Often the patient recovers consciousness before the doctor arrives; give cold water to drink; never stimulants.
(b) Freezing—This is a much more serious condition than frostbite, which you have studied, but only because more of the body is frozen and the tissues are frozen deeper. Much more care must therefore be taken to prevent bad effects after the thawing-out process.
Symptoms of Freezing—1. The patient may or may not be unconscious.
2. The frozen parts are an intense white and are without any feeling or motion.
Treatment—Send for the doctor at once.
1. Take the patient into a cold room.
2. Remove the clothing.
3. Rub the body with rough cloths wet in cold water.
4. Very gradually increase the warmth of the water used for rubbing.
5. Increase the temperature of the room gradually.