•MO

BUÍÍNS.

to the part affected. When this ointment cannot be had, an eggmay be beat up with an equal quantity of the sweetest salad-oil.This will serve very well, till a proper ointment can be prepared.When the burning is very deep, after the first two or three days,it should be dressed with equal parts of yellow basilicum and Tur-ner's cerate, mixed together.

Whea the burn is violent, or has occasioned a high degree ofinflammation, and there is reason to fear a gangrene or mortifica-tion, the same means must be used to prevent, as are recommend-ed in other violent inflammations. The patient, in this case, mustlive low, and drink freely of weak diluting liquors. He must like-wise be bled and have his body kept open. But if the burnt partsshould become livid or black, with other symptoms of mortification,it will be necessary to bathe them frequently with warm campho-rated spirits of wine, tincture of myrrh, or other antiseptics, mix-ed with a decoction of the bark. In this case the bark must like-wise be taken internally, and the patient's diet must be more gen-erous, with wine, &c.

As example teaches better than precept, I shall relate the treat-ment of the most dreadful case of this kind that has occurred in mypractice. A middle-aged man, of a good constitution, fell into alarge vessel full of boiling water, and miserably scalded about onehalf of his body. As his clothes were on, the burning in someparts was very deep before they could be got off. For the firsttwo days the scalded parts had been frequently anointed with amixture of lime-water and oil, which is a very proper applicationfor recent burnings. On the third day when I first saw him, hisfever was high, and his body costive, for which he was bled, andhad an emollient clyster administered. Poultices of bread andmilk, softened with fresh butter, were likewise applied to the af-fected parts, to abate the heat and inflammation. His fever stillcontinuing high, he was bled a second time, was kept strictly onthe cooling regimen, took the saline mixture with small doses ofnitre, and had an emollient clyster administered once a-day.When the inflammation began to abate, the parts were dressedwith a digestive composed of brown cerate and yellow basilicum.Where any black spots appeared, they were slightly scarified, andtouched with the tincture of myrrh ; and to prevent their spread-ing, the Peruvian bark was administered. By this course, the man■ was so well in three weeks as to be able to attend his business.*

Equal parts of linseed-oil and lime-water form an excellentcooling emollient application to burns produced by gunpowder, orthose that are less destroyed. In some cases Goulard's cerate,and a weak solution of the superacetate of lead, more quickly pro-cure ease.

* This practice answers very well in scalds ; but in severe burns, such as are occa-sioned by the explosion of gunpowder, or of inflammable air in coal mines, the methodrecommended by Mr. Kentish, of applying to the burned part spirit of turpentine, byíneaus of a feather, till the suppuration is fairly established, and afterwards coveringthe surface with pure chalk, finely powdered, is preferable practice. The patient'«strength must be supported by cordial medicines, and a generous diet. In slightburns and scaids, immersing the part in iced water, or wrapping it in cloths kept con-staiitly moist with spirit of wine or aither, which by its evaporation occasions cc.ldrelieves pain, and prevents vesication. A. f- B-