When you find an insensible person (and very often in their fright they will have hidden themselves under beds and tables, etc.), you should either carry him out on your shoulder, or, what is often more practicable in the case of heavy smoke, gas fumes, or in battle when under heavy fire, etc., harness yourself on to him with sheets or cords and drag him out of the room along the floor, crawling on all fours yourself.
A soldier was recently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for thus getting his wounded officer into safety while being fired at by the enemy.
To do this you lay the patient on his back, make a bowline at each end of your rope, one you put over the patient’s chest and under his arms, and the other over your own neck, then with your back to his head you start on “all fours” to pull him along, head first. If the bowline is the right length it will keep his head up off the ground, as the picture shows.
\Moving an insensible girl.
Burns.—In treating a man who has been burnt, remove his clothes, not by peeling them off, but by cutting them with a SHARP knife or scissors. If any part of the dress sticks to the skin from having been burnt there do not tear it away, but cut the cloth round it, then as quickly as possible protect the burnt parts from the air, which causes intense pain. The best way to protect them is by dusting them with powdered chalk or flour, or by laying strips of lint well soaked in sweet oil or linseed oil, and covering the whole with cotton wool, or by pouring on oil. Keep the patient warm, and give warm drinks, such as hot tea, hot milk, or salomonia and water.
Major John Garroway, M.D., strongly recommends, instead of flour or oil to stop the pain of a burn, to put a piece of paper firmly over the wound, and the pain will be relieved in a few seconds.
Quite a large number of Scouts have saved lives in the water through knowing how to swim and what to do. Several Scouts have also saved life in fire, and have received medals for saving life.
Saving Life from Drowning.—A moderate swimmer can save a drowning man if she knows how, and has practised it a few times with her friends. The popular idea that a drowning person rises three times before he finally sinks is all nonsense. He often drowns at once, unless someone is quick to help him. The important point is not to let the drowning person catch hold of you, or he will probably drown you too. Keep behind him always. If you find yourself clutched by the wrist, turn your wrist against his thumb and force yourself free. Your best way in helping a drowning man is to keep behind and hold him up by the elbows, or by the back of the neck, or by putting your arms under his armpits and your hands across his chest, and telling him to keep quiet and not to struggle. If he obeys, you can easily keep him afloat; but otherwise be careful that in his terror he does not turn over and catch hold of you. If he should seize you by the neck, Holbein says, “Scrag him, and scrag him quickly. Place your arm round his waist, and the other hand, palm upwards, under his chin, with your fingertips under his nose. Pull and push with all your might, and he must perforce let go.” But you will never remember this unless you practise it frequently with other people first, each taking it in turns to be the drowning man or rescuer.