The Seaman's Medical Instructor: In a Course of Lectures on Accidents and Diseases Incident to SeamenFalck, N. D. (Nikolai Detlef)
Science
The Seaman's Medical Instructor: In a Course of Lectures on Accidents and Diseases Incident to Seamen
Falck, N. D. (Nikolai Detlef)
First aid in illness and injury -- Early works to 1800; Medicine, Popular -- Early works to 1800
_Lancets_: There ought to be three or four, and they should always be
kept clean and bright in a case, free, as much as may best from the
dampness of the sea air. The best method for this is, to wipe them often
with a dry clean linen cloth, warmed by the fire, (taking care in the
wiping of them, that the blade of the lancet lays upon one of the
handles, by which the point is preserved) and when properly cleaned,
wrap the whole case up in a large piece of dry paper. Let it be a
constant rule, to clean them well every time they are made use of.
And here I must remark once for all, that all iron or steel instruments
are ever best preserved clean and bright, by rubbing them clean with a
warm dry cloth, and then wrapping them up in clean dry paper; by which
method I have preserved my capital instruments with the same brightness,
as they came out of the workman’s hands throughout my voyages,
notwithstanding they have been made use of, and frequently too.
The notion of oiling or greasing instruments is very erroneous, and so
far from preserving them, that it will never fail of making them more
rusty. The wiping them quite clean and dry, and wrapping them up in warm
dry paper, is certainly the best secret for keeping all iron or steel
bright at sea, and deserves strictly to be attended to.
_Scissars_: There ought at least to be two pair, one for common use, and
the other for particular purposes; and if the last mentioned are
crooked, they are certainly much the better, being very handy on many
occasions. The best pair should be carefully preserved as already
directed.
_Probe_: A probe is very requisite for searching of wounds, &c. It
should be of good silver, and the smaller it is in thickness, even like
a small wire, the better for use, as it will bend and twist agreeable to
the place it is to search. At one end it should have a neat smooth
button, and at the other, be triangularly pointed, like a sail needle,
in order to wrap lint round it to clean sores with; its length should be
six or eight inches.
_Spatula_: ’Tis not much matter what the spatula is made of, whether
silver or iron, be it what it will, (provided it is neither brass nor
copper) one end should be flexible, so as to be handy in spreading
salves upon lint, or for other the like purposes; whilst the other
should be more stiff, being very useful for pressing the tongue down, in
looking and examining the throat. It should be about six or eight inches
long, and an inch broad.
_Bistouries_ and _Incision Lancets_: A bistoury, or neat sharp cutting
knife, is very useful indeed in many cases. And a large incision lancet,
in the form of a common lancet, except that the point inclines more one
way, is very necessary for opening aposthumes, and where a collection of
matter has been formed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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