CHAPTER XIV.ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES.

This little book is not intended to take the place of the physician, but is meant to help you to get along without him. We are all liable to accidents, and you should know what to do in such cases, before the doctor reaches you. Besides, you can often help yourself, and will not need the doctor.

Cultivate regularity in all good habits. The hour for going to bed, and for rising, for eating your meals, for study, and for play, indeed, the time for every duty relating to your body, should, as nearly as possible, be just the same, day after day.

ORGANS OF CIRCULATION.

BLISTERS.

If a blister forms anywhere on the body, do not prick it. If you do, a sore will form. Leave it alone until it breaks of itself. By that time (generally in two or three days) a new skin will have formed, and the blister will pass away almost unnoticed.

The skin of a boiled egg is a good remedy for boils. Peel it carefully, wet and apply to the part affected. The stings of insects may be covered with moistenedearth. Slight burns will cause little pain, if the air is shut out by means of paste or anything of that nature.

For continued bleeding at the nose, apply ice or cold water to the back of the neck and push a plug of cotton, or soft rag covered with powdered alum up the nose. The “door-key” is good, because it is cold; any other piece of cold metal will do as well.

If your clothing should catch fire, keep your senses about you. Do not start on a run, unless the distance is very short to open water, into which you can plunge. An overcoat, blanket or piece of carpet,wrapped closely about the body, will smother the flames.

If a person faints he should be laid flat on his back, given fresh air, and water sprinkled in his face. The clothing about the neck should be thrown open, and people prevented from crowding around.

Sometimes when a boy uses his skates too long, or he is exposed for a good while to bitterly cold weather, his feet or ears become frost-bitten. When this mishap takes place, he is apt to do the very thing he ought not to do.

He must not approach a fire, enter awarm room, nor use warm water or clothing. When any part of the body is frozen, snow should be constantly applied to it. If no snow is at hand, the coldest water that can be obtained must be used with cloths, until the frozen member is gradually thawed out.

All boys use jack-knives, and now and then inflict cuts upon themselves. As a rule, these do not amount to much, and only require to be washed with cold water and bound up with a clean rag; but, if a vein or artery is severed, there is great danger.

THE HEART.—(a)The Left Ventricle, (m)the Left Auricle, (b)the Right Ventricle, (n)the Right Auricle, (g, o)Veins to Heart, (k)the Pulmonary Artery, (c)the Great Aorta.

If an artery is cut, the blood will be bright red, and will come out in jets, corresponding with the throbbing of the heart. As the arteries take the blood from the heart, the proper thing to do is to press the thumb strongly upon the artery just above the wound. Then a handkerchief should be knotted aroundthe arm or leg, as the case may be, above the hurt; a stick placed under the bandage, and twisted about until the flow of blood is stopped. This will answer until the surgeon can be brought.

The veins carry the blood back to the heart. If one is cut the blood is dark and flows steadily. It is managed more easily than an artery; all that need be done is to place some lint over the wound and bandage it firmly. This, of course, you will do as soon as possible.

If you should be so unfortunate as to break or dislocate a limb, assume an easy position and calmly await the coming of the surgeon. If a finger only is fractured you can walk to his office.

What is said of this little book? To what are we liable and what should we know?

What should be cultivated?

What is the rule concerning a blister which may form on any part of the body?

What is a good thing for boils? For the stings of insects? For slight burns?

What is the remedy for continued bleeding at the nose?

What is the proper course if your clothing should take fire?

What should be done with a person when he faints?

What is a boy apt to do when his ears or feet are frost-bitten?

Give the proper course to be followed.

What should be done with a slight cut?

How can you know that an artery has been cut? What must be done?

What is the office of the veins? What need be done if one of them is wounded?

Suppose your arm or leg is broken, what is the proper course? If it is only a finger?

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

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