A foreign body is any substance that doesn’t belong in the body. It can be a speck of dust or a splinter or something a child has stuck into his body, or dirt or a piece of glass, or anything else.

1. Foreign bodies in the eye are best treated by a doctor if they don’t come out within an hour or so by themselves. Rubbing an eye, or trying to remove it with cotton or the edge of a handkerchief, may injure the delicate membranes that cover the eyeball. Sometimes pulling down the eyelid and pouring warm water into the eye may wash out the foreign body, but if it doesn’t, leave it alone and go to the doctor or to the nearest hospital emergency room.

One thing is important; a foreign body should never be allowed to stay in the eye overnight. It may cause inflammation that will require many days to overcome.

If treated properly, most foreign bodies do no permanent harm to the sight. It is only when foreign bodies are neglected that they can cause damage to vision.

2. Peculiarly, some boys and girls stick things into their noses. And once in a great while, a small insect may fly into a nostril. There’s never anything to worry or become frightened about when this happens because foreign bodies in the nose are always easy to remove. Even if they aren’t removed right away, no real harm results.

To get rid of a foreign body or insect in a nostril, it is a good idea to tickle the inside of the other nostril. This may cause sneezing, and in many instances, the foreign body is sneezed out. If tickling the nostril doesn’t work, have the child sniff some pepper. That will probably bring on the-sneeze.

If neither of these methods work, the child should be taken to a doctor or to a nearby hospital. They’ll get it out without any trouble. However, I did know a silly little fellow who stuck a marble way up into his nose, and he had to be put to sleep in an operating room before the doctor could get it out.

3. For some reason, some children stick things into their ears. Or, every once in a great while, an insect may accidentally crawl or fly into an ear. No harm ever results, as the ear canal is a short dead-end street. There’s no place for the foreign body or insect to go, and therefore they can’t do any damage. An ordinary tweezers can usually reach and grasp a foreign body in the ear, but if there’s any trouble removing it, a trip to a doctor or hospital emergency room is the best idea.

Insects can usually be floated out of the ear. The child will lie down, head turned to one side. Then some lukewarm mineral oil, or olive oil, or castor oil, is poured into the ear. And, in most cases, out floats the insect! If it doesn’t come out that way, it is an easy thing for a doctor to remove.

Incidentally, an insect that flies into an ear practically never bites or stings. We guess it’s just as frightened about what happened to it as the child is.

4. Splinters, glass, dirt, and other foreign bodies beneath the skin should only be removed by a first aider when a part of the foreign body sticks out from the skin’s surface. If such is the case, the end that sticks out should be grasped and slowly and steadily pulled out. If a foreign body lies completely beneath the skin, it is best removed by a doctor. A first aider who isn’t experienced in removing foreign bodies may push it in even deeper than it is.

No foreign body should be left beneath the skin overnight.

After removing any foreign body from the skin, the area should be gently cleaned with soap and water, then covered with a bandage or Band-aid. If the foreign body has been removed within a couple of hours after it went in, infection seldom takes place.

5. Swallowed foreign bodies like buttons or coins or paperclips rarely do harm if they go down all right into the stomach. Most of them pass through the stomach and intestines by themselves and are gotten rid of in a day or two when the child moves his bowels.

A foreign body in the nose will often be expelled if the child is made “sneeze. This may be encouraged by holding pepper under the child’s nose.

A) Foreign body such as a button or a coin, or a chunk of unchewed food, can occasionally get stuck in the back of throat, or it may get into the windpipe and bronchial tubes instead of passing down the food pipe into the stomach. This can be serious, as it may cause choking or interfere with breath- Here is the first aid in this situation A Place your finger far inside the mouth and sweep it around the back of tongue and throat. This will frequently loosen the foreign body or food is stuck, or will cause the person to h or vomit it up.

B) The person should be told to take deep breath very slowly and then to cough as hard as he can. This often brings up the foreign body or food.

C) If these measures don’t bring up the foreign body, the person should be turned upside down, told to cough, and should be hit several times quite sharply on the back of the chest. In a great many cases, this will loosen the foreign body.

D) If the patient has any trouble breathing, the Police should be notified so they can send an ambulance to take the patient to the hospital.

Even though most foreign bodies that are swallowed will pass through the stomach and intestines, there are some that do get stuck. In such cases, the person must be operated upon so the surgeon can remove it. Also, some foreign bodies that get into the bronchial tubes are not coughed up but are lodged way down in the lungs. When this happens the patient must be bronchoscoped. This means that a long, hollow metal instrument is passed through the mouth, down the windpipe, and into the bronchial tubes. The foreign body is then grasped by a special instrument and is pulled out through the hollow bronchoscope.

Fortunately, recovery takes place in practically all cases where the foreign body has been swallowed or has gotten into the lungs. But think how much better it would have been if the person had not put such things into his mouth in the first place. And think how much smarter it is to chew food thoroughly before trying to swallow. Then, there is ever so much less chance that the food will get stuck in the throat.

Superficial cuts may bleed a great deal, but simple pressure applied over the cut with the palm of the hand or fingers and a clean handkerchief or piece of gauze is usually enough to control it.

1. Clean the cut or scratch with warm running water and ordinary soap. Let the water run on it for a few minutes to loosen the dirt. Then wipe out the dirt from the wound with a piece of moist cotton, or facial tissue or toilet paper, if cotton is not available.

2. Do not pour iodine, alcohol, or any other medicine on a cut or scratch. They may burn the injured area and delay healing. Besides, the running water will get rid of more germs than the alcohol or iodine.

3. To stop bleeding, press directly on the wounded area with your fingers and hand. (See the picture.) Use a clean handkerchief or a piece of gauze or cotton if it is available. Keep pressing steadily for several minutes without stopping. This will usually stop bleeding in most ordinary cuts.

4. Don’t get frightened even if there seems to be a great deal of blood. Most cuts will slow down and bleed very little after a few minutes.

5. Don’t take any chances, however. It is always best to get help from a doctor. So even if bleeding has stopped. Cover the injured area with a bandage or a clean handkerchief or, indoors, a clean napkin or towel. Go to the nearest doctor’s office, or to the emergency room of the nearest hospital, to get further attention. A wound that continues to bleed, or a wound where the edges are widely separated, frequently will need to be stitched.

After the bleeding from a puncture wound has been controlled by pressure, the child should be seen by a physician, because he may need a tetanus booster.

First aid for bruises

Some bruises are not very severe and merely result in a black-and-blue mark in the skin; others are very serious and may require surgery. All bruises result from bleeding into the skin or into the tissues beneath the skin. Bruises are almost always caused either by a fall or by something hitting the body.

Most bleeding that takes place in the skin stops by itself and needs no first aid or other treatment. Sometimes, however, the bleeding beneath the skin can be quite severe and will cause a big lump to form. Such bruises are called hematomas.

If the bleeding beneath the skin seems to be continuing and the swelling is enlarging, then direct, firm pressure should be applied over the area with the palm of the hand. If this pressure is continued steadily for ten to fifteen minutes, it may stop the internal bleeding. Another way to stop the bleeding is to put ice or an ice bag on the skin surface over the injured area. Ice or an ice bag should not be kept in place for more than fifteen to twenty minutes at a time, for if it is kept on too long, it may cause a burn. If ice is not available, cold compresses may help to control the bleeding.

If the hematoma is still present a few days after the injury originally happened, and if it feels soft and mushy when it is touched, then in all likelihood fluid blood is present beneath the skin. To cure this type of bruise, a doctor may have to stick a needle into the hematoma and draw out the blood with a syringe. If the blood is too thick to come out through the syringe, a surgeon will have to make a cut into the hematoma in order to let out the blood. This will take care of the matter very quickly.

An ordinary black-and-blue bruise may take a few weeks before the discoloration disappears. During that time the black-and-blue mark changes to a lighter blue or a purple, then to a green, then to tan, then to light yellow, and finally the skin looks perfectly normal again.

First aid for burns

A burned area should be held under cold running water for about ten minutes. This is especially important if a chemical has caused the burn.

1. First-degree burns are very much like ordinary sunburns. They usually don’t require a doctor’s care. They should be covered with a sunburn ointment so the skin doesn’t become too dry. Any blisters that form should be left alone and not opened except by a doctor. A burn can become infected if a blister is not opened properly.

2. Second-degree burns are deeper and may be caused by fire, electricity, or even by the sun. The burned areas should be put into cold running water, or the person put in a tub of cold water for about ten to fifteen minutes. The burned areas should then be covered with clean gauze bandages—no ointments—or clean handkerchiefs, napkins or towels. The sooner the burn is placed under running water, or the sooner the patient is put in a tub of water, the greater will be the relief of pain and the better it will be for the burn itself. People with second-degree burns should be treated by doctors. Therefore, go to the doctor or to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. If you can’t tell how badly a burn actually is, take no chances—go to a doctor or to a hospital.

3. Third-degree burns are very deep, but the first aid is the same as for a second-degree burn. Put the burned a under cold running water for ten minutes and, if there is dirt in the burn, gently wipe it off. If clothing is stuck to the burn, don’t try to remove it yourself. Cover the burn and go to the nearest doctor or hospital. It is important that people ‘with third-degree burns be given huge amounts of fluids to drink to prevent them from shock. Ointments should not be put on any severe, deep 1urn. The ointment may interfere with the treatment the doctor may want to give the burn.

4. Burns of the eyes need special first aid. Cold water should be poised over the open eyes for several minutes in order to wash out thoroughly. Patients with an eye burn should go to an eye doctor immediately after the first aid was given.

First aid means helping someone who has met with an accident or has become sick suddenly. Generally, the best thing to do is call a grownup, who will undoubtedly contact a doctor, or if no doctor is nearby, he may call the police. But quite often, children themselves must do the first aid if no grownup is around, or if there’s no way to reach the police quickly. There are some good general rules for children to follow when another child, or even a grown-up, is in need of immediate medical attention:

1. Let the nearest grown-up know about the situation. Shout for help, if you have to.

2. Get in touch with the police a quickly as possible or ask someone else to do it for you.

3. If there is a doctor or a hospital nearby, go there and tell them about the situation.

4. Look for the nearest telephone. If you can’t use a pay telephone, ring somebody’s doorbell and ask them to notify the police. If.you want to save time, dial the Operator and ask her to get the police.

5. Don’t try to move the sick or injured person unless you are positive you can do it easily. Most times, it is best for the injured or sick person to lie quietly on his back with his chin up. Moving around may make an injury or illness worse.

6. Loosen the collar or tie, or open the zipper of a dress that fits tightly around the neck. If the person is wearing a tight belt, loosen it. By doing these things you will help the victim to breathe more easily.

7. Never touch anyone who has received an electric shock unless you are positive that the victim is no longer in contact with the electricity. If you do touch the victim, you may get shocked yourself. If an electric shock has taken place indoors, turn off the switch. If an electric wire is still in contact with anyone, get a dry stick or, indoors, use a broom handle, and knock the wire away from the victim’s body.

8. Most people who have met with an accident or have taken suddenly sick, should remain quiet and drink nothing until medical aid arrives. However, sometimes the person will know what’s wrong and will have a medicine to overcome the attack in his or her pocket or handbag. Then, it’s O.K. to get a little water to drink so the person can swallow the medicine more easily.

9. If someone has fainted, or has had a fit or a spell, he should lie quietly on his back. Don’t throw water on his face to wake him up. If he is unconscious, lift up his chin. This will permit him to breathe better.

10. If someone is drowning, get help from an adult as soon as possible. Don’t try to do this kind of first aid all alone, unless you are a really good swimmer, have taken lessons in lifesaving, and are bigger and stronger than the person who is drowning. Remember that a drowning person will grab anything and anyone, and may drag you under the water, too.

Once in a great while, when no one else is nearby, an injured or sick person must rely upon first aid from a child. Therefore, it is a good idea to know some of the things that should be done. And, you never can tell, by knowing first aid, you might actually save another person’s life. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing to do?

Sooner or later, every one of us has an accident, but luckily, we manage to get over most of them without getting hurt too seriously. Some children, however, are careless and they have accidents more often than those of us who take good care of ourselves. Naturally, all girls and boys enjoy having fun, and so they run and jump and play wildly at times without thinking about getting hurt. Of course, children should not be so careful or so afraid of getting injured that they refuse to do the things that give them fun. But certain rules are really good to follow, so that we have as few accidents as possible. Here are some of those rules in the home:

1. Look around your house or apartment every once in a while to make sure that your mother or father hasn’t moved the furniture around. Most children think that each piece of furniture will always stay in the same place; when it is moved they may stumble over it and hurt themselves.

2. It is natural to move footstools from one place to another. Be particularly careful to watch out for them, especially in the dark.

3. Scatter rugs, or other little rugs, often slip and slide, so be careful how you walk or run over them.

4. Kitchen floors can get pretty slippery after they have been waxed. Walk, don’t run, or roughhouse, on a freshly waxed floor, or you might find yourself taking a painful flop.

5. Put your toys and playthings away before you go to bed at night. I knew a girl who broke her wrist when she tripped over a doll that she had left on the floor when she went to bed. She got up during the night to go to the bathroom, and bingo, her own doll caused her to fall.

6. Injuries in the bathroom would occur much less frequently if everyone placed a rubber mat in the bottom of the bathtub or used the special designs that stick onto the tub to prevent slipping. It is so easy to slip in a bathtub, especially if there is soapy water in it.

7. It is mentioned elsewhere, but remember never to touch anything electrical while your body or hands are wet!

In automobiles

1. Wear a seat or shoulder belt whenever going anywhere in a car, even if it is only a drive that will take a few minutes. Many accidents take place on short, as well as on long, rides.

2. Don’t try to get up and move around while the car is moving. A sudden stop, or a sharp curve, may cause you to hit yourself against a window or the roof of the car.

3. Don’t put your hand or arm outside the car window. A car coming the other way might hit your hand or arm, and that can cause plenty of damage.

4. Be sure the car doors are locked before the car starts to move, and don’t play with the locks. An unlocked door can sometimes fly open and you could fall out.

5. Sit back in your seat so that you won’t be thrown forward too far if the car has to stop suddenly.

6. Don’t play with the door handles at any time, because that may cause a door to fly open.

7. Never touch the car keys, or try to start the car yourself. Once in a while, a car may start moving; and unless you know how to drive, you may be in serious trouble.

8. Never touch the steering wheel while the car is in motion. You may cause the car to swerve suddenly and go off the road or hit another car.

9. Get out of the car on the curb side only. Many people have suffered severe injuries by getting out of a car on the wrong side. Another car may come by and hit you.

10. Don’t get into a car with a stranger, no matter what he or she tells you. There are some people in this world who are not very nice, and they may harm you.

On the street

1. Stay clear of driveways. You can never tell when a car will suddenly back out and the driver not see you.

2. Don’t cross a street when the light is red, even if you can’t see a car coming. Always cross streets at the corners. It’s much safer that way.

3. If there is no light, make sure to look in all directions and be positive no car is coming before you cross.

4. If you are unsure about crossing the street, ask a grown-up to walk with you, or wait until a grown-up comes by, and walk across close by.

5. Be especially careful about crossing the street when there is a strong sun shining in your eyes. It may prevent you from seeing an approaching car. Shade your eyes with your hand or with a book, if you’re not wearing a hat.

6. Don’t run out into the road or street to chase a ball or any other plaything. A car that you cannot see may come by and hit you.

7. If there is a school monitor directing traffic at the street corners, be sure to obey him or her.

8. Whenever possible, ride your bicycle or skate on the sidewalk, not in the road where automobiles and trucks travel.

Fire

1. Don’t play with matches or cigarette lighters. One of the most common reasons for burns and house fires is playing with matches.

2. Don’t roughhouse where grownups are smoking. You may burn yourself on the lit end of a cigarette, or you may tip over an ashtray and burn holes in the rug.

3. Make sure that the screen is closed whenever a fire is burning in the fireplace.

4. Don’t get too close to the fireplace, because sometimes a live ember or a little piece of burning wood may fly out and burn you, especially if the screen doesn’t fit snugly.

5. Make sure the fire in the fireplace is completely out before going to bed. Of course, if your parents are home, they will see to it.

6. Don’t build a fire outdoors unless a grown-up who knows how to build a safe fire is with you. Fires must be protected from sudden gusts of wind that can spread the flames where you don’t want them to go.

7. Never throw kerosene or lighter fluid on a fire. The flames may jump toward your body and cause your clothes to burn.

8. Never light the kitchen stove or oven unless a grown-up is with you and gives permission for you to do it. And always be absolutely certain when you do light a stove or oven that your sleeves don’t catch on fire.

Burns

1. Be very careful when walking past the kitchen stove that no handle from a pot or pan is hanging over the front of the stove. Also, see to It that boiling pots or pans are kept covered so that water doesn’t spatter onto you.

2. Don’t try to lift heavy pots containing hot water or other boiling liquids. They may be a lot heavier than you think, and sometimes they can tip over and scald you.

3. Don’t step into a bathtub or shower unless you test how hot it is with one of your fingers.

4. Always turn on the cold water faucet first in the bathroom or kitchen. Then you can slowly add the hot water until you get the right temperature.

5. If you are visiting a strange house or hotel, be certain to find out how the faucets work before you turn them on. In some places, the hot water faucet is on the right side, instead of the left side. And you could get a pretty nasty burn by turning on the wrong one.

6. Every home should have a fire extinguisher handy. Many of them are made so that a young child can work them. If you don’t have such an extinguisher, ask your parents to buy one. Also, most apartment houses have a fire hose on every floor. If there is one near your apartment, find out how it works.

7. Sunburn is a real burn of the skin and may do as much harm as a burn from a fire. Never stay out in a hot sun longer than you are told to. And make sure to protect your eyes with sunglasses.

8. Never gaze directly into the sun for any length of time. It is possible to damage your sight permanently, if you do.

Falling

1. Don’t lean out of an open window. Once in a while, a child will get dizzy and may fall out.

2. Don’t sit on a window sill when the window is open. It’s rather easy to lose one’s balance and to fall out backward.

3. Look down at the ground while you are running quickly. If you do, you’ll see anything that might trip you and Make you fall.

4. Don’t take a chance by jumping off a high place. After all, children only have two legs, not four like a cat. Besides, we’re not so good at landing feet first.

5. Hold on to the banister when running downstairs. If you miss a step, the bannister will support you.

6. Don’t stand on chairs unless someone is alongside to steady you.

7. Don’t climb a high ladder unless someone is holding it on the ground and it is properly placed. Improperly placed ladders sometimes tip over backward.

8. Don’t walk on narrow, high ledges, even if it seems like fun, A sudden noise, or a gust of wind, might cause you to lose your balance.

9. Don’t run in the dark. You may trip over something you can’t see.

10. Don’t run with a stick or lollipop in your mouth. If you trip or fall, you may cut the back of your mouth or your tongue.

Electricity

1. Never pick up or step on a loose wire. It may give a severe shock.

2. Don’t stand under a tree during lightning or a thunderstorm. Lightning sometimes hits trees.

3. Never touch anyone who is being shocked by electricity. If you touch him, you will be shocked, too.

4. Get out of the water during lightning or a thunderstorm. Lightning sometimes strikes the water.

5. NEVER touch anything electric such as a toaster or electric can opener or even a light switch or electric plug, while your hands are wet or when you are in the bathtub or shower. You may receive a severe shock because water conducts electricity very easily. This is extremely important to remember!

Animals

1. Remember, there is a big difference between a tame animal such as a cat or dog or horse or cow, and a wild animal. Some wild animals, like raccoons and foxes and squirrels and even bears, sometimes seem to be friendly and tame. However, they aren’t used to living with people, and they are easily frightened. As a result, even when you are friendly toward them, they might get frightened, and in order to protect themselves, they may scratch or bite.

2. It is best never to pet or pick up a strange animal. He might be sick, or have ticks or fleas. And once in a while, he may bite without warning.

3. If you want to make friends with a tame animal whom you don’t know, talk to him for a while from a distance. Then, before you become friendlier, ask a grown-up to look him over for you and have the grown-up pet him first.

4. Don’t come up behind an animal and touch him without his seeing you first, even if you know him well. He may turn and scratch and bite because he is frightened. Once in a while, even a horse will kick if he is surprised by someone who comes up behind him suddenly.

5. Don’t kiss animals, especially dogs or cats. They have their faces in the ground a great deal and pick up a great many germs. When you kiss them, or when they kiss you, they may spread their germs to you.

6. Don’t tease a pet, even if you are good friends. Remember, animals can lose their tempers just as people do, and when they become angry, it is natural for them to bite or scratch.

Other good don’ts

1. Don’t put nails, coins, buttons, or anything that doesn’t belong there, in your mouth. A sudden cough or sneeze may cause you to accidentally swallow. I even knew a child who ran around the house chasing his little brother with his toothbrush in his mouth. He tripped and gasped and—can you believe i swallowed his toothbrush.

2. Don’t put your fingers into the washing machine or wringer, or even into narrow bottle necks. Once there was a boy who had to go to the hospital and be anesthetized so they could get his finger out of a soda bottle.

3. Don’t go anywhere with a stranger, especially one who offers you candy or anything else, or who even says your mom or dad said to pick you up. If your mom or dad wanted you, and couldn’t come to get you themselves, they would send someone you knew, not a stranger!

4. Don’t take any medicine unless it is given to you by a grown-up, even if it looks like and tastes like candy, or tastes good when you drink it. Even some of the most ordinary medicines, like aspirin or a laxative, can be very dangerous when not taken as they should be.

5. Knives should not be used as toys or playthings. They are extremely useful in many, many ways, but one must learn how to use them properly, and it isn’t possible to teach a very young child to do that. Older children, too, should never fool or play with knives, especially when another child is around. All too often, children get accidentally cut.

6. If there is a pistol or a gun in your house, stay away from it! You can never be absolutely positive it isn’t loaded. Even if you saw your dad unload it, he may have accidentally left a bullet in it. Or, he may have reloaded it without your knowledge when you weren’t there. Remember, guns are for grown-ups, not youngsters.

The female organs consist of the external genitals, near the surface of the body between the thighs, and the internal genitals, inside the body. They connect with one another through the vagina and the cervix of the uterus. The external female organs are composed of the vulva and the vagina. The vulva has two large major lips and two smaller minor lips. Between the lips of the vulva is the entrance to the vagina.

High up, surrounded by the minor lips of the vulva, is the clitoris. This is a small, firm structure about the size of a pea, and just below it is the exit of the urethra. It is through the urethra that urine is passed from the bladder to the outside.

The female organs the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries are shown here in relation to structures which surround them. These structures are the urethra, the urinary bladder, the ureters, and the rectum. All of these organs are located way down low, at the bottom of the abdomen. This area is called the pelvis.

The vagina in a young girl is covered by a thin membrane with holes in it. This is called the hymen, or maidenhead. The vagina is a canal, lined by mucous membrane, which extends in for a few inches and connects with the entrance to the uterus. In a grown woman, the vagina receives the sperm that the man places there during intercourse. The vagina stretches widely when childbirth occurs, and, as we know, the newborn child comes out through the vagina. The internal female organs consist of the uterus with its cervix pointing down into the vagina, two Fallopian tubes, and two ovaries.

A channel, called the cervical canal, runs through the middle of the cervix up into the uterus. It connects with a cavity, the uterine cavity, in the middle of the uterus. And the uterine cavity connects with a channel running through the Fallopian tubes. The ends of the Fallopian tubes are wide open and are located next to the ovaries.

It is amazing that so few girls-and grown women, too-have much knowledge of their female organs. Maybe it is because most of these structures are inside the body, where they can’t be seen. Many people don’t even know that females have more organs than males.

The female organs in a girl under eleven or twelve years of age are not active. When she reaches that age which we call the age of puberty-the ovaries begin to supply larger and larger amounts of hormones. When these hormones get into the bloodstream, they influence certain other organs. The girl’s breasts begin to grow, her uterus enlarges, she gets hair under her arms and over her external organs, and her figure begins to take the shape of a woman rather than of a little girl. At about this time, or perhaps a year or so later, the ovaries begin to manufacture mature eggs. One of these mature eggs, or occasionally two of them, comes out of one or the other ovary each month. When an egg leaves the ovary, it is called ovulation.

An egg from an ovary is only about the size of a pinpoint, and can really be seen well only through a microscope. It travels from the ovary into the open end of the nearby Fallopian tube. When it gets there, one of two things happens to it:

1. If sperm from the male are in the tube, the egg may become fertilized. This means that one of the sperm has joined with the egg to form an embryo. At this moment, the woman has become pregnant. The fertilized egg then travels down the three inches or so of the Fallopian tube into the uterus. The journey down the tube takes three to five days. When the fertilized egg reaches the uterus, it buries itself in the lining of the uterus and begins to
grow and develop. It will take nine months for it to grow into a fully developed child.

2. If there are no sperm in the tube when the egg arrives, the egg remains unfertilized and passes down the tube into the uterus, out of the uterus through the cervix into the vagina, and out of the vagina and the body.

Each month when an egg leaves the ovary, the uterus prepares itself so it will be ready if pregnancy is going to take place. The cells lining the inside of the uterine cavity grow and swell, and more blood comes to the uterus. This will make it easy for the fertilized egg to take root, much like a seed takes root in the earth. However, if the egg is not fertilized and a pregnancy does not take place, then the uterus sheds some of the cells lining its cavity. These cells, along with some blood, are passed out of the uterus into the vagina, and out of the vagina to the outside. This is called menstruation. It usually takes from three to five days for all these cells and blood to leave the body. Therefore, a menstrual period lasts about three to five days.

When the menstrual period is over, the uterus starts all over again to make itself ready for the next month. The ovary, too, gets ready for the next month when it will ripen another egg.

Ovulation, the ripening and the discharge of the egg from the ovary, usually takes place about two weeks before the menstrual period.

So you see how wonderful Nature is. It gets the female ready to become pregnant every month from the time she is a young girl of about twelve until she is a woman of about fifty years of age. By the time a woman reaches fifty, the ovaries usually stop manufacturing ripe eggs.

The male organs are the penis, the prostate gland, the seminal vesicles, the testicles, and the epididymis with its attached tube, called the vas deferens. These appear to be difficult words, but it is not difficult to explain what these organs are and how they work.

The penis is made up mostly of a special kind of elastic and muscle tissue, which allows it to get smaller and larger from time to time. Through the middle of the penis is a tube called the urethra. The urethra connects with the bladder, and urine is passed through it. The male urethra also connects with the prostate gland surrounding the bot¬tom of the bladder and with the seminal vesicles that lie on top of the prostate gland.

Sperm are produced in the testicles. They then travel to the coiled tubes called the epididymis. There, they mature rapidly and are stored, ready for use. During intercourse, they Travel up a long tube called the vas deferens, and eventually leave the body through the urethra of the penis.

When the urethra is being used to carry urine from the bladder, sperm and semen are blocked from passing through it. And when the urethra is carrying semen and sperm, urine is blocked, from passing through it. There are structures like valves, called sphincters, which prevent the urethra from carrying urine and semen at the same time.

Sperm cells are produced by the testicles, beginning when a boy reaches anywhere from twelve to fourteen years of age. There are hundreds of millions of sperm cells, each one so small that it can be seen only through a microscope. Sperm travel from the testicles to the epididymis. The epididymis is a small structure made up of one long, curled-up tube. Sperm that have been manufactured in the testicles are stored in this tube.

The seminal vesicles are glands that are filled with a fluid called semen. When the sperm cells are ready to come out and be placed in the vagina of the female, they travel up from the epididymis through a long hollow tube called the vas deferens. As the sperm get near the seminal vesicles, the seminal vesicles secrete the fluid, semen, which mixes with the sperm. Then the semen, which now contains the sperm, passes out through the urethra of the penis.

It doesn’t hurt to be operated upon because one goes to sleep and feels no pain while the surgeon is doing what he has to do. No matter what the operation, whether it is the removal of tonsils or the appendix, or the fixing of a hernia, pain is never felt. Oh, there may be a little pain when a patient awakens from the operation, but most of that pain, too, can be gotten rid of by giving special pain-relieving medicines.

The word anesthesia means absence of feeling. There are lots of ways to see to it that the patient feels nothing during an operation. Some of them are:

1. Giving special medicines an hour or so before the operation while the patient is still in his hospital bed.
2. Giving an injection of a medicine that makes the patient go to sleep on the operating table in the operating room.
3. Giving the patient an anesthetic gas to breathe.

There are several different gases that can put a person completely to sleep, unable to feel pain. Here are the names of some of them: fluothane; cyclopropane; nitrous oxide; ether; ethyl chloride.

These gases are breathed in through a special anesthesia mask that is attached by a rubber tube to an anesthesia machine that contains tanks of the
gases. And, as we have mentioned before, the gases are given only after the patient has been placed in a nice, relaxed state by medicine received even before being brought to the operating room. The doctor who specializes in anesthesia will choose the gas he or she thinks best for the particular patient and the particular operation the surgeon is going to perform.

Before the operation the surgeon or anesthesiologist visits a young patient, makes friends with her, and explains how anesthesia will be administered to her.

Here is what usually happens when a child goes, with his or her mother or father, of course, to the hospital for an operation:

1. The day before the operation the anesthesiologist (the doctor who specializes in anesthesia) visits the child in the hospital room and explains everything that is going to happen about anesthesia.

2. Anesthesiologists often show the patient the anesthesia mask that will be used in giving the anesthetic the next day. A child might want to practice breathing through it, even though it is not attached to an anesthesia machine.

3. An enema may be given the night before the operation so the stomach and intestines will be empty. That often does away with any uncomfortable feeling in the belly after the operation is over.

4. No food or drink is given to the patient after the evening meal in the hospital the night before the operation. This will keep the stomach nice and empty so one won’t feel sick to the stomach after the operation is over.

5. A sleeping pill, or even an injection, may be given the night before, just to make sure the patient has a good sleep and isn’t restless the next morning before going to the operating room.

6. A special medicine is injected an hour or so before going to the operating room in the morning. This makes certain the patient feels relaxed and comfortable when given the anesthetic gas to breathe.

7. The morning of the operation, the patient is given a special shirt to wear to the Operating room. After the operation, the patient will put on his or her own pajamas or nightgown again.

8. To travel to the operating room, a patient is put on a special stretcher. A child says goodbye to mother and father, but will see them again soon after waking up after the operation.

9. The operating room is usually on a different floor—called the surgical floor—in the hospital from the patient’s room. This may mean a ride, while on the stretcher, in an elevator.

10. Upon reaching the surgical floor, the patient will again greet the anesthesiologist. Together, they will go into the operating room, and the child will move off the stretcher to the operating table.

11. The patient lies back on the operating table and, looking up, can see a huge light. This operating light is very special because it throws a very strong beam without any shadows. This permits the surgeon and aides to see perfectly what they are doing. Many children like to ask to see the light turned on before they go to sleep.

12. The surgeon who is going to do the operation comes in and greets the patient.

13. The patient will notice that there are quite a few people who were not around before, hustling and bustling about the operating room. These are:

a.) The instrument nurse who is handling a bunch of surgical instruments. She will assist at the operation.
b.) The circulating nurse. She’s the one who comes in and out of the operating room to bring the instrument nurse various things she needs.
c.) An orderly. He is a man who helps to keep the operating room neat and clean in between operations. He may be the same man who brought the patient from his room to the operating room, and he may be the one who lifts the patient onto the operating table before the operation and lifts him off after the operation.
d.) There may be one or two doctors other than the patient’s surgeon in the operating room. They are there to assist the surgeon perform the operation.

14. Everyone in the operating room wears a cap, a face mask covering the nose and mouth, and a special gown that is put on backwards. The cap, mask, and gown are worn in order to keep everything as free as possible from germs. Of course, everybody knows that things should be germ-free (sterile) in an operating room. This will keep germs away from the surgical wound so that it will heal quickly, without infection.

15. The surgeon and surgical assistants, at about this time, leave the operating room and go to scrub sinks. These are specially designed sinks where the surgeons scrub their hands and arms with special brushes or sponges. They scrub and scrub for about ten minutes without stopping. This gets the germs off their hands and arms so they can’t get into the surgical incision.

16. While the surgeons are scrubbing, and before they have put on their operating gowns and rubber gloves, the anesthesiologist starts putting the patient to sleep. First, he or she gives an injection into the hand or arm and attaches the needle to a plastic bag containing fluid. This fluid has sugar in it so the patient will receive nourishment even while the operation is going on.. Then the anesthesiologist takes the anesthesia mask and gently places it over the patient’s nose and mouth. The patient takes a few deep breaths and—almost quick as a wink—falls asleep. And, of course, the patient stays asleep until the operation is finished.

17. A patient waking up from an operation may feel some pain in the wound area, but is still so groggy from the anesthesia that the pain won’t be remembered. Most patients doze off and on for an hour or two after the operation has been completed. This is O.K. Everybody will let them sleep. A patient may also feel thirsty, but it is usually a good idea not to drink anything for an hour or two after surgery. Drinking might make the patient sick to the stomach.

18. From the operating room, patients are brought to the recovery room, which is near the operating room. There are special recovery-room nurses who know all the ways to make someone who has just undergone surgery feel comfortable. If pain is severe, they will give medicines to relieve it. If the patient is sweaty, the nurses will sponge him or her off. Finally, when the patient has fully awakened, another ride on a stretcher brings a return to his or her own hospital room. A child, of course, will be greeted there by one or both parents.

There may be a few uncomfortable hours even after a child is back in the hospital room after an operation. But most children sleep a lot and don’t complain too much. Do you know why? Well, it’s because they are so happy the operation is over. Most patients get out of bed the morning after an operation.

Some can go home the day following surgery; others must wait longer, until the wound has healed. When the wound has healed, maybe six or seven days later, the surgeon will remove the stitches. However, in certain types of cases it is possible to put in stitches that absorb by themselves and don’t have to be removed. But if these kinds have not been used, a patient should know that there isn’t much pain to removing stitches. There might be a slight pinching feeling as the stitches are removed, but certainly, no more pain than a little mosquito bite.

When children come home after an operation, they begin to realize what a wonderful experience they have had. Just think of it, having your tonsils or appendix removed, and all you remember is going to the operating room on a stretcher and seeing the big light overhead on the operating table! We’ll bet you don’t even remember the anesthesiologist putting the mask on your face, do you? That’s pretty trrific, isn’t it? No wonder so many youngsters just can’t wait to tell their friends about their operation!

After it’s all over, children enjoy showing off their surgical scars. They get attention and have an opportunity to display their bravery to others.

Hospitals are fine places, because that’s where sick people go to get better. Without them, it would be much more difficult for doctors to cure their patients. And there is another reason why hospitals are great. Do you know what that is? Well, it’s where your mom went to have you!

Sooner or later, almost everybody goes to a hospital for some reason or other. Maybe it’s to have tonsils removed, or to have an appendix out, or to have tests done for a sickness that isn’t getting well quickly enough at home, or to have a broken arm or leg fixed. The fact is that hospitals have the equipment and the instruments and the machines and the medicines and the special doctors to cure most diseases. A doctor’s office can’t have all that equipment or medicines or different kinds of specialists. And certainly, your home doesn’t have an X-ray machine and a laboratory to do blood tests, or an operating room, does it?

The main trouble with hospitals is that many of them won’t let your mom or dad stay overnight with you when you are there. Some might allow this, but many hospitals don’t. And, of course, no youngster likes the idea of being separated from his parents. But it can’t be helped sometimes, and most children realize that they are only going to be in the hospital a short time, so it won’t make too much difference.

Although a child is likely to be at least a little homesick and anxious for a day or two after entering the hospital, he will soon meet other children and enjoy the recreational and entertainment programs that many hospitals provide.

To make up for your parents not being with you, many hospitals have specially developed programs to entertain children. In some hospitals, it’s pretty much like being in a play group in school. There are special sections of the hospital set aside for children so that they will have plenty of friends to play with. And hospitals have books for the children to read and games and toys to play with. Some hospitals even have shows and movies for the children. That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

Would you like to know what happens to children when they go to the hospital? Here goes:

1. A child takes a pair or two of pajamas or nightgowns, and a bathrobe and slippers to the hospital as well as a comb and brush, and toothbrush and toothpaste. It isn’t necessary to take a radio or television as they have them available in the hospital. It is also unnecessary to take toys or games or blankets or pillows. They have those in the hospital, too. A favorite book or two can be brought along, if one wants to.

2. When he gets to the hospital, the child and his or her parents will go to the Admitting Office. There, the mother or father tells the people the child’s name, age, and address. They then put this information on a bracelet which is slipped on to the child’s wrist. Doing this allows all the nurses and doctors to know exactly who the child is. All they have to do is read the information on the bracelet.

3. From the Admitting Office, the child goes to his room. It may have only one bed, or there may be two, three, four or more beds in the room. It is frequently more fun to be in a room with other youngsters with whom a child can talk and play.

4. After getting to the hospital room, a child undresses and gets into bed. A whole bunch of tests are carried out on almost all patients, no matter what is wrong with them. Here are some of the things that most children experience.

a.) An examination is done by a doctor. Often, the doctor is an intern or resident, and wears a white uniform. It may be a man or a woman doctor.
b.) The nurse takes the child’s pulse and temperature.
c.) A laboratory technician takes some blood from the child’s finger or arm to send to the laboratory. (This hurts just about as much as a mosquito bite.)
d.) The nurse asks the child to urinate in a bottle so that the urine can be sent t&the laboratory for examination.
e.) An X ray of the chest is taken. (This doesn’t hurt at all.)
f.) Special tests are done, according to the child’s illness.
g.) If the child is going to have an operation performed, the skin is shaved in the area that is to be operated upon.
h.) A child who is going to be operated on the next morning may be given an enema the night before. Also, one who is to be operated on the next morning should not eat or drink anything after going to sleep at night.

5. Parents are always allowed to visit their children every day, even if they aren’t permitted to stay overnight. They will come each day and will stay during the visiting hours. Children must understand that it is sometimes not possible for the parents to stay all day long. If they did, the doctors and nurses might not be able to give all the treatments that the sick children require.

6. As soon as a doctor can tell when a child is well enough to go home, the child will be told. It is perfectly all right for a child t ask the doctor when that time will come, but a child must understand that the doctor cannot always tell for sure. Some illnesses clear up in a few days; some take much longer. And, of course, a doctor is not going to send a child home until he is completely recovered.

7. The best way to go home quickly is for children to cooperate fully with their doctors and nurses. If they take their medicines and treatments without raising a fuss, they will get well much more quickly.

A parent can help prepare a young child for a visit to the hospital by reading the child picture books about hospitals and talking about them in a general way.

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The main thesis of this website is that a Child’s Bill of Rights is justified and is long overdue.

Children are entitled to know the truth about their physical and emotional development, about their organs and how they work, about illnesses that might befall them, and about their World and Universe.