Two rules are very important in bandag-
ing. First, never make any bandage so
tight as entirely to check the movement of
REVERSING BANDAGE.
THE FAMILY DOCTOR
75
blood, unless for a short time (as with
Esmarch's rubber-tube compression to pre-
vent hemorrhage in operations) to arrest
bleeding ; and second, never so apply a
bandage as to compress veins in a way to
cause swelling belozv it. To fulfil the first
of these rules, the feeling of the patient, and
one's own common sense, will generally
sufiice. In regard to the second, the neck,
of course, must not be so bound as to inter-
fere wdth the return of blood from the head
through the jugular veins ; and, when an
arm, or any part of it, is bandaged, the
hand also must be covered ; if it be the
thigh, or leg, all below it, including the
foot, must be equally compressed. Other-
wise, the parts below the bandage would
swell up, and might, if so kept long, even
morti fy .
When bandaging the forearm and arm, it
is best to begin by passing the bandage
around the wrist ; then turn it down over
the hand and cover it ; afterwards go, with
reverses, up the forearm, and, if necessary,
the arm. In covering the lower extremity
with a bandage, begin in like manner around
the ankle ; next go around the foot ; and
then, with reverses, up the leg.
To apply a bandage to any part, take
the bandage in the right hand, with the out-
side of the roll held in the palm, and the
thumb touching the part which is being
unrolled, along the edge of the roll, inside.
The left hand is then to fix the end, and
succeeding parts, of the bandage in place
where it is applied. Reversing is done to
make the bandage lie smoothly on an uneven
surface ; as the hand, foot, forearm, leg, etc.
It is effected by turning the right hand
which holds the roll, so as to obliquely dou-
ble the bandage, for one or more turns, as
required. A little practice will make this
easy enough.
Burns and Scalds. — Burns are caused
by dry heat, or by something else than
water ; scalds by boiling water, steam, or
other hot fluids. The danger to life of either
is in proportion to their extent of surface,
and their depth. Even a superficial burn
or scald will kill, if it involve so much as
half, some authorities say two-fifths of the
body. Death is then produced in two ways ;
by the shocks and by the arrest of the neces-
sary functional action of the skin. The treat-
ment of burns and scalds is essentially the
same for both.
What to do ivhen one' s clothes have cauo;ht
fire, is important. Seize a shawl, rug, mat,
coat, or overcoat, if any be within reach, and
wrap it closely around the burning part.
Or, if not, lie down and roll on the carpet ;
at the same time crushing the burning gar-
ment with the hands. If one sees another
person on fire, the same thing out to be
done. A man's overcoat, or a rug, etc.,
may be thrown closely about the victim of
the flames, who should be quickly laid down
on the floor, so as to be covered more read-
ily and entirely. The reason for this is,
that the way to extinguish any fire, large or
small, is, to shut out the air from it.
Page 213
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Two rules are very important in bandaging. First, never make any bandage so tight as entirely to check the movement of
REVERSING BANDAGE.
blood, unless for a short time (as with Esmarch's rubber-tube compression to prevent hemorrhage in operations) to arrest bleeding ; and second, never so apply a bandage as to compress veins in a way to cause swelling below it. To fulfil the first of these rules, the feeling of the patient, and one's own common sense, will generally sufiice. In regard to the second, the neck, of course, must not be so bound as to interfere with the return of blood from the head through the jugular veins ; and, when an arm, or any part of it, is bandaged, the hand also must be covered ; if it be the thigh, or leg, all below it, including the foot, must be equally compressed. Otherwise, the parts below the bandage would swell up, and might, if so kept long, even mortify.
When bandaging the forearm and arm, it is best to begin by passing the bandage around the wrist ; then turn it down over the hand and cover it ; afterwards go, with reverses, up the forearm, and, if necessary, the arm. In covering the lower extremity with a bandage, begin in like manner around the ankle ; next go around the foot ; and then, with reverses, up the leg.
To apply a bandage to any part, take the bandage in the right hand, with the outside of the roll held in the palm, and the thumb touching the part which is being unrolled, along the edge of the roll, inside. The left hand is then to fix the end, and succeeding parts, of the bandage in place where it is applied. Reversing is done to make the bandage lie smoothly on an uneven surface ; as the hand, foot, forearm, leg, etc. It is effected by turning the right hand which holds the roll, so as to obliquely double the bandage, for one or more turns, as required. A little practice will make this easy enough.
Burns and Scalds. — Burns are caused by dry heat, or by something else than water ; scalds by boiling water, steam, or other hot fluids. The danger to life of either is in proportion to their extent of surface, and their depth. Even a superficial burn or scald will kill, if it involve so much as half, some authorities say two-fifths of the body. Death is then produced in two ways ; by the shocks and by the arrest of the neces-
sary functional action of the skin. The treatment of burns and scalds is essentially the same for both.
What to do when one's clothes have caught fire, is important. Seize a shawl, rug, mat, coat, or overcoat, if any be within reach, and wrap it closely around the burning part. Or, if not, lie down and roll on the carpet ; at the same time crushing the burning garment with the hands. If one sees another person on fire, the same thing out to be done. A man's overcoat, or a rug, etc., may be thrown closely about the victim of the flames, who should be quickly laid down on the floor, so as to be covered more readily and entirely. The reason for this is, that the way to extinguish any fire, large or small, is, to shut out the air from it.