestic animals that, either by their services during 
life, or by their death, contribute so materially to 
our comfort and well-being. * M. * 
