[Accidents and poisons 383]

Broken Nose.—­Put the parts in place by pressure and moulding.  It is easily done.  Do not hurry.  Put a strip of adhesive plaster across the bridge of the nose over the break reaching to the cheek.

If the injury causes bleeding, the wound should be washed with clean linen and boiled water and covered with clean linen.  To wash the wound, one teaspoonful of salt to one pint of boiled water.  Salt is usually at hand.

If an artery is cut, this bleeding must be stopped.  The blood spurts out.  Press your hands hard on the back of the thigh towards the body of the wound.  Another should tie some cloth around the thigh above the wound tightly.  It can be made tighter by putting a stick under the band and twisting it around as much as possible.  Raise the leg high up and put the head low.  If the cut is below the knee or on the foot, bend the leg back.  First put a pad or your fist in under the knee joint and bend leg over the pad or your fist.  Sometimes the spurting artery can be caught or pressed upon with your finger.  If the arm is injured, bandage as for the thigh.  If the forearm, the same as for the leg.

If a finger is cut clean off, pick the piece up and wash it and the stump clean and then place the cut off part against the stump and tie on, or stick on with adhesive plaster.  It sometimes grows fast.

Sprains.—­Sprains or wrenches of the joints are caused by a twist or a blow.  The injury consists in the tear or rupture of a number of the fibres of the ligaments.

Symptoms.—­Severe pain, the joint is practically useless for a time; swelling, heat and later the joint discolored from effusion of the blood into the tissues.

Mothers’ remedies.—­1.  Sprains, Ointment for.—­“The bark of bittersweet with chamomile and wormwood simmered in fresh lard make an excellent ointment for sprains and swellings.”

2.  Sprains, Vinegar and Bran Poultice for.—­“Make a poultice with vinegar and bran only, or with the addition of oatmeal, or bread crumbs.  As the poultice becomes dry it should be moistened with vinegar.”

3.  Sprains, Turpentine Most Common Remedy for.—­“Rub the injured part with turpentine and keep warm and you will find this remedy to be one of the best to keep proud flesh out that has ever been used.  I always have turpentine in my home and find that I have to use it often, and it always does as I said above, if once used you will never be without it.”

4.  Sprains, Quick Relief for.—­“Bathe the parts with hot water as hot as one can bear it and relief comes at once.”  This is an old tried remedy, but if hot water does not give relief use cold water.

5.  Sprains, Relieves Pain of.—­“Put warm woolen cloth over sprain, drip hot water as hot as can be borne on cloth for half hour.  Bathe with spirits of camphor.”

[384 Mothers’ remedies]