pend a basin over it
filled with cold lotion. Put a piece of cotton into the basin, so that
it shall allow the lotion to drop on the cloth, and thus keep it always
wet.
HEMORRHAGE, when caused by an artery being divided or torn, may be
known by the blood issuing out of the wound in leaps or jerks, and
being of a bright scarlet color. If a vein is injured, the blood is
darker and flows continuously. To arrest the latter, apply pressure by
means of a compress and bandage. To arrest arterial bleeding, get a
piece of wood (part of a broom handle will do), and tie a piece of tape
to one end of it; then tie a piece of tape loosely over the arm, and
pass the other end of the wood under it; twist the stick round and
round until the tape compresses the arm sufficiently to arrest the
bleeding, and then confine the other end by tying the string around the
arm. A compress made by enfolding a penny piece in several folds of
lint or linen should, however, be first placed under the tape and over
the artery. If the bleeding is very obstinate, and it occurs in the
_arm_, place a cork underneath the string, on the inside of the fleshy
part, where the artery may be felt beating by anyone, if in the _leg_,
place a cork in the direction of a line drawn from the inner part of
the knee towards the outer part of the groin. It is an excellent thing
to accustom yourself to find out the position of these arteries, or,
indeed, any that are superficial, and to explain to every person in
your house where they are, and how to stop bleeding. If a stick cannot
be got, take a handkerchief, make a cord bandage of it, and tie a knot
in the middle; the knot acts as a compress, and should be placed over
the artery, while the two ends are to be tied around the thumb. Observe
_always to place the ligature between the wound and the heart_. Putting
your finger into a bleeding wound, and making pressure until a surgeon
arrives, will generally stop violent bleeding.
BLEEDING FROM THE NOSE, from whatever cause, may generally be stopped
by putting a plug of lint into the nostrils; if this does not do, apply
a cold lotion to the forehead; raise the head, and place over it both
arms, so that it will rest on the hands; dip the lint plug, _slightly
moistened_, into some powdered Gum Arabic, and plug the nostrils again;
or dip the plug into equal parts of powdered Gum Arabic and alum, and
plug the nose. Or the plug may be dipped in Friar's balsam, or tincture
of Kin
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