COLD WATER FOR BURNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20607, 4 July 1930, Page 16

COLD WATER FOR BURNS.

Sir, —I have read with some interest tlifl various letters advocating the use of cold water for burns, and am somewhat surprised that no correspondent seems to know that the addition of ordinary baking soda to the water will cause the severest burns to be quite painless. This is really nothing new, as we have practised the treatment for over 30 years, and have never known it to fail. Many years ago one of my children was severely burned by coming in contact with a hob enamel basin, which was on a gas stove. It was a very bad bum, and we had it immersed in a basin of buttermilk to which we added about 21b. of baking soda. Immersion in the cold milk -gives immediate relief to the patient, while the baking soda will draw out the hrsab quite painlessly in from 15 to 20 minutes. Sour, milk will do in place of buttermilk, but if this is not handy, cold water will do quite well. If used promptly there will be no blistering and no marks left when the burn is healed. Another child of ours was severely burned all over the face and head by an accidental discharge of blasting powder, and " there being no buttermilk handy we used water with plenty of baking soda- added. We bathed the head and face for half an hour and dressed with carron oil. This burn was so severe that it took six weeks to heal, but no scars whatever were left. I am a little doubtful that if such a severe burn had not been rendered immediately painless by this method, that, it would have ended fatally from shock and poison absorption. We have also found the 'treatment good for severe sunburn. E. A. Lees.