Needle penetration. — K needle gives
almost no pain in entering the flesh any-
where ; and it may slip about and be pushed
by the muscles in various directions, so as
to come near or through the surface far
from where it entered. If a needle should
happen, in such wanderings, to reach the
heart, it would no doubt so affect its move-
ments as to cause death ; but that is ex-
tremely unlikely to happen. Still, nobody
wishes to have even so small and smooth a
thing slipping about in his body. If a
needle, or part of a broken one, is known to
enter the skin, a doctor had better be asked
to try to get at it, if it has not already
passed beyond being reached by a small in-
cision. The same may be .said of bits of
broken glass. If not seen and removed
when first getting in, they may remain a
long time without much irritation or dis-
turbance.
Nose, Foreign Bodies in. — Children
now and then push peas, small marbles,
etc., into their own or one another's noses.
If the intruding thing be not very large,
blowing the nose very hard, while the other
nostril is closed by pressure, may force it
out. If not, a piece of wire (a hairpin will
do ) may be bent so as to form a small round
loop at its end, and this (first being oiled)
may be gently pushed up around and behind
the offending object, to draw it down.
Should this not succeed, the aid of a sur-
geon must be obtained, who will use slender-
bladed but strong forceps, made for such
emergencies.
Swallowing indigestible things gives
alarm in many cases where there is little
danger of real injury. Pins are apt to
be swallowed when held in the mouth,
which is a very imprudent thing to do ; but
they will more often stick across the upper
part of the throat than go down. (See
Choking.) When a pin is actually swal-
lowed, there is reason to believe that it is
almost sure to find its way at last through
the bowels and out with the discharges. If
a hor)i button, or a piece of india-rubber, or
a marble, is swallowed, it will ])e pretty sure
35
to take the same course in time. None of
those things are poisonous. A metal but-
ton, however, as one of brass, or a copper
coin, as a penny, is much worse. Such a
thing may pass safely through ; but if it
stays in the stomach or bowels, gradually
corroding, it will poison the system, per-
haps, fatall3^ From such a result, no medi-
cal skill can provide escape ; unless, when
such a thing is known at the time to have
been swallowed, prompt dosing with an
emetic will bring it up with vomiting. A
teaspoonful of powder of ipecacuanha, or a
teaspoonful of syrup of ipecac, repeated in
ten minutes if necessary, and followed by a
large drink of warm (not hot) water, will
answer for this purpose. If no ipecac, is at
hand, a tablespoonful of salt, or a teaspoon-
ful of mustard, in a teacup ful of warm
water, will do.
Page 221
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Needle penetration. — K needle gives almost no pain in entering the flesh anywhere ; and it may slip about and be pushed by the muscles in various directions, so as to come near or through the surface far from where it entered. If a needle should happen, in such wanderings, to reach the heart, it would no doubt so affect its movements as to cause death ; but that is extremely unlikely to happen. Still, nobody wishes to have even so small and smooth a thing slipping about in his body. If a needle, or part of a broken one, is known to enter the skin, a doctor had better be asked to try to get at it, if it has not already passed beyond being reached by a small incision. The same may be .said of bits of broken glass. If not seen and removed when first getting in, they may remain a long time without much irritation or disturbance.
Nose, Foreign Bodies in. — Children now and then push peas, small marbles, etc., into their own or one another's noses. If the intruding thing be not very large, blowing the nose very hard, while the other nostril is closed by pressure, may force it out. If not, a piece of wire (a hairpin will do ) may be bent so as to form a small round loop at its end, and this (first being oiled) may be gently pushed up around and behind the offending object, to draw it down. Should this not succeed, the aid of a surgeon must be obtained, who will use slenderbladed but strong forceps, made for such emergencies.
Swallowing indigestible things gives alarm in many cases where there is little danger of real injury. Pins are apt to be swallowed when held in the mouth, which is a very imprudent thing to do ; but they will more often stick across the upper part of the throat than go down. (See Choking.) When a pin is actually swallowed, there is reason to believe that it is almost sure to find its way at last through the bowels and out with the discharges. If a horn button, or a piece of india-rubber, or a marble, is swallowed, it will be pretty sure
to take the same course in time. None of those things are poisonous. A metal button, however, as one of brass, or a copper coin, as a penny, is much worse. Such a thing may pass safely through ; but if it stays in the stomach or bowels, gradually corroding, it will poison the system, perhaps, fatally. From such a result, no medical skill can provide escape ; unless, when such a thing is known at the time to have been swallowed, prompt dosing with an emetic will bring it up with vomiting. A teaspoonful of powder of ipecacuanha, or a teaspoonful of syrup of ipecac, repeated in ten minutes if necessary, and followed by a large drink of warm (not hot) water, will answer for this purpose. If no ipecac, is at hand, a tablespoonful of salt, or a teaspoonful of mustard, in a teacup ful of warm water, will do.