The Plattsburg Manual: A Handbook for Military Training

by O. O. Ellis; E. B. Garey

CHAPTER VII

FIRST AID TO THE INJURED

In the army, as in civilian life, you are very often your brother's keeper, as well as your own. Doctors cannot accompany a scout, a patrol, or the firing line. They are seldom present when a man falls overboard. When a soldier on the firing line is wounded, he may remain for several hours where he falls. He, or his comrade, bandages the wound. Suppose you are wounded, bitten by a snake, etc., what would you do? You may have to give a practical answer to these questions at some time during your life.

This chapter tells you what to do and what not to do in case of the most frequent disabling accidents that may befall a soldier or a civilian. Ask your mother, father, older brothers, and sisters to read it. Part of it is for them.

FIRST-AID PACKET

Each soldier carries on his belt a first-aid packet. This packet contains two perfectly pure bandages and a couple of safety pins. It should be air tight. Examine yours every week and if the seal is defective, ask your captain for a new packet.

CAUTIONS

1. Act quickly but quietly. Be calm and quiet. Don't lose your head.

2. Make the injured party sit or lie down.

3. See the injury clearly before treating it. Send for a doctor if the wound is serious.

4. Do not remove more clothing than is necessary to examine the injury. Always rip, or, if you cannot rip, cut the clothes from the injured part. Don't pull the clothes off.

5. Give alcoholic stimulants cautiously and slowly, and only when the patient feels weak or drowsy. Hot coffee or tea will often suffice when obtainable.

6. Keep from the patient all persons not actually needed to assist you.

7. Do not touch a wound with your fingers. If the wound is dirty, remove the dirt as well as possible, with the first-aid bandage.

8. Don't pour into the wound any water from your canteen for the purpose of washing it out or washing the blood from around the wound. Water often contains germs and the skin around the wound may be dirty. If water is poured into the wound it carries or washes into the same these germs and dirt, and the wound will become infected.

9. Heat and moisture increases the activity of the germ of infection. Therefore keep the wound cool and dry.

10. If the blood is scarlet in color and appears in spurts, send at once for a doctor and then take the necessary measures (apply a tourniquet) to stop the flow of blood.

11. If the patient loses consciousness, it will probably be because insufficient blood is reaching the brain. Lower your patient's head and give all your attention to stopping the bleeding.

BULLET WOUND

If you receive a bullet wound, don't get excited or lose your head. A bullet wound in the muscle or soft parts of the body causes little pain and, if properly dressed, heals in about two to three weeks. Protect the openings where the bullet entered and came out with the bandages found in the first-aid packet. Don't touch the wound with your fingers. Remove sufficient clothing to see the wounds. Then, and not before, open the first-aid packet and carefully unfold (open) the compress (pad found in the middle of each bandage) and place it over the wound and wrap the ends of the bandage fairly tight around the limb and fasten with the safety pin. If one compress is not large enough to cover the entire wound, use the second bandage. This bandaging will stop ordinary bleeding. Such a dressing may be all that is needed for several days. It is better to leave a wound undressed than to dress it carelessly or ignorantly, so that the dressing must be removed.

STOPPING BLEEDING

If the blood is dark blue and the stream is continuous, a vein has been punctured which, in itself, is not ordinarily dangerous. The bandaging of such a wound will usually stop the flow of blood. Bandage firmly. Remember all wounds bleed a little, but that, as a rule, this bleeding will stop in a few minutes if the patient remains quiet.

If the blood is bright red and appears in spurts, an artery has been punctured, and the flow of blood must be stopped or the patient will bleed to death. To do this, apply a pressure to the artery at some point between the wound and the heart. Press the artery against the bone. This can usually be done for a short time with the fingers. However it will usually he necessary to use an improvised tourniquet. Tie the bandage of the first-aid packet around the limb so that the compress (pad) will press the artery against the bone. Slip under the compress and over the artery a small stone. Pass a stick under the bandage and turn the stick around slowly until the slack is taken up and the bleeding stops. Then tie the stick as shown in the illustration.

After the tourniquet has been in place for an hour, loosen it and if no blood flows allow it to remain loose. If it again bleeds tighten it quickly and loosen again at the end of an hour.

The following illustrations, show the usual places where tourniquets are applied or where pressure can be applied to the arteries with the thumb:

BROKEN BONE (FRACTURE)

The next injury you must know is a broken bone. You will usually know when an arm or leg is broken by the way the arm or leg is held, for the wounded man loses control over the limb. Suppose your comrade breaks his leg or arm. What would you do? Straighten the limb gently, pulling upon the end of it quietly and firmly so that the two ends of the broken bone will not overlap. Next, retain the limb in its straightened position by such splints and other material as the boot of a carbine, a piece of board, a piece of tin gutter. Pad the material you use. Tie it to the broken limb as shown in the following illustrations. Never place a bandage over the fracture. See Illustration.

DROWNING

Being under water for over four or five minutes is generally fatal, but, unless you know the body has been submerged a long time, make an attempt to restore life. Don't get disheartened and give up, if you see no signs of life after a few minutes' work. Work on the body for at least an hour.

Your comrade's lifeless body has just been pulled out of the water. What do you do? You are alone.

1. Don't waste time in removing his clothes.

2. Reach your finger in his mouth and straighten out his tongue.

3. Lay him on his stomach; then straddle him; reach both arms under his stomach; raise his hips two feet from the ground and jostle him. This drains the water from the stomach and lungs.

4. Lay him on his stomach; turn his head to one side so his nose and mouth do not touch the ground; extend his arms beyond his head (see illustration); locate his lowest (12th) rib; place hand, finger, and thumb closed (see illustration) on body so that the little finger curls over the 12th rib; hold your arms and wrists straight and lean forward slowly so the weight of the upper part of your body will be brought to bear gradually upon your comrade's ribs (see illustration); let this pressure continue for about three seconds; then remove it suddenly by removing the hands. Apply this pressure at the rate of from 12 to 15 times a minute.

5. Do not attempt to give him any kind of liquids while he is unconscious.

6. Apply warm blankets as soon as possible.

7. Never say "He is dead"--Work on his body for at least an hour.

SUNSTROKE--(THE SKIN IS HOT)

A sunstroke is accompanied by the following symptoms: headache, dizziness, sense of oppression, nausea, colored vision, and often the patient becomes insensible. The muscles are relaxed, face flushed, skin hot, pulse rapid, and the temperature rises. The breathing is labored.

Treatment: Reduce the temperature as rapidly as possible, with ice or cold water; get the patient in the shade. Loosen clothing.

HEAT EXHAUSTION--(THE SKIN IS COOL)

Symptoms: Nausea, a staggering gait, pulse is weak, and the patient may quickly become unconscious. The skin is cool. This condition is dangerous.

Treatment: Rub the limbs vigorously. Give stimulants; apply heat.

BURNS

Do not pull the clothing from the burnt part, but rip or cut it off. Do not break the blisters or prick them even if large.

Treatment: Protect it quickly with a mixture of equal parts of linseed or olive oil and water.

FREEZING AND FROSTBITE

Symptom: The part frozen appears white or bluish and is cold.

Treatment: Raise the temperature of the frozen member slowly by rubbing it with snow or ice and water, in a cool place. Don't go near a fire.

FAINTING

Symptom: Loss of consciousness. It is usually the result of severe bleeding or exhaustion from fatigue. This condition is rarely dangerous.

Treatment: Lay the patient on his back, head a little lower than rest of body, arms by side, feet extended. Rub the limbs. Sprinkle water on the face and give stimulants if necessary.

POISONING

Treatment: Send for a doctor at once. Empty the stomach and bowels. Give two tablespoons full of mustard and warm water or a tablespoon full of salt in a glass of water to produce vomiting. Then give a purgative. Tickle throat with finger or feather in case mustard or salt are not procurable. After the poison has been evacuated, give stimulants and apply heat and rubbing externally.

SNAKE BITE

In snake bites the poison acts quickly.

Treatment: Apply a tourniquet between the wound and the heart so as to stop the circulation and prevent the system from absorbing the poison. Get out your knife and make a couple of cross cuts through the wound so it will bleed freely. Then suck the poison from the wound and spit the poison out. If your lips are lacerated there is danger in this method but it is your duty to take this chance in order to save your comrade's life. After sucking out the wound, heat your knife and burn it out.

STOMACH WOUNDS

Send for a doctor. Lie perfectly quiet. Don't lose your head and don't attempt to crawl to help or to stir around. Place a clean piece of cloth over the wound and keep it constantly wet with a solution of salt water. If the wound is in the stomach, it is better to lie perfectly quiet on the battle field for a day or two until found than to crawl to assistance.

CHAFING

Treatment: Keep parts dry, use talcum powders and keep parts separated by a layer of absorbent cotton.

EXTINGUISHING BURNING CLOTHES

Treatment: Lie down on the floor and roll up as tightly as possible in a rug blanket, etc., leaving only the head out. If nothing can be obtained in which to wrap yourself, lie down and roll over slowly and at the same time beat out the fire with your hands. Flames shoot upward. In order to get them away from the head, lie down. Don't run, it only fans the flames.

If another person's clothing catches fire, throw him to the ground and smother the fire as just described.

GAS

Most of the gas used on the battlefield today is deadly. When a gas shell explodes there are two kinds of men: Quick men and Dead men. The quick men put on their gas masks, which contain chemicals that neutralize the poisonous air.

Treatment: When a man is slightly gassed don't allow him to move around or to remove his mask. Have him lie down and rest. Loosen his clothes around his neck and chest so he can breathe freely. Keep him warm. When the gas has been removed from the trench, take off his mask and give spirits of ammonia.