Remember that poison from a snake bite gets into your blood, and goes all through your body in a very few beats of your pulse. Therefore, whatever you do must be done immediately. The great thing is to stop the poison rushing up the veins into the body. To do this bind a cord or handkerchief immediately round the limb above the place where the patient has been bitten, so as to stop the blood flowing back to the heart with the poison from the wound, and cut the wound still more, to make it bleed, and run the poison out. The poison, when sucked into the mouth, does no harm unless you have a wound in your mouth.
The patient should also be given stimulants, such as coffee, and should not be allowed to become drowsy, but walked about and pricked and smacked in order to keep his senses alive until a doctor takes him over.
Sprained Ankle
Apply a tight bandage. Keep the patient from trying to walk, or put any weight on the foot. Fetch help and have the patient carried home. Keep the foot raised; remove the boot carefully. Apply cold, to relieve the pain and stop the swelling. This is done by wringing out a piece of material or a small towel folded in several thicknesses in very cold water, and wrapping the ankle in it.
If cold fails to relieve the pain hot applications may be a comfort. These are called hot fomentations, and there are several things to remember about them: Pour boiling water upon the folded material, which should then be wrapped in a thin towel or cloth so that you may be able to wring it out. Be sure to wring as dry as possible, otherwise you may scald the patient. Shake the fomentation out, and apply quickly while very hot. When the pain is relieved, leave off the fomentations. Keep the foot firmly bandaged, and make the patient rest for a few days.
Stings
The best antidote for all stings is ammonia. You can remember this by the front letters of the alphabet: (A)mmonia for (B)ee sting. Baking soda is also good. Remove the stinger from a bee with a clean needle.
Suicides
Where a man has gone so far as to attempt suicide, a Scout should know what to do with him.
In the case of a man cutting his throat, the point is to stop the bleeding from the artery, if it is cut. The artery runs from where the collar-bone and breast-bone join up, to the corner of the jaw, and the way to stop bleeding is to press hard with the thumb on the side of the wound nearest to the heart, and to keep up the pressure until assistance arrives.
In a case where the would-be suicide has taken poison, give him first aid for poison (see above).
In the case of hanging, cut down the person at once, taking care to support him with one arm while cutting the cord. Cut the noose, loosen all tight clothing about the neck and chest. Let the patient have as much fresh air as possible, throw cold water on the face and chest, or cold and hot water alternately. Perform artificial respiration, as in the case of apparently drowned people.
A Tenderfoot is sometimes inclined to be timid about handling an insensible man or a dead man, or even of seeing blood. Well, he won’t be much use till he gets over such nonsense. The poor insensible fellow can’t hurt him, and he must force himself to catch hold of himself. When once he has done this his fears will pass off.
How to Carry a Patient
A four-handed seat can be made by two Scouts each grasping his own left wrist with his right hand and in the same way grasping the right wrist of the other Scout with his left hand. If a back is required a three-handed seat is made in much the same way, except that one Scout makes a back by grasping the shoulder of the other. Stretchers may be arranged in some of the following ways:
(a) A door, gate, covered well with straw, hay, clothing, sacking.
(b) A piece of carpet, blanket, sacking, tarpaulin, spread out, and two stout poles rolled up in the sides. Put clothes for a pillow.
(c) Two coats, with the sleeves turned inside out. Pass two poles through the sleeves; button the coats over them.
(d) Two poles passed through a couple of sacks, through holes at the bottom corners of each.
In carrying a patient on a stretcher be careful that he is made quite comfortable before you start. Let both bearers rise together; they must walk out of step and take short paces. It should be the duty of the hinder bearer to keep a careful watch on the patient.
If the poles are short, four bearers will be necessary, one at each corner of the stretcher.
PATROL PRACTICES IN FIRST AID
Training in first aid should be very thorough as the public expects much of Scouts.
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Arrange surprise “accidents” during Patrol or Troop meetings, and let different Scouts take charge.
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Introduce at odd moments such practices as: improvised stretchers, four—handed seat, artificial respiration, making splints for an injured limb.
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GAMES IN FIRST AID
Missionaries
Each Scout in turn acts as an explorer or missionary, with a few simple remedies. Three patients are brought to him in succession to be treated, each having a different disease or injury. He has to advise or show what treatment should be carried out.
Wounded Prisoners
Placed at various points, each fifty yards from camp, are prisoners one for each competitor in the game. These prisoners have a tag, describing an injury, attached to their shirts.
At a signal each of the competitors has to make for a prisoner, give him first aid for his injury and bring him home. The one who reaches camp first with a prisoner properly cared for, wins.
Displays
Life-saving displays are very popular both with performers and with the audience.
Bicycle Accident—Boys returning from camp. A rash cyclist. Misfortune. Injuries attended to and patients carried away to hospital on improvised stretchers.
Gas Explosion—Mrs. Coddles and family take a walk. On her way home, Mrs. Coddles meets a friend. Maria is sent on to light the gas stove and prepare father’s tea. Father gets back from work and finds the house full of gas. Ambulance squad comes to the rescue. Maria is dragged out and given artificial respiration. Constable Ado arrives on the scene. How not to look for a gas escape. Sad end of a gallant but thoughtless policeman.
Fire Display—Evening at No. 5 Suburbi Villas. Fire alarm. Inmates aroused. Fence formed to keep back the crowd. Arrival of fire section with jumping-sheet. Life-lines and ladders. Rescue of remaining occupants.
Factory Fire—The workmen are engaged in their daily occupation when an explosion occurs, causing a fire inside the building and an exterior wall to collapse, which injures a man who happens to be passing at the time. The uninjured workmen attend to their unfortunate comrades, while others rush off for help and return with the ambulance and fire apparatus. Some of the men are rescued from the burning building by jumping from the tower into carpet.
CHAPTER IX
OUR DUTIES AS CITIZENS