US612997A

US612997A - Bandage for um

Info

Publication number: US612997A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1898-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1915-10-25

Description

No. 6I2,997. Patented Oct. 25, |898. y S. G. SMITH.

BANDAGE FUR UMBILICAL CORUS.

(Application led J une 4, 1897.)

(No Model.)

l buey/@l NrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN G. SMITH, OF HANNIBAL, ,MISSOURL BANDAGE FOR UNIBAILICAL. CORDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 612,997, dated October 25, 1898.

Application filed J'une 4, 1897. Serial No. 639,466. (No model.)

To all wiz/m it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, STEPHEN G. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bandages for Umbilical Cords; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a bandage or dressing for the umbilical cord of a newly-born child.

In cases of child-birth the medical attendant ties a strong thread or tape around the umbilical cord about one and three-fourths (l-) inches from the body of the child and then severs said cord, leaving a stump or fragment of the cord about two inches long remaining attached to the umbilicus of the child.

It is very desirable that the stump or fragment of the cord remaining attached should dry and be exfoliated or thrown off from the body of the child quickly and without putrefaction or decay.

It has been a common practice for the medical attendant or the nurse to dress the cord by wrapping around it a strip of charred linen or cotton cloth; but this dressing is defective and often fails to fully accomplish all that is desired, because the cord often remains moist` for several days and causes decay thereof, giving rise to disagreeable odor.

The object of my invention is to obviate these objections by the provision of a bandage or dressing which may be easily and quickly applied, shall serve as an inclosure to the fragment of adhering cord and prevent the same from having contact with the body of the child and with the clothing or from being rubbed by the latter, and which shall possess aseptic, antiseptic, and absorbent properties, to insure the fragment drying rapidly, and be eXfoliated without any of the disagreeable troubles due to the now present method of dressing the cord.

With these ends in view my invention consists of a dressing creased or indented to form two or more foldable members, one member provided with a cord-receiving aperture and with a slot which extends from said aperture to the marginal edge of the dressing. I preferably make my dressing of the material known to the medical fraternity as lintine, because of its soft and absorbent properties, and in some cases this dressing is impregnated or charged with a dry antiseptic agent comprising a powder made, preferably, of tal cum or boracic acid or a mixture of said materials; but my invention is not strictly coniined to the employment of this antiseptic agent or powder, because it may be omitted, if desired. p

'To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention to better advantage, I have illustrated the saine in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of my dressing orbandage.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the method of foldy ing the dressing to inclose the umbilical cord. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of my bandage or dressing, and Fig.

sisting of a sheet or strip of material either rectangular, substantially square, or of any other appropriate shape. The bandage is a single continuous piece of soft absorbent Inaterial, preferably the material known to the art as lintine, employed for surgical dressings. According to myinvention the dressing is provided near one edge with a hole or opening B and with aslitor incision C, which extends from the hole or opening B to .the proximate edge of the dressing A, the hole being of a diameter greater than the width of the slit. This construction possesses utility in that the slit or incision can readily be opened by drawing apart the dressing along the slit or incision, and thus permit the umbilical cord to be readily received within the hole or opening B, and after releasing the dressing the edges fall back or are drawn back into place, thereby preventing in a measure the cord from disengaging itself from the hole in the dressing.

ICQ

'2 and 4.

In Fig. l I have shown the dressing as of approximately square form, and it is creased or indented, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, to fold twice upon itself. The lines of the fold are indicated at a b, thus forming a central member c and two side flaps or members d e, which are adapted to be folded or turned inward upon the member c and one upon the other, as shown by Fig. 2. the invention the hole and the outwardlyext-ending slit are produced in that part of the vdressing between the foldable sides or iiaps d e. The bandage, however, may be in the form of an elongated strip of proper width, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this case the dressing has the `slot and the incision or slit produced near one edge thereof, so that the slit opens through an end edge of the dressing.

The bandage is folded once upon itself, along the line indicated at f, by bringing-the distal end thereof over and upon the perforated and slitted end which receives the umbilical cord.

In the manufacture of my dressing I cut or stamp the same from a proper piece of lintine and produce the hole B and incision C, as described, and I then prefer to apply to that surface of the dressing with which the umbilical cord `comes in contact when the dressing is folded an antiseptic agent, such as a dry powder consisting of talcum or boracc acid or a mixture of both materials. This powder fills the pores or interstices in the lintine dressing and practically impregnates the same, so as to adhere to and form apart of the dressing. It is not essential, however, that this antiseptic powderbe used, and I may dispense with the same.

The creases to denote the line of the fold or folds may be produced by indenting or pressing the material, or said creases may be omitted altogether, the bandage being folded at yplaces in the discretion of the medical attendant or the nurse. I prefer, however, to

crease the bandage to denote the lines of the fold.

In applying the dressing it is spread along In this embodiment ofj the line of the slit or incision far enough to permit the umbilical cord to pass through the slit and occupy the hole B, and after releasing the edges of the dressing they assume their normal position, so that the cord is coniined in the hole. The dressing fits close down to the body of the child. The cord is spread or folded flat upon the dressing and the dressing is folded upon the cord,which in the form shown by Fig. 2 is effected by folding the flaps d e over upon the cord and upon one another, or in the device shown by Fig. 3 is accomplished by folding the distal half of the dressing upon the part having the opening and slit. After the dressing is adj usted the binder is used as in ordinary instances. The dressing thus incloses the cord wholly within itself to prevent Vit from touching the body, and being aseptic, antiseptic, and absorbent causes the stump or fragment of the cord todry rapidly a'nd be exfoliated without-trouble and annoyance.

Having thus fully described vmyinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. As a new article of manufacture, a dressing or bandage for the umbilical cord consisting of a foldable piece having a hole or opening anda slit or incision which extends from said lhole to an edge of the dressing, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. As anew articlerof manufacture, a dressing or bandage'for the umbilical cord consisting of apiece of absorbent material provided with a cord-receiving hole land with a slit that extends from said hole to a proximate edge of the dressing, the latter being creased or indented to fold upon itself and inclose the cord when itis inserted in said hole, as set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a dressing or bandage for an umbilical cord impregnated with an antiseptic agent and comprising a creased or indented piece of absorbent material having a central member and two oppositely-folding side members, the central member provided with a cord-receiving opening and a slit which extends from said opening to the edge of the dressing, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

u STEPHEN G. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JAS. C. Lnws,

J os. T. HAGAN.

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