These little living particles are too small to be seen without a microscope, but they cause more disease and deaths than any of the big animals you are afraid of—like lions or bears or tigers. They make great deep sores out of little cuts, and prevent wounds from healing. So you can readily understand how necessary it is to keep all materials which touch broken skin perfectly clean, and they cannot be clean if touched by the hands. Neither is any material clean which has come in contact with dust.

Understanding this, your aim will be to keep germs out of any wound. If you do not have a first-aid outfit, you should have on hand a small package of sterile gauze.[C] Sterile means perfectly free from germs. Any cloth which has been washed and ironed is quite safe, however, if it has not been used. You see, heat kills germs. Use next to the wound the surface which has been folded inside.

Do not think that every germ does evil, for some germs are good—just as some people are bad and some are good. Indeed, we depend for some kinds of food upon the action of certain good germs. Among such foods are cheese and vinegar.

The disease germs which we dread most in cases of wounds are the germs of blood-poisoning and lockjaw (or tetanus). They are everywhere about us, in standing water, air, dust. They cannot do a bit of harm to the outside of the body, if the skin is unbroken—no more than a fly can do to the armor of some old knight. But if they can enter where the skin is broken, they begin to do all kinds of harm, which sometimes results in months of suffering from “infected” wounds, and sometimes finally causes the patient to lose a leg or an arm—or perhaps to die.

The bleeding from a slight cut is never very severe and will generally stop of itself in a short time. It is best to let a slight cut bleed a little, as the bleeding carries away the germs which may have been on the edge of the knife or whatever caused the wound.

Treatment:

Touch slight cute with tincture of iodine;[D] or with alcohol; or vinegar and water, half and half; or salt and water, a half teaspoonful of salt to a cup of water.

Wrap with clean gauze.

In cases of severe hemorrhage (bleeding) send immediately for a doctor. Stop bleeding by using pressure above or below wound, or by bandaging a gauze compress on the wound.

Never give whiskey or alcohol in any form. It makes hemorrhages worse. See Reference List.

Apply carron oil. See List of Medicines.

If carron oil is not at hand, use any dressing[E] to cover surface to keep out the air—as lard, butter, olive oil—or sprinkle with baking soda, or cover with white of egg, or with a paste made of starch or flour and water. Also spread on compress[E] some of the same remedy that has been applied to the burn. Hold compress in place with a loose bandage.

Solution of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) made by dissolving as much soda as possible in hot water (about one teaspoonful to a cup) is particularly relieving to scalds. Dip cloths into this and apply to the burned surface. Never remove skin from blisters. If blisters are large, see the doctor.

Caution.—If your clothing catches fire, do not run! Roll (in a rug, if possible) on the floor or ground!

In putting out fire on another person’s clothing, use rugs or blankets. In throwing a rug on another person, be careful not to allow your own clothing to catch fire. Let the sufferer lie down and roll. Stand in back of the rug, and throw from the head downward.

If in a burning building, creep to the door on hands and knees to avoid the smoke.

1. Children should not make bonfires without the aid of older persons.

2. Matches should be kept out of reach of small children.

3. Children should be taught to be careful of open fireplaces.

4. Children should be taught to roll if their clothing catches fire. This would save scores of lives in a year.

Safety First. Look ahead! See the danger before the accident!

When nose, ears, hands or feet are exposed to intense cold they often become frost-bitten, turning purple at first. If frozen thoroughly, they turn waxy white; then no pain is felt, because the nerves are frozen.

Treatment:

1. Keep patient in cold room.

2. Do not warm frozen parts quickly. Instead, rub with snow or bathe with ice water until a tingling pain is felt; then stop.

If frozen parts are warmed too quickly, “gangrene” may result, or perhaps the sudden heat may cause—

Chilblains are the result of too rapid warming of cold parts, generally feet or fingers. Sometimes for years after being frost-bitten, exposure to severe cold will produce itching and burning, and perhaps swelling and ulcers.

Treatment:

Rub with turpentine or alcohol. The rubbing in itself is excellent. See doctor.