Electric shock, etc.—­In suffocation by smoke or any poisonous gas, as also by hanging if the neck is not broken, and in suspended breathing from effects of chloroform, hydrate of chloral, or electric shock, remove all obstructions to breathing, instantly loosen or cut apart all neck and waist bands, taking special pains to keep the head very low, and placing the body face downward, to prevent closure of the windpipe by the tongue falling back.  Then proceed to induce artificial respiration the same as in drowning, described above.

Bathing in sewage polluted waters is dangerous.—­Cases have been reported where typhoid fever has been contracted by bathing in streams below cities and villages.  Probably this occurred through accidentally or carelessly taking the infected water into the mouth.  No person should bathe in an ordinary stream just below any city or village, or other source of sewage or privy drainage, or in any harbor or lake near the entrance into it of a sewer or the drainage of a privy.

POISONS

An antidote is something given that counteracts poison, such as soda, chalk, magnesia, soap, whiting, milk mixed with magnesia, soda diluted, etc., followed by whites of eggs and bland drinks such as flaxseed tea, slippery elm tea, quince seed tea, and sweet or castor oil given after regular antidote.

For Shock, inject hot black coffee into the rectum.

Emetic is some medicine given to produce vomiting.  The simplest emetic is mustard and warm water.  If one does not know what poison has been taken, the best thing to do is to give an emetic first.

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Mustard.—­One-half ounce or four teaspoonfuls for an adult, one to two teaspoonfuls for a child, of mustard to a cup of warm water may be given and repeated every ten or fifteen minutes until free vomiting is produced.

Salt and warm water may be used in the same way.  Tickling the throat with a finger or a feather produces vomiting.

Goose grease, lard, lard drippings, vaselin, all in large amounts.

Other medicines:  Sulphate of zinc, ten to twenty grains at a dose, in a cup of warm water; or fluid extract of ipecac fifteen to thirty drops, or syrup of ipecac one teaspoonful.

Poisons may be divided into corrosive and irritant.

Corrosive poison:  This is a poison that is likely to eat or burn through organic tissue immediately.

Irritant poison acts more slowly and produces inflammation which later may result in suppuration and perforation.

An emetic or stomach pump cannot be used in some poisons, such as suphuric acid, because the tissues are quickly injured by the acid and the emetic and pump would only injure farther.

Aconite.  Symptoms.—­Sudden collapse; slow, feeble, irregular pulse, and breathing; tickling in the mouth and the extremities, giddiness, great muscular weakness; pupils generally dilated, may be contracted; mind is clear.