What Do You Do in an Emergency?

Bruises:

When someone falls on a limb of his body, or collides with hard objects or the like, and in cases where the skin is not torn, the tissues beneath it are torn, and blood escapes from the fine capillary vessels and spreads through the cells of the injured tissues, or gathers in one central pocket — and that is the blue spot we are accustomed to see after bruises occur.

Treatment: Ice or very cold water is placed over the site of the injury. If ice or very cold water cannot be had, the best thing that can be done then is to place upon the injured part compresses of very hot water (the compresses are made from pieces of cloth, such as handkerchiefs and towels), wetting them repeatedly with hot water, or placing over them a bottle of very hot water. And to soothe the pain of the bruise, the injured limb is raised on a horizontal surface.

If, however, the skin has also been torn by the blow, it must be painted with diluted tincture of iodine, or a few grains of boric acid sprinkled over it, and it must be bound with a clean bandage...

Bleeding after the extraction of a molar or tooth:

The mouth is rinsed; then the gap from which the molar or tooth was extracted is plugged with a sterilized piece of cotton; then a piece of cork is placed over the piece of cotton used to fill that gap; and the patient then proceeds to bite on the piece of cork with his teeth, and the bleeding is checked.

Disinfectants for wounds:

The most commonly used of the disinfectants is "iodine," that is, tincture of iodine; it must be kept in a bottle tightly closed with a stopper, for it evaporates and thereby loses its strength.

Stings of bees, wasps, or mosquitoes:

The stinger is drawn out by pressing; then the spot is washed with ammonia diluted with water, or with washing soda dissolved in water.

Burns:

Their degrees can be recognized easily: redness, the appearance of blisters, pain, and trembling from the shock. Burns are now treated in the hospitals with a solution of picric acid, and this solution ought also to be kept in the home for sudden emergencies; it is a cheap remedy, and any pharmacist can prepare it in the correct proportion. Failing that, an infusion of tea can be made and, when it has cooled, poured over the burned part of the body. And if you are anxious that the patient be treated with medical precision, there is no harm in covering the burned part with a piece of white cloth and then waiting for the doctor. Otherwise the wounds may be dressed with a strip of linen soaked in a vessel containing hot water to which a spoonful of baking soda has been added; it is then covered with a large piece of cotton and bound lightly and deftly. Air must be kept away, as far as possible, from any burn; and it is absolutely forbidden to prick any one of the blisters or to burst it.