Poisoning. Keep poisons out of children’s reach. Nick cork of bottles containing poison, and tie red ribbon around neck. Keep list of common poisons and antidotes posted on door of medicine cabinet for ready reference.
Prickly Heat. Due to overheating from too much clothing or from weather. Reduce quantity of clothing. Avoid wool next the skin. Bathe several times a day with water 70°-80° F., adding one teaspoon baking soda to a quart of water. Powder affected places lightly with starch or baby powder (page 47).
Rheumatism. Found in all its forms in childhood. If chronic, may permanently injure heart. Give mild laxative. Keep in bed. Apply dry heat as directed to affected parts. Rub with alcohol (25% solution), witch hazel, or arnica. Improve diet, reducing purins and increasing alkali-forming foods. Electric treatments may be beneficial.
Sunburn. Prevent by use of canopy, sunshade, or hat, and by applying cold cream before taking out in sun or wind. To treat, apply cloths wet in sweet cream, cold cream, almond lotion. Avoid use of water on affected parts.
Fever. Keep in bed. Fever is not a disease but a symptom of poison in system. Reduce temperature gradually. Give cool sponge (75°-80° F.) with plain water, weak salt solution, or 25% alcohol solution, for ten or fifteen minutes every hour. Keep cool collar of wet cloth around neck, or on head, changing every five minutes. In severe cases, also keep icebag at head, hot-water bag at feet. Give abundance of cold water, cold fruit juice with little or no sugar, or small quantity of ice cream. Keep room cool (60°-65° F.). There is no danger of patient taking cold while temperature is high, but special precautions must be taken, as fever diminishes, to prevent chilling.
Sore Throat. Dissolve chlorate of potash tablet in half pint of water, and give spoonful every half hour, holding in mouth as long as possible. Gargle and rinse mouth with normal salt solution, boric acid, or listerine, without swallowing. For mild cases, apply cold compress to throat. For severe attack, use counter-irritant.
Stomach. Sour stomach or heartburn. Use soda mint tablet or saltspoon of baking soda in glass of hot water. For stomach-ache give same treatment, and massage by deep breathing and voluntary pulling in and pushing out abdominal wall by muscular effort; use mild trunk-bending and twisting exercises. If constipated, give prompt laxative.
Toothache. Apply listerine or oil of cloves or wintergreen on cotton to the cavity, and dry heat or counter-irritant outside, until dentist can be seen.
Worms. Indicated by disturbed sleep, grating teeth in sleep, picking at nose, poor or ravenous appetite, irritation at rectum. May sometimes be visible as fine white threads in stools. Can be accurately diagnosed only by microscopic examination. Avoid giving medicine except on doctor’s prescription. Reduce candy and meat in diet.
Injuries. Practice first aid until prepared to act promptly in any ordinary emergency. Call physician in all but mildest cases, to ascertain extent of injury, overcome shock, and prevent poisoning. Disinfect hands before treating any wounds.