How Girls Can Help Their Country Part 28

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3]

3. If the arms are difficult to grasp, push your arms under those of the subject, bend them upwards, and place your hands, with the fingers separated, flat on his chest, the thumbs resting on his shoulder joints.

Swim on the back (Fig. 3).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 4]

4. In rescuing a swimmer with cramp or exhausted, or a drowning person who is obedient and remains quiet, the person a.s.sisted must place his hands on the rescuer's shoulders close to the neck at arm's length, turn on his back, and lie perfectly still with the head well back. Here the rescuer is uppermost; and, having his arms and legs free, swims with the breast stroke. This is the easiest method, and enables the rescuer to carry the person a longer distance without much exertion (Fig. 4).

Release

A drowning person will sometimes grip his would-be rescuer in such a manner as to render it impossible to tow him to land. The three following methods are recommended for releasing oneself when clutched by a drowning person.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 5]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 6]

1. When the rescuer is grasped by the wrists: Extend the arms straightforward, bring them down until they are in a line with the hips, and then jerk the wrists against the thumbs of the subject. This will break the hold (Figs. 5 and 6).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 7]

2. When the rescuer is clasped round the neck: Take a deep breath and lean well over the drowning person. At the same time, place the left hand in the small of his back. Then pinch the nostrils close between the fingers of the right, while resting the palm on his chin, and push away with all possible force (Fig. 7).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 8]

3. When the rescuer is clasped round the body: Take a deep breath and lean well over as before. Place the left hand on the subject's right shoulder and the right palm on his chin. At the same time bring the right knee against the lower part of his chest. Then by means of a strong and sudden push, stretch your arms and leap straight out, throwing the whole weight of your body backwards (Fig. 8).

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Artificial Respiration

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 9]

When a person is brought to land in an apparently drowned condition lose no time in attempting restoration. Delay may prove fatal. Act at once and work with caution, continuous energy, and perseverance. Life has, in many cases, been restored after long hours of unceasing work. In all cases send for a doctor as soon as possible. Meanwhile proceed at once to clear the water out of the patient's lungs. The following method is the simplest and is called the Schafer system, after the inventor.

Incline the patient face downwards and the head downwards, so that the water may run out of his mouth, and pull his tongue forward. After running the water out of the patient, place him on his side with his body slightly hanging down, and keep the tongue hanging out. If he is breathing let him rest; if he is not breathing, you must at once endeavor to restore breathing artificially. Here are Professor Schafer's own instructions:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 10]

1. Lay the patient face downwards with arms extended and the face turned to the side.

2. Don't put a cus.h.i.+on or any support under the chest. Kneel or squat alongside or astride of the patient facing towards his head.

3. Place your hands on the small of the patient's back, one on each side, with thumbs parallel and nearly touching.

4. Bend forward with the arms straight, so as to allow the weight of your body to fall on your wrists, and then make a firm, steady downward pressure on the loins of the patient, while you count slowly, "one--two--three."

5. Then swing your body backward so as to relieve the pressure and without removing your hands, while you count slowly, "one--two."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 11]

Continue this backward and forward movement, alternately relieving and pressing the patient's stomach against the ground in order to drive the air out of his chest and mouth, and allowing it to suck itself in again, until gradually the patient begins to do it for himself. The proper pace for the movement should be about twelve pressures to the minute. As soon as the patient is breathing you can leave off the pressure; but watch him, and if he fails you must start again till he can breathe for himself. Then let him lie in a natural position and set to work to get him warm by putting hot flannels or bottles of hot water between his thighs, and under the arms and against the soles of his feet. Wet clothing should be taken off and hot blankets rolled round him. The patient should be disturbed as little as possible and encouraged to sleep while carefully watched for at least an hour afterwards.

Ice Rescue

To rescue a person who has broken through the ice, you should first tie a rope around your own body and have the other end tied or held in sh.o.r.e. Then get a long board or a ladder, or the limb of a tree, crawl out on this and push it out so that the person in the water may reach it. If nothing can be found on which to support your weight don't attempt to walk to the person to be rescued, but lie flat on your face and crawl out to him, thus so much less weight bears on the ice at one point than walking. Remember, if you break through the ice yourself, that if you try to crawl on the broken ice it will break again with you; better support yourself on edge of ice and await rescue.

Gas and Sewer Gas

Never go to sleep in a room where the gas is burning low. As gas may escape into the room, very big fires burning in sleeping rooms are dangerous, especially in charcoal stoves. In underground sewers and wells dangerous gases are found; if a lighted candle will not burn in such a place it is certain the air will be dangerous for any one entering it.

In rescuing a person from a place filled with gas, take a few deep breaths before entering, carry him quickly out without breathing yourself. Gas will not be found near the floor of a building, so you may be able to crawl out where it would be dangerous to walk.

Treating and Bandaging the Injured

A fracture is the same thing as a broken bone. When the bone pierces through the skin it is called a compound fracture. When it does _not_, a simple fracture.

If you have to deal with a broken leg or arm, and can't get a doctor at once, make the patient lie down.

Place the leg in the same position as sound one, and hold it in splints made of anything that is stiff and rigid like a _flat_ board (that is better than a round pole) or a limb broken from a tree. s.h.i.+ngles make excellent splints.

In applying splints, they should extend beyond the next joint above and the next joint below the broken point. Otherwise the movement of the joint will cause the broken part to move.

With a broken thigh, the splint should be very long, extending from armpit to below the feet; a short splint just below the knee will do for the inner splint.

Splints may be tied on with handkerchiefs; tie firmly, but not so tight as to cause severe pain.

In a fractured thigh it is well to bind the broken leg to the sound one by two or three pieces of cloth around both.

The clothing around the leg makes a padding for the splints unless it is thin summer clothing, in which case straw and leaves should be put between the splint and the leg or arm.

Fractures of the leg and arm are treated the same way, with splints on inner and outer sides of broken bone.

A sling will be required with fractures of the arm; this may be made with triangular bandage or triangular neck handkerchief or piece torn from your skirt or petticoat. Red Cross outfits are very convenient for injuries.

Compound Fracture

If the sharp edges of the broken bone pierce through the skin, which often happens if splints are not well applied and the person moves, the broken bone again pierces the skin. If a wound is made by the broken bone, then the wound must be treated first.

Dressing Wounds

All wounds, unless protected from germs, are liable to become infected by matter or pus. Blood-poisoning or even death may result. To prevent infection of wound, a sterilized dressing should be applied; this is a surgical dressing which has been treated so that it is free from germs and can be got at any druggist's or can be had in First Aid outfits.

Don't handle a wound with your hands, because even though your hands appear perfectly clean, they are not so; neither is water free from germs, so a wound should never be washed.