Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1877 — A New Remedy for Burns. [ARTICLE]

A New Remedy for Burns.

Dr. G. F. Waters, of Boston, recently tested before the meeting of the Massachusetts Dental Society a new remedy for burns and scalds, consisting of the application of bicarbonate of soda, the simple cooking soda used in all families. The doctor dipped a sponge into boiling hot water, and squeezed it over his right Avrist, the water flowing almost completely around tho arm, and nearly encircling it Avith a severe scald two inches in width. Not content Avith this, he dipped the sponge a second time, and pressed it closely on the under side of his wrist for thirty seconds. He then applied bicarbonate of soda to the scalded surface, and laid over it a wet cloth, and the intense pain was banished as if by magic. On the next day after this severe test, the scald, with the exception of the part purposely made most severe, Avas practically healed, only a slight discoloration of the skin shoAving where the scalding Witter had flowed—this, too, with out a second application of the soda. The flesh on toe under side of the wrist had been cooked doAvn to the sweat-glands, and the scald Avas one which ordinarily would have caused an open and painful wound of long duration. The only treatment of this, however, after the first application of the soda, was to keep the part moist with a wet cloth, and rio pain was experienced, and it Avas but a few days before this severe wound Avas seen to be rapidly healing.