Several points should be remembered in dressing wounds. In the first place the mouth, which
is full of germs, is not a good place for cut fingers. Moreover, wounds should not be touched by anything, especially the fingers, either washed or unwashed, nor should the scissors, fingers or other object be allowed to touch the surface of the dressing that is to be placed directly upon a wound. Unless they contain gross dirt wounds should not be washed with water, since washing introduces another chance of infection and accomplishes nothing except a tidy appearance, which is not essential. Furthermore, it should be remembered that exposure to the air will not infect a wound, and therefore time should be taken to find a suitable dressing. When a sterile dressing is quite impossible to obtain, the cleanest material available should be used; one of the best substitutes for a sterile dressing is the inner surface of a handkerchief or napkin that has not previously been unfolded since it was ironed. It is a common mistake to tie up a wound in the first article presented, which is usually a generous by-stander's soiled handkerchief. The same precautions in regard to cleanliness should be taken in dressing wounds that are known to be contaminated, since even into an infected wound it is possible to introduce more germs and more virulent ones.
Nosebleed
usually stops of itself, but if it is obstinate the patient should sit erect with the
head back, and cold compresses should be placed on the nose and at the back of the neck. Pressure should be made on the upper lip by means of the fingers, or by a firm roll of paper or cotton placed under the upper lip. Salt or vinegar in water, a teaspoonful of either one to a cup of water, may be snuffed up the nose. The treatment should be continued for ten or fifteen minutes, or until bleeding stops; if the bleeding persists a doctor is needed.
Profuse menstruation
should be treated by keeping the patient quiet in bed with the head low and the feet slightly elevated. "Any marked increase, whether by amount, duration, or shortening of the interval between the periods ought to receive attention and be brought to the physician's notice" (Latimer). Painful menstruation may be relieved by rest in bed, mental as well as physical, by hot drinks and by the application of heat. Rest, and hygienic living persistently practised, will relieve most menstrual abnormalities. The common practice of using patent remedies and alcoholic liquors for disordered menstruation cannot be too strongly condemned.
OTHER INJURIES
Sprains.
—A sprain is caused by twisting, stretching, or tearing the tissues about a joint.