Manual of Military Training - James A. Moss (read dune .TXT) 📗

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must know many things to be helpful, it is only necessary to know a few simple things, but you must understand them clearly and be able to do them well.

1479. Asphyxiation (suffocation) by Gas. Asphyxiation by gas is treated the same as in the case of drowning, omitting, of course, the operation of getting the water out of the body.

1480. Bite of dog. Either requires immediate and heroic treatment. Bite of snake.

Lose no time.

1. Prevent the poison from traveling toward the heart and brain by putting on at once a tourniquet between the wound and the heart.

2. Suck the wound and be sure to spit out the poison and rinse the mouth afterward. It is safe, if you have no cuts or sores on the lips or in the mouth.

3. Enlarge the wound with a knife (in the direction of the bone, not across) to make it bleed more freely, and again suck the wound.

4. Apply to the wound any strong acid or caustic, such as carbolic acid, lime, wood ashes or tincture of iodine, or burn it with a hot iron. Telegraph wire will do.

5. Wash out the wound with hot water and pack with equal parts of baking soda and salt, and apply a bandage.

6. Then, in the case of a snake bite, loosen the tourniquet little by little, taking about half an hour so as to permit any poison that may remain in the wound to be gradually absorbed by the blood. In the case of a dog bite, the tourniquet is loosened at once.

After the tourniquet has been removed, the patient must rest quietly for several hours. If he feel faint, he may have a stimulant,—alcohol, coffee or tea,—but do not give the stimulant before the poison has been removed from the wound, because stimulants increase the heart beats and thereby hurry the poison into the blood.

If the dog is not mad (rabid), the wound does not need treatment different from any other kind of a wound.

When bitten by a snake, kill it, if possible, and have it shown to a doctor for examination.

1481. Bleeding. The following comparison between the blood and the water in a city will enable you to understand easily the question of bleeding:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1

The {water/blood} flows from a pump called {waterworks/heart} through {rigid pipes/elastic tubes} called {watermains/arteries}. When there is a {leak/bleeding} the {plumber/doctor} stops the flow of the {water/blood} by {turning a key valve/pressing the blood tube shut} between the {waterworks/heart} and the {leak/bleeding cut} and then proceeds to repair the leak {by soldering/by sewing or by bandaging}. He then turns on the {water/blood} by {opening the valve in the water main/removing pressure on the blood tube}.

Fig. 2 shows where pressure with the thumb will squeeze the blood tube between the thumb and the bone.

Fig. 2 Fig. 2
Pressure with thumb at 1 checks bleeding of left side of chin cheek and jaw.
Pressure at 2 stops bleeding from big blood tube on left side of head and neck and face.
Pressure at 3 controls bleeding in arm pit and shoulder.
Pressure at 4 checks bleeding in arm pit and anywhere down the arm and hand.
Pressure at 5 stops bleeding of arm and hand.
Pressure at 6, on either leg, stops bleeding of leg and foot.

In addition to the pressure raise the leg or arm or head above the heart. This will slow the flow of the blood and lessen leakage.

However, one cannot hold the thumb forever on the blood tube, so we make an artificial thumb, called a tourniquet, which is a pebble or other hard object wrapped in some soft material (to prevent injury to flesh), which is pressed down on the blood tube and held in place by a strip of any material which can be tied so as to keep up the pressure.

A tourniquet, therefore, is like the valve in a water main.

The pebble The pebble
This shows pressure applied by tourniquet (also called Spanish windlass) instead of the hand and by direct pressure of the First Aid Packet This shows pressure applied by tourniquet (also called Spanish windlass) instead of the hand and by direct pressure of the First Aid Packet
The pebble wrapped to protect the flesh The pebble wrapped to protect the flesh
The bandage tied around over the pebble The bandage tied around over the pebble
The bandage twisted tightly by means of a windlass (stick) which is held by another bandage The bandage twisted tightly by means of a windlass (stick) which is held by another bandage
Fig. 3

The above diagrams show how a tourniquet is applied.

Fig. 4 Fig. 4
Bandage to stop bleeding in arm

Fig. 5 Fig. 5
Bandage to stop bleeding in foot

When no one is around to assist you, sometimes it will be possible to plug the wound in your own body with the first aid packet or with your thumb or handkerchief.

When the bleeding is slight, or is from the scalp or palm of the hand, or sole of the foot, direct pressure upon the wound itself with the pad of the first aid package will often be sufficient to stop the leak.

Nature when left alone stops the leaks with her own solder, called blood-clot, which forms in the cut ends of blood tubes and corks them or seals them up until a scar forms a permanent seal.

Fig. 6 Fig. 6
Arm blown off at elbow
NOTICE:
1. Bandage on stump.
2. Tourniquet below to check bleeding.
3. Arm held upright to lessen bleeding.
4. Strap supports arm and also acts as a tourniquet.

1482. The dangers from a tourniquet are:

1. Gangrene,—that is, the death of a limb caused by the lack of blood, which has been cut off by the tourniquet. By watching the toes and finger tips and loosening the tourniquet if they are becoming blue black and remain white when pinched, gangrene may be prevented. However, the wound should be plugged before loosening the tourniquet.

2. Injury to nerves from pressure which may cause palsy (paralysis). However, that will generally pass off in a few days.

Fig. 7 Fig. 7
Compound fracture

1483. Broken Bones (Fractures). A broken bone or fracture is known by pain in a particular place that hurts on movement or when touched. Also, by a deformity or a movable lump, caused by the broken end of the bone.

A broken bone should be handled with the greatest possible care. Careless handling may cause the broken ends to pierce the flesh and stick out through the skin. This is called a compound fracture, and is serious, because it adds fuel to the fire by making a doorway for germs to enter, which may cause death or the loss of the limb. Furthermore, careless handling may make the bones grow together in a bad position, causing a deformity.

Fig. 8 Break of UPPER arm bone. Pulling the broken bones out of flesh and into place Fig. 8 Treatment for break of upper arm bone
1. Padding of grass.
2. Splints put on FRONT and BACK.
3. Splints extend beyond elbow joint.
4. Arm is supported by a sling. Fig. 8 Treatment for break of both bones of lower arm
1. Plenty of grass padding to protect the flesh.
2. The splints are put FRONT and BACK and bound snugly. The hand is included.
3. The whole dressing is held up by a sling.
Fig. 8

The best way to treat a broken leg or arm bone is as follows: (Fig. 8.)

Pull until the ends come together. You can tell this by the relief the patient feels and by the limb assuming its proper length,—that is, the same length as the other side.

Fig. 9 Fig. 9
Points to note:
Plenty of grass between the legs.
Plenty of grass between injured leg and splint.
Splint extends from arm pit to foot.
The other leg is used for a splint.
Plenty of strapping to keep leg quiet.

1484. To keep the ends of the bones in place, fasten to the limb two boards or any other substance that will not bend. Such boards or other substance are called splints. They act as artificial bones. All splints should be well padded with some soft material like raw cotton waste, grass (be sure the grass contains no biting insects), leaves, hay or excelsior, to prevent pressure of the soft flesh on the ends of the bones.

When the thigh bone is broken, put a splint from the arm to the ankle and use the other leg as a splint. Fasten them by bandages, belts, gun sling, etc., passed around the chest, waist, hips, knees and ankle.

When an arm is put in a splint, hang the hand and forearm in a sling. It will give much relief.

When the jaw is broken, the upper jaw makes a good splint.

When the collar bone is broken this makes a good treatment: Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 Broken collar bone
The left collar bone is broken. Therefore, pull BOTH shoulders backward away from the breast bone (same action as for broken arm bone) and hold in position with bandage or straps. Fig. 10 Broken collar bone (left side)
When the shoulders are pulled back then the hand is bound close to the chest high up. This prevents it from flopping and so twisting the broken ends of the collar bone. Fig. 10

Fig. 11 Fig. 11
Treatment for broken ribs, left side
The patient breathes all the air out of the chest and at that moment the strap is buckled tightly. This prevents the broken ends of the ribs from tearing the flesh or the lungs. Notice the roll of shirt which acts as a pad.

A broken rib is treated by putting a wide strap or bandage around the chest and drawing it tight while all the air is breathed out.

This keeps the rib quiet and the man will breathe with his belly instead of his chest.

A broken skull usually makes a man unconscious and may cause death. It is recognized by a wound or swelling of the scalp and a dent in the skull. A doctor should be called at once. Always examine an unconscious man for injury to the head.

1485. Burns. If clothing sticks to the burn, do not try to remove it, but cut around it. Prick blisters at both ends with a perfectly clean needle, and remove the water by gentle pressure, being careful not to break the skin.

A good application for a burn is carbolic acid dissolved in water (a teaspoonful in a pint of water), or tincture of iodine dissolved in water (one teaspoonful in a pint of water, to which is added as much salt as will cover a dime), or olive oil, vaseline or butter.

Lacking the remedies named above, ordinary baking soda or flour may be dusted on the unbroken skin, or a cloth dampened with salt water that has been boiled, to which may be added the same amount of whiskey or brandy as there is water.

Another application for burns recommended by some, is the scraping of a raw potato, renewed when it feels hot.

Different burns should be treated as follows:

Sunburn,—treat with olive oil, vaseline or butter, or with a glycerine or witchhazel, applying with a dampened cloth.

Quicklime or lye,—treat with vinegar.

Carbolic acid,—treat with alcohol.

Other acids,—treat with baking powder or lime water.

1486. Burning clothes, particularly those