THE CAMPER'S MEDICINE CHEST Surgical Supplies One instrument roll, 80 cents. One paper medium size safety pins, 10 cents. One paper medium size common pins, 5 cents. One-half dozen assorted gauze bandage, size one-to three-inch; 10 cents each. Two yards sterilized plain gauze in carton, 20 cents yard. Four ounces sterilized absorbent cotton in carton, 20 cents. One roll three-inch adhesive plaster, USD1. One-fourth dozen silk ligature braided, in glass tube fitted with half curved needles, 30 cents a tube. One card braided silk ligature, assorted on one card (white), about 30 cents. One-half dozen assorted egg-eyed surgeon's needles, half to full curve, 50 cents. One ounce Squibb's surgical powder, 50 cents oz.; or a like amount of camphophenique powder, USD1. One hundred Bernay's antiseptic tablets (blue), 25 cents. Two five-inch hemostatic forceps (Kelly's), about USD1 each. One pair straight, sharp-pointed surgeon's shears, about USD1.25. One needle holder (Emmet's), USD2.50. One splinter forcep, may be used also for dressing forcep. This forcep should neither have mouse tooth jaws nor serrated jaws, and should run to a fine point; 50 cents. One hypodermic syringe, all metal, in metal case, USD1.50. One one-minute clinical thermometer in metal case; will cost about USD1.25, according to reliability. The best registered instrument is cheapest. One number 9 soft rubber catheter, 25 cents. One cake surgical soap, in metal box, 75 cents.
The above will comprise practically everything that may be found absolutely necessary. With them the ingenious man can perform practically every minor surgical operation that he would care to undertake. If he cares for a more elaborate outfit he may add the following:
- One yard oiled silk, in tube, 75 cents.
- One pure rubber fountain syringe, $1.75.
- Four ounces creolin, in metal screw-cap bottle, 25 cents oz.
- One or more first aid packages at 50 cents per package.
- One emergency tourniquet, $1.25.
- Eight ounces carron oil for burns, 25 cents oz.
The size of the surgical outfit will depend, of course, upon the size of the party. The dressings and things that will be destroyed will necessarily have to be increased in proportion to the number of the party.
Medical Stores
The suggestions here will be based upon a party of four staying one month.
In the case with the hypodermic place one tube strychnia sulphate, gr. 1/30, price 20 cents. Use as a powerful stimulant hypodermically one tablet every four hours, if needed, watching the action of the heart carefully. One tube cocaine muriate, gr. 1/4, price 50 cents. Use as a local anesthetic as suggested in chapter on surgery and for toothache. Can be used to control vomiting—one tablet followed by swallow of hot water every four hours, if needed. Solution of one tablet in spoonful of hot water dropped in eye to deaden so as to remove foreign bodies. One tube morphine sulphate, gr. 1/4, and atropine sulphate, gr. 1/100, combined, price 25 cents. Use as a sedative for pain, one tablet hypodermically repeated every two hours to effect; digitalin, gr. 1/100, price 25 cents. Use as heart stimulant where action of heart is deranged, one tablet not oftener than thrice daily. One tube apomorphia hydrochlorate, gr. 1/10, price 50 cents. Use to induce vomiting in cases of poisoning, one tablet hypodermically only. One tube glonoin, gr. 1/100, price 15 cents. Use as heart stimulant in shock and great depression due to cerebral anemia; not in loss of blood, however.
One sole leather medicine case with screw-cap glass bottles, numbers etched on bottles, price from $1 to $3, according to style and finish.
Book to slip in pocket for keeping list of remedies and their therapeutic application, cost 25 cents.
The bottles filled as follows: The numbering need not adhere strictly to that here given:
- No. 1. Aconitine gr. 1/134. 200 at 25 cents per C. Use in cases of high fever where heart is full and bounding and there is great congestion as shown by headache, backache, etc. Use in beginning of all colds. Take in all cases one tablet every fifteen minutes for an hour then one tablet every two hours, or better still take every half hour until pulse becomes soft and surface of skin is moist.
- No. 2. Dosimetric Trinity No. 1. 200 at 50 cents per C. One tablet every half hour to effect. The effect will be to reduce all fevers much the same as above except that it may be continued over a longer time and becomes a routine treatment in typhoid, pneumonia, grippe, bronchitis, rheumatic fever, and in all cases of fever where the heart seems to need a slight stimulation.
- No. 3. Intestinal antiseptic. 500 at 50 cents per C. One tablet every three hours as routine treatment in typhoid, diarrhea, colic, dysentery, and all disordered fermentative conditions of the intestinal tract.
- No. 4. Quinine sulphate, gr. 5, either in tablet or capsule form, cost about 10 cents a dozen; take 100. Use in malaria, one tablet every four hours during attack and not less than fifteen grains daily as a preventative. In decidedly malarial countries this amount will have to be taken daily, consequently the amount carried should be materially increased. Is somewhat valuable in colds, bronchitis, etc.
- No. 5. Sun Cholera. 100 at 50 cents per C. One tablet every four hours in cases of watery diarrhea, after bowels have been cleaned out by purgative. Of use also in colic, flatulence, intestinal pain.
- No. 6. Chlorodyne. 100 at $1.00 per C. Take one tablet every two or three hours in extreme pain, vomiting from fermentative processes, summer diarrhea, etc.
- No. 7. Calomel, gr. 1/4. 200 at 10 cents per C. Use one tablet every thirty minutes or every hour for eight doses, in all cases where bowels need thorough cleaning out. As beginning treatment in all cases of fever, vomiting, diarrhea, in fact about everything that happens.
- No. 8. Phenacetine, gr. 5. 100 at 50 cents per C. One tablet every four hours to reduce fever as in colds, some forms of dysentery, and in severe headache. To be discarded when case bids fair to become prolonged.
- No. 9. Elaterin, gr. 1/16. 25 at one cent each. Use one tablet only where it is necessary to secure an immediate watery passage from the bowels in order to sweep out offending masses.
- No. 10. Dover's powder, gr. 5. 100 at 50 cents per C. Use one tablet every four hours in sudden acute colds. Its most valuable field is in the colds and bronchitis of children. Continue until perspiration ensues.
In case the medicine case holds more than ten bottles the additional bottles may be filled with brown mixture, 100 at 25 cents per C. One tablet every four hours to one three times a day in cases of indigestion, flatulence, "sour stomach," etc.
Headache tablet consisting of acetanilid, sodium salicylate, ammonium bromide. A choice tablet to be given every four hours where persons are subject to congestive headaches. The least objectionable of all the "coal tar" tablets. These may be had at about 25 cents per dozen, and the case should contain at least 100 of them.
Tonsilitis tablet consisting of menthol, thymol, phenol, potash, chlorate, and sodium chloride. Take 200 at about 25 cents per 100. Use as a gargle in tonsilitis, sore throat, and pharyngitis. Dissolve tablet in half pint hot water and gargle several times a day.
It will be noted that in the above unnumbered list aconitine and Dover's powder have been substituted for apomorphia hydrochlorate and digitalin recommended in Chapter III. Either list is good, and will be found comprehensive for all ordinary emergencies.
THE END
Transcriber's note:
Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. The following corrections have been made:
p. 15 it is unnecsary -> unnecsary changed to unnecessary
p. 46 cavity as it probably has) -> added opening bracket (as it probably has)
p. 99 sodium salycilate -> salycilate changed to salicylate
Everything else (including inconsistent hyphenation and archaic spelling) has been retained as printed.