The dictionary of daily wants / [Robert Kemp Philp].

  • Philp, Robert Kemp, 1819-1882.
Date:
[1861]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The dictionary of daily wants / [Robert Kemp Philp]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1136/1152 (page 1126)
    it seems to possess, also, some peculiar ones rendering it worthy of more attention than it receives. WORSTED ARTICLES, to Wash.— Take half the weight of soda that there is of soap; boil them with water, allowing a gallon to every pound of soap, and use it when perfectly cold. Wet the flannels in cold water, then wash them in fresh cold water with some of the boiled mixture amongst it; wash them in this, changing the water till they become perfectly clean; then rinse them well in cold water, and dry them in the shade. Worsted stockings washed in this manner will be made quite clean ; but particular care must be taken to wet them in clean cold water previous to washing them in tbe cold suds. Blankets should be washed in this way also, and when nearly dry, frequently shaken, to raise the pile and to make them soft. All dirty clothes should be laid in cold water the night before being washed. WOUNDS.—These are of various kinds, such as cuts, stabs, tears or rents, scratches, &c. An ordinary cut with a knife, chisel, axe, or other edged instrument, is, generally speaking, not attended with any serious consequences, provided the person wounded be of temperate habits and unexcitable dis- position. In such case, the wound must be carefully cleaned from all dirt or other foreign matter, and dabbed with a sponge dipped in cold water, till the bleeding ceases. If the wound be extensive, it may be left open for half an hour, and then the corre- sponding edges are to be brought together as perfectly as possible, and while thus held, several strips of plaster are to be laid across the wound, with small spaces left between them alternately, so as to admit of the escape of an oozing fluid, which ofteu continues for some hours. The edges of the wound should not be dragged tightly together, but merely kept in place by the plaster, and if the wound be in the Anger, toe, arm, or leg, it is better that the ends of the plaster should not overlap. If common sticking-plaster be not at hand, court-plaster will do; or thin bands of tow may be wrapped round the part, and smeared with gum-water. Or, if nothing else is at hand, a bit of linen rag, by absorbing the blood, constitutes itself a plaster as the moisture dries. In other cases, the parts may be sewn together with a strong needle and silk, as many single stitches being employed as are necessary for that object, and no more. The needle, well oiled, should be thrust well through the skin, and each stitch should be secured by a knot. The stitches may be taken out in about twenty-four hours, by carefully cutting the thrSad on one side of the knot, and gently withdrawing the other end. The drc*sing is to be left on lor several days, unless the wound grow pain- lul, and throb violently ; in whicli case, it is to be removed by the aid of warm water or a soft poultice. If a piece of flesh be cut out, wash it, and the part from which it was cut, without a moment’s delay ; replace into its precise position, and keep it there with a piece of sticking-plaster. If the piece cannot be replaced, bathe the part with cold water until the bleeding stops, and place over it a piece of soft linen. Lacerated or tom vounds are such as may be produced by a sharp- edged heavy piece of wood, iron, or stone, falling on a part. The first thing to be done is, to endeavour to unite the edges by the aid of piaster, as in a clean cut; bat if the part be much bruised, this mode of treatment rarely succeeds; a slough or core f^ms, and this must be separated before the wound can heal. In such cases it is best to apply a bread and water poultice first, in order to moderate the infiammation ; and as soon as suppuration commences, and the extent of the slough is marked, a poultice of linseed- meal must be employed, and continued not only until the slough has come away, but till the gap is filled up by new flesh. When the new flesh rises above the edges of the wound, it is commonly known by tbe name of proud flesh; this should be suffered to remain, for it assists in the healing of the wound, instead of retarding it, as is very commonly supposed. When the wound has thus far progressed towards healing, the poultice may be discontinued, and the part tightly bound with strips of adhesive plaster or a linen bandage moistened with cold water, and bound round twice or thrice, will often answer the purpose. A torn or rent wound, such as may be caused by a hook or nail, frequently assumes a very serious character, and requires much care in its treatment. If the skin be merely torn without being stripped, the torn edges may be tenderly brought together with a piece of plaster, and a poultice afterwards applied. But if the skin be strapped up, then, after gently washing with warm water, the skin should be laid down in its place as nearly as possible, a single strip of plaster put across to coniine it, and the whole covered with a bread and water poultice. The poulticing must, in either case, be continued till the slough of the torn edge or of the larger piece of skin has separated, and till the new flesh has formed, alter which the wound must be treated as an ordinary sore, with poultice or dressing, as beat suits. A distinct mode of treating this class of wound when it assumes aggra- vated proportions, is as follows:—Bind up the wounded parts with isinglass plaster, and place over it a light bandage; after which, cause a stream of water, at ninety degrees, to run slowly over the injured part, so 08 to reduce the temperature to slightly below that of the blood. A vessel contain- ing water, heated to more than a hundred degrees, is then to be placed above the level of the wound, and, by fixing a tap in this, and turning it very slightly, a gentle stream of water may be conducted to the wound, and this being laid in a water-proof cloth, admits of the water being conducted from it to any convenient receptacle. In very serious cases, the stream of water may be continued for^ three or four days and nights, the temperature being regulated according to the sensations of the patient. After this. If the parts suppurate to any extent, and exhibit considerable slough-