Babies - Accidents and Emergencies : Part 4

The Mother and Her Child
by William S. Sadler, M.D., Lena K. Sadler, M.D.

(Page 37 of 43)

Swallowing Poisons

Poisons of an acid nature, such as hydrochloric, sulfuric, nitric, or oxalic acids, are neutralized by alkaline, such as magnesia, chalk, soda, and soap, followed by soothing drinks or sweet oil.

Remember that carbolic acid is not an acid, and is not antidote with alkaline. The swallowing of carbolic acid should be quickly followed by diluted alcohol, and if this drug is not ready at hand many of the numerous alcoholic patent medicines will do just as well. Epsom salts should be given in abundance.

Poisons of an alkaline nature, such as lye, washing soda, ammonia, etc., are antidote with vinegar or lemon juice, followed by soothing drinks or sweet oil.

A complete table of poisons and their antidotes will be found in the appendix.

Poison ivy, as soon as detected, should be treated as follows: Thoroughly scrub the affected part with tincture of green soap and hot water, which often prevents the trouble developing. Clean pieces of gauze may be wrung out of lime water and placed over the inflamed and much swollen surface, keeping them very wet. At night an ointment of zinc oxide may be applied over a painting of "black wash" (to be obtained at drug stores). Poison ivy resembles Virginia Creeper, and all nurses and caretakers should be able to recognize it.

Another treatment for poison ivy which is said to be very efficient is as follows: Moisten a bit of cotton with a ten-percent solution of carbolic acid and apply to the affected area - then immediately (about one-half minute) wipe off this carbolic acid with another piece of cotton saturated with alcohol.

Matches, roach powders, fly poisons, washing fluids, lye, paris green, antiseptic tablets, and pieces of green paper, should all be kept out of the child's reach; and, in case of accidental swallowing of any of them, the physician should be sent for at once, and with the message "Come!" should be given the name of the poison swallowed - if it is known.

After the antidote is given, soothing drinks are usually administered, such as raw white of egg, milk, flaxseed tea, slippery elm, etc.

Complete rest in bed is always essential, and external heat is necessary for the body chills easily as the child grows weak.

Toothache may be temporarily relieved by applying an ice bag below the jaw, therefore diminishing the flow of blood to the tooth, and a hot-water bottle to the cheek, which causes the skin vessels to fill with blood, therefore relieving the tension in the vessels of the tooth.

If there is a cavity, a small piece of cotton moistened with oil of cloves and packed well into it may give much relief.

Children and adults should make a bi-annual pilgrimage to the dentist, who seeks out beginning cavities, early treatment of which will prevent these dreadful aches and later ill health.

Burns

Burns and scalds are not at all uncommon with children, whose eagerness to explore and desire to investigate often leads them into trouble.

1. The simple reddening of the skin - slight burns and sunburn - simply needs protecting oil, or equal parts of oil and lime water, and is to be covered with sterile gauze.

2. The burns which destroy the outer layer of the skin, producing a blister, are treated much as a wound would be treated. The blister, if larger than a half dollar, should be opened near the edge with a needle which has been passed through a flame. The serum should be pressed out and the parts protected by a piece of gutta-percha that has been disinfected with some antiseptic solution; this covering keeps the dressings from sticking, therefore avoiding the destruction of the new-forming tissues.

3. When the tissues are injured in the more severe burns, the surrounding flesh is carefully disinfected with boric-acid solution, and the same dressing applied as described for the "blister burns." Balsam Peru is a healing balm for burns of this classification.

If a child's clothes catch on fire he is instantly to be thrown on the floor and any heavy woolen fabric, such as a curtain, table spread, blanket, or rug, is to be thrown over him (beginning at the neck) and the flames therefore smothered. The clothing is now cut off, and if more than one-third of the body is burned the child should be taken to the hospital for constant care; and if more than one-half of the body is injured recovery is doubtful. Great care should be taken in keeping the unburned portion of the body warm, as there is a great tendency for the child to become very cold as he weakens from both the nervous shock and from the absorption of toxins.

Acid chemical burns are treated with baking soda, except in the case of carbolic acid (misnamed), which is treated with alcohol; alkaline chemical burns are dressed in vinegar or lemon juice compresses.

Methods for restoring the drowned should be understood by every man, woman, and youth. These methods are more fully taken up in works devoted to emergencies and will not be discussed in detail at this time.

Fainting

Consciousness is quickly restored to the fainting child by lowering the head - laying him flat on the floor - while an assistant raises the legs perpendicularly. Cold dashes of water may be slapped on the chest with a towel, while the face is bathed or sprinkled with cold water. Consciousness is usually quickly restored by the above suggestions, in connection with plenty of fresh air.

A sudden blow on the head occasionally results in a severe condition known as concussion of the brain. There is a partial or complete loss of consciousness lasting from a few moments to an hour or two. Pallor of the skin and a sense of bewilderment accompany concussion of the brain.

Rest, quiet, and darkness should prevail until the physician arrives and makes an examination. External heat to the extremities may be applied, but no stimulants are to be administered until so ordered by the physician.

It is wise to seek medical advice in the case of odd or unusual behavior after a fall on the head.

About the Author

Dr. William S. Sadler M.D. was a well-known American psychiatrist and college teacher in the school of medicine at the University of Chicago. For over sixty years he practiced his profession in Chicago, thirty-three years being associated in practice with his wife, Dr Lena Kellogg Sadler. The doctors were pioneers in the research on the mysterious Urantia Papers.