Mother's Remedies by Thomas Jefferson Ritter (positive books to read txt) 📕

id="id04259">For the Forearm.—Two padded splints three to four inches wide and long enough to take in the hand also should be applied, one to the thumb, and the other to the back of the forearm, slight extension being made by pulling on the patient's hand. This pulls the broken end in place. Tie on the splints over the hand, wrist and just below the elbow. Two or three wraps of adhesive plaster or five or six wraps of a bandage or handkerchief or towel folded and pinned will temporarily hold the limb in place. Put on a sling reaching from the finger tips to beyond the elbow. [382 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

For the Arm.—Put on two padded splints from the shoulder to the elbow, one in front and the one behind, and bind on at the bottom and top. Then place the forearm on the chest pointing to the well or sound shoulder and bind the arm with bandages or a long towel to the body.

For a Broken Leg.—Pull on the foot gently to make slight extension, and lift the leg on a pillow or some sort of pad, and tie this firmly about the leg; or broad strips of wood may be padded and placed on either side of the broken leg and securely tied.

For a Broken Thigh, Upper Leg.—The splint should extend from under the arm to the ankle, padded and bound to the body and to the leg by means of long towels or pieces of sheeting applied six inches apart. If the patient is in a wagon and no splint can be had, bags of dirt or sand applied around the thigh will hold some. But there is always something at hand to use as a splint and to bind the splint to the leg.

For a Broken Collar Bone.—Place the patient on his back if he is to be moved and put a firm pad in the arm pit and bind the arm to the side with the forearm across the chest; or if you have a roll of adhesive plaster two or three inches wide, after putting a pad in the arm pit (sometimes this is not necessary) put the adhesive strip around the arm midway to the shoulder. The arm should be lifted up and a little back. Run the strip of adhesive plaster around the body and fasten to the first part. Then put another strip fast to the band around the arm and run this down around the bent elbow and over the forearm placed on the chest, the fingers pointing to the sound shoulder. This strip can pass over the sound collar bone and fasten to the strip about the body. If it is put on properly, the injured part will feel comfortable.

Broken Ribs.—Put on a towel, about eight to twelve inches wide. This should go around the body and be pinned tightly; or, if you have a roll of adhesive plaster, two and one-half to three inches wide, use this. Start at the backbone, at the lowest point necessary, about two ribs below the broken one, and carry it straight across the chest to the breast bone; put on about eight of such strips, lapping each about one-half inch. Fasten the ends with a strip running up and down one-half on the flesh and the other half on the strip. This is to keep the strips from slipping any. The arms should be held up while the strips are being applied.

A Broken Jaw.—Take a strong piece of muslin, long enough to reach around the neck and eight inches longer. Split this through the center to within about seven inches of the center of the band. Put this unsplit part above, over and under the chin. Tie the upper tails around the neck and run the under tail pieces up in front of the ear to the crown of the head. Tie each end on the back part of the head to the pieces left over after tying back of the neck.

[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 383]

Broken Nose.—Put the parts in place by pressure and moulding. It is easily done. Do not hurry. Put a strip of adhesive plaster across the bridge of the nose over the break reaching to the cheek.

If the injury causes bleeding, the wound should be washed with clean linen and boiled water and covered with clean linen. To wash the wound, one teaspoonful of salt to one pint of boiled water. Salt is usually at hand.

If an artery is cut, this bleeding must be stopped. The blood spurts out. Press your hands hard on the back of the thigh towards the body of the wound. Another should tie some cloth around the thigh above the wound tightly. It can be made tighter by putting a stick under the band and twisting it around as much as possible. Raise the leg high up and put the head low. If the cut is below the knee or on the foot, bend the leg back. First put a pad or your fist in under the knee joint and bend leg over the pad or your fist. Sometimes the spurting artery can be caught or pressed upon with your finger. If the arm is injured, bandage as for the thigh. If the forearm, the same as for the leg.

If a finger is cut clean off, pick the piece up and wash it and the stump clean and then place the cut off part against the stump and tie on, or stick on with adhesive plaster. It sometimes grows fast.

SPRAINS.—Sprains or wrenches of the joints are caused by a twist or a blow. The injury consists in the tear or rupture of a number of the fibres of the ligaments.

Symptoms.—Severe pain, the joint is practically useless for a time; swelling, heat and later the joint discolored from effusion of the blood into the tissues.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES.—1. Sprains, Ointment for.—"The bark of bittersweet with chamomile and wormwood simmered in fresh lard make an excellent ointment for sprains and swellings."

2. Sprains, Vinegar and Bran Poultice for.—"Make a poultice with vinegar and bran only, or with the addition of oatmeal, or bread crumbs. As the poultice becomes dry it should be moistened with vinegar."

3. Sprains, Turpentine Most Common Remedy for.—"Rub the injured part with turpentine and keep warm and you will find this remedy to be one of the best to keep proud flesh out that has ever been used. I always have turpentine in my home and find that I have to use it often, and it always does as I said above, if once used you will never be without it."

4. Sprains, Quick Relief for.—"Bathe the parts with hot water as hot as one can bear it and relief comes at once." This is an old tried remedy, but if hot water does not give relief use cold water.

5. Sprains, Relieves Pain of.—"Put warm woolen cloth over sprain, drip hot water as hot as can be borne on cloth for half hour. Bathe with spirits of camphor."

[384 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

[Illustration: Method of applying Bandage to the Arm.]

[Illustration: Spiral Bandage of the Finger.]

[Illustration: Simple Method of applying Bandage for Sprained Ankle.]

Bandaging and Photographs by DR. W. E. ZIEGENFUSS, of Detroit.
Done expressly for this book.

[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 385]

6. Sprains, Quick Application for.—"A poultice of stiff clay and vinegar." Add enough vinegar to the clay to make a nice moist poultice. The clay is exceptionally good for swellings and sprains.

7. Sprains, Turpentine Liniment for.—"Equal parts of spirits of turpentine and vinegar and the yolk of one egg make a valuable liniment in cases of sprains, bruises and rheumatism poultice. Take common salt, roast it on a hot stove till dry as possible. Take one teaspoonful each of dry salt, venice turpentine and pulverized castile soap. Excellent for felon, apply twice daily until open." This is a very good liniment and if applied often will draw, which is one of the essential things for a felon.

8. Sprains, Old English White Oil.—

    "Alcohol 1/4 pint.
    Turpentine 1/4 pint.
    Hartshorn 1/2 ounce.
    Oil Origanum 1 ounce.

For sprains and rubbing around sores."

9. Sprains, Arnica Much Used for.—"Tincture of arnica." This should be diluted with water about one and one-half for adults and one and three-fourths for a child. This is one of the best known remedies for sprains that can be obtained. Apply freely to the bruise or sprain.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Sprains.—Rest for a time (for some weeks). The parts should be raised to lessen the blood supply. Hot applications, through fomentations, or cold evaporations, lotions, massage later, and support with a pad and a firm bandage, in some cases. When there is not much swelling, a plaster of Paris bandage is sometimes applied at once in order that absolute rest can be secured.

1. Tincture of Arnica.—This is an excellent remedy for sprains When the part is much swollen and looks bluish is when it is especially beneficial. It can be used full strength by saturating cloths and applying either hot or cold, or diluted to half strength.

2. Hot Water.—Applied with soaked cloths on the part is very grateful in some cases. It should be kept hot and plenty of water on the part all the time. This should be applied for hours. Between the soakings, the parts should be dressed with the lead and laudanum wash, and rubbed with ichthyol ointment or camphor and laudanum liniment.

3. Cold Applications.—Cold water.—Some patients are more benefited by the cold applications. The part should be elevated and a cloth wrung out of ice cold water, or an ice bag should be kept on the part.

4. Lead and Laudanum Wash.—This should not be used if the skin is broken. Then the laudanum, three-fourths water, can be used alone. Composition of lead and laudanum wash, proportions four parts of undiluted lead water, diluted with sixteen parts of water to one of laudanum. This can be made stronger in the laudanum.

[386 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

5. Fomentations of hops, or smartweed or wormwood, etc., are also good.

6. Vinegar and Hops—Turpentine Liniment.—This can be used later, for stimulating purposes.

[Illustration: Most efficient way of Bandaging Eyes showing how Bandage may be lifted from one eye.]

[Illustration: Usual Spiral Reverse Bandage of the Arm.]
Bandaging and Photographs by DR. W. E. ZIEGENFUSS, of Detroit.
Done expressly for this book.

The following is a liniment made by an old gentleman I used to know. I was well acquainted with him while he was living, and I know he was a good, competent man. Following is the recipe:

    "Oil of Amber l ounce.
    Oil of Wormwood 1 ounce.
    Oil of Tansy 1 ounce.
    Camphor Gum 2 ounces.
    Ammonia 2 ounces.
    Oil of Spike 1 ounce.
    Small piece castile soap.
    Spirits of Wine 1 pint.

Rub in thoroughly. In some cases it should be diluted one-fourth to one-half strength. Full strength for much pain.

[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 387] BURNS. SCALDS.—

A Burn is caused by dry heat.

A Scald is caused by moist heat.

A superficial burn, upon a young child, that involves the third of the body will almost certainly prove fatal, while a very deep burn, provided it is localized, may not be so serious, unless important nerves and blood vessels have been destroyed.

Burns may be divided into three degrees:

First degree are those burns that only affect the outer or superficial layer of the skin, producing a redness with some small vesicles.

Second degree burns: These extend through the true skin and blisters result.

Third degree burns: This goes down underneath and involves the deeper tissues. Charring and destruction of tissue takes place.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Burns, Linseed Oil for.—"Quick application of linseed oil." The oil forms a coating and is very soothing.

2. Burns, Common Soda for.—"There is nothing better than common baking soda for burns and scalds; apply a thick coating of