[1520]. Wounds. Wounds may be made in every degree of size, from the jab of a splinter to the loss of a part of the body from shrapnel.
No matter what form of the wound or the cause, we know the following fact to be of the utmost importance: A wound without germs in it will heal rapidly without pain, redness, heat, or pus and the patient will have no fever. He will eat his regular meals and act as though well.
Such wounds we see made by surgeons when operating. On the other hand, wounds infected with germs are painful, hot, angry, red, and swollen and form large quantities of pus or matter.
Pus is a mixture of germs, blood and the flesh that they have destroyed. This pus prevents wounds from healing and often burrows under the skin, forming abcesses which cause fever and chills, and the pus enters the blood causing delirium and death.
Our one aim in treating wounds is to keep out germs, and we accomplish this by means of the first aid packet.
Fig. 18
First Aid Packet
After the removal of packet from tin can, open the wax paper and hold the package as shown.
1. Left hand holds the wax paper.
2. Right hand holds the bandage.
Fig. 19
First Aid Packet
Shake out packet with right hand so that the pad (or compress) does not touch anything until placed on the wound.
[1521]. The first aid packet consists of two gauze compresses sewed to two cotton bandages. They are sealed in wax paper. There are also two safety pins wrapped in wax paper. These articles are placed in an airtight metal case which protects them from contamination.