Scald or Burn

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 259, 29 July 1937, Page 6

Scald or Burn

« Advice on Home Nursing Given by a Doctor T)RY heat and strong acids or alkalis U will cause burns, -while similar injuries produced by hot liquids or steam are known as scalds. Although, the local effect of these may be considerable, burns and scalds produce shock in direct proportion to their extent. In addition to nervous disturbance, severe burns or scalds set up inflammation in the digestive tract and serious results may follow. Great care must therefore be taken in the treatment of these injuries, and it is most important to exclude air from the wounds. For these reasons, when you are dressing a wound do not expose more of the injured surface than you can avoid, and never break blisters. The simplest treatment consists of pieces of lint spread with boracic ointment. Tannic acid, in the form of a spray or jelly, is now widely used and works well. If the burn hag been caused by fin acid, such as vitriol or spirits of salt, the burn should first of all be drenched with washing soda dissolved in water, but if an alkali like caustic soda has caused the burn, wash the wound with a solution of vinegar and water.