Wet Pack.—Slip a waterproof under patient, wring a sheet out of cold water and pass it under him and wrap him in it, cover with three or four blankets, and tuck him in. At first he will feel cold and chilly, but soon the surface vessels will dilate, and he will begin to feel hot, and very likely will sweat; keep him in the wet pack with the clothes carefully tucked in round the neck, feet and sides for about half an hour. Then partially dry the patient, and put him into bed between warm blankets and with hot-water bottles, and give hot drinks to encourage perspiration.
Catheters.
At least six silk-webbed catheters should be taken as part of the equipment. The most suitable sizes are, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10. They should be packed in a separate box, and should be kept dry with French chalk or any other dusting powder.
Before use the catheter should lie for at least a quarter of an hour in an antiseptic solution such as chinosol (1 in 1000), and the solution should be frequently syringed through it. The catheter should then be lubricated with eucalyptus, vaseline, or carbolic oil, or, better, with boric acid ointment.
Let the patient lie down, and thoroughly wash the genitals, especially the opening of the pipe, with an antiseptic solution, the operator having carefully cleaned his own hands. Then pass the catheter gently down the pipe and into the bladder. The silk-web catheters are so flexible that unless force is used they can do no harm; begin with a No. 8 size, and if this cannot be passed, try a No. 4.
After use, wash the catheter as before, dry with a soft handkerchief, and dust it with powder. On no account should the catheters be greased when they are being put away. Neglect of cleanly precautions in passing catheters may lead to inflammation of the bladder and even more serious mischief.
Stomach Tube.
The stomach tube consists of a piece of india-rubber tubing about three feet long, with a funnel at one end. The method of passing it is as follows:—The patient’s jaws should be kept apart by a gag such as a piece of stick wrapped in lint placed between the back teeth on either side. The left forefinger should be passed into the patient’s mouth as far as possible and the tongue drawn forward; the rubber tube, oiled or smeared with vaseline or glycerine, should then be passed by the side of the finger and down the throat for about twenty inches, taking care to use no great force. The funnel is then raised and slowly filled with water; when all the water has run down, the funnel is lowered and the liquid in the stomach is drawn out by the syphon action of the tube. The process should be repeated till the water returning from the stomach is clear.
If the patient is unconscious the tube should not be passed except by a doctor.