SOME ACCIDENTS--(_Contd._)
BURNS AND SCALDS
Very often when a man's clothes catch fire, we get into a panic, and,
instead of helping the injured, make matters worse by our ignorance. It
is our duty, therefore, to know exactly what to do in such cases.
The person whose clothes have caught fire should not lose his presence
of mind. If the fire is only at one edge of the cloth, it should at once
be squeezed out with the hands; but if it has spread over the whole
cloth or a large portion of it, the man should at once lie down and roll
on the floor. If a thick cloth like a carpet be available, it should at
once be wrapped round his body; and if water is at hand, it should also
be poured over it. As soon as the fire has been put out, we should find
out if there are burns in any part of the body. The cloth would
generally stick to the body where there are burns, in which case it
should not be forcibly torn off, but gently snipped off with a pair of
scissors, leaving the affected parts undisturbed, and taking care to see
that the skin does not come off. Immediately after this, poultices of
pure mud should be applied to all these places, and kept in position by
bandages. This will instantly relieve the burning, and ease the
patient's suffering. The poultices may as well be applied over the
portions of the cloth which stick on to the body. They should be renewed
as soon as they begin to get dry; there is no reason to fear the touch
of cold water.
Where this sort of first aid has not been rendered, the following
directions will be found very useful. Fresh plantain leaves well smeared
with olive or sweet oil should be applied over the burns. If plantain
leaves are not available, pieces of cloth may be used. A mixture of
linseed oil and lime-water in equal proportions may also be applied with
great advantage. The portions of cloth which adhere to the burns may be
easily removed by moistening them with a mixture of tepid milk and
water. The first bandage of oil should be removed after two days, and
afterwards fresh bandages applied every day. If blisters have formed on
the burnt surface, they should be pricked, but the skin need not
necessarily be removed.
If the skin has simply got red by the burn, there is no more effective
remedy than the application of a mud poultice. If the fingers have been
burnt, care should be taken, when the poultice is applied, that they do
not touch against one another. This same treatment may be applied in
cases of acid-burns, and scalds of every description.