Thursday, May 25, 2017

Burns

A question was raised about the treatment of burns in 1850. I found a source from 1845, A Family Medicine Directory, that had several references about treating burns and scalds. One passage I found particularly interesting was about the use of Laudanum for the treatment of the burns. Here is the excerpt:

Laudanum...In burns, a piece of lint, soaked in Laudanum, and kept applied to the pained parts, and repeatedly moistened with the Laudanum, allays the pain, and affords great comfort to the sufferer. Beyond these simple maladies, Laudanum should never be applied without medical advice. When Laudanum has been taken as a poison, immediately excite vomiting, by giving ten grains of Sulphate of copper, dissolved in a wine glassful of pure water.

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