The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-21
RA|LROAOERS HERE
TAUGHT FIRST AID
Valuable Instructions Given
bv Medical Examiner of
Relief Department.

Crowds collect in the city street
around some unfortunate who lies in
agony on the pavement. Everyone
makes vague suggestions as to what
should be done, but no one does any.
thing until a policeman arrives. Then
he only telephones for an ambulance.
BY the time this gets to the scene,
from twenty minutes to an hour elaps-
es, and unless there happened to be
doctor passing who would volunteer
his services, nothing has been done
for the person who is hurt. AS re-
suit of the delay he may be one Of
those who die in the ambulance or
shortly after reaching the hospital.
Many people lose their lives every
year from injuries that would not
prove fatal if properly treated short
time after they are sustained.
1t is ignorance of what to do in such
emergencies which makes them seem
so appalling that people merely cape
in plying curiosity. 1t is ignorance
that sometimes makes the efforts of
well-meaning individuals who rush to
the rescue and do the wrong thing,
even more harmful. To protect pass
engers and employees from such need
less fatalities, the Pennsylvania rail
road instructs its men in the practice
of first aid to the injured.
Lectures are given by the medical
examiner of the local relief department
with demonstrations of the proper way
to treat all common accidents such as
breaks, cuts, burns and electric shock.
To supplement these concise pamph-
let covering all the important points is
issued.
First Rule keep Cool"
1t is always essential that one per-
son should take charge of proceedings
in order to avoid confusion. The first
statement in the pamphlet is: THE
person in authority should take
charge" and then, keep COOL"
The next thing is to send for ply
stefan. Then comes an explanation
of how to use the stretcher, which is
always kept where it is readily &C
cessible. Keep the crowd away to in
sure plenty of fresh air. Examine the
injuries carefully before doing any
thing. Don't touch open wounds with
the hands; don't attempt to remove
dirt, or apply unclean dressings of any
kind, as infection may be introduced
by so doing"
Following these precautionary d.
rections comes a description of the
contents and use of the various arti-
Giles in the First Aid packet furnished
by the Pennsylvania. After this, the
specific injuries are taken up separate
ly. Hemorrhage, fracture, burn, shock,
unconsciousness, fits, heat exhaustion
and sun stroke are discussed and the
proper treatment explained.
In the system developed by the re-
lief department it is recognized that
in many cases there will be very few
facilities at hand for caring for the
injured, and directions are given for
making use of such things as are al
ways readily to be had. Startling to
the layman are some of the devices
which are employed.
How to Make Splints.
At the lectures the men are shown
how to make use of a newspaper, a
piece of scantling, or even cushion
from a cabin car, for splints. A safe
way to disentangle man from a live
wire by slipping coat under it, is
shown. They are taught the proper
awy to lift an injured person to a
stretcher; the way to adjust sling
with a triangular bandage from the
First Aid packet; emergency treat
ment of injuries to the scalp, and
methods of bandaging.
Special attention is given to electric
shock. The time tables issued to EN-
ployes of the New York terminal di'
vision, where all the equipment is cleo
trical, contain detailed explanations