BURNS.

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be quite healed. Those who are fond of salves or ointments may.,after the wound is become very superficial, dress it with the yellowbasilicum ; and if fungous, or what is called proud flesh, should risein the wound, it may be checked, by mixing with the ointment alittle burnt alum, or red precipitate of mercury ; or it may bekept down by a compress.

When a wound is greatly inflamed, the most proper applicationis a poultice of bread and milk, softened with a little sweet oil orfresh butter. This must be applied instead of a plaster, and shouldbe changed twice a-day.

If the wound be large, and there is reason to fear an inflamma-tion, the patient should be kept on a very low diet. He must ab-stain from animal food, strong liquors, and every thing that is of aheating nature. If he be of a full habit, and has lost but littleblood from the wound, he must be bled ; and, if the symptoms beurgent, the operation may be repeated. But when the patienthas been greatly weakened by loss of blood from the wound, itwill be dangerous to bleed him, even though a fever should ensue.Nature should never be too far exhausted. It is always more safeto allow her to struggle with the disease in her own way, than tosink the patient's strength by excessive evacuations.

Wounded persons ought to be kept perfectly quiet and easy.Every thing that ruffles the mind, or moves the passions, as love,anger, fear, excessive joy, &c. are very hurtful. They ought,above all things, to abstain from venery. The body should bekept gently open, either by laxative clysters, or by a cool vegeta-ble diet, as roasted apples, stewed prunes, boiled spinage, and suchlike.

Burns.

In slight burns, which do not break the skin, it is customary tohold the part near the fire for a competent time, to rub it with salt,or to lay a compress upon it, dipped in spirits of wine or brandy. Itis, however, a preferable practice to plunge immediately the burntor scalded part into cold water, and keeping it for some time im-mersed. Strong brandy or alcohol is particularly praised. Atfirst the pain is increased by this remedy, but an agreeable sooth-ing sensation soon follows. The parts should be immersed in thespirit, and, when this cannot be done, soft old linen, soaked in theapplication, should be constantly kept on the part. A strong solutionof alum and water is also useful. Tríese applications are fre-quently made to prevent small blisters from arising, and shouldbe continued as long as the pain remains ; and in extensive burns,creating great irritation, opium should be prescribed, as the stu-por with which patients so circumstanced are attacked, receive-more relief from opium than any thing else. But when the burnhas penetrated so deep as to blister or break the skin, it must bedressed with some of the liniments for burns mentioned in theAppendix, or with the emollient and gently-drying ointment, com-monly called Turner's cerate.* This may be mixed with an equalquantity of fresh olive-oil, and spread upon a soft rag, and applied

* See Appendix, Turner's Cerate.

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