Evening star., 1915-08-23
SURGEONS DISCUSS
!. LAYMEN'S FIRST AID
Some Railroad Chiefs Oppose.
=: IndisCriminate Use of
Packages.
BELIEVE IN SIMPLE KITS.
WITH BUT FEW DRESSINGS
Standardization Is Sought at Con.
ference of Medical Men at
the Willard.

blFerse opinions as to the practical
bllity OF first aid treatment by laymen
were expressed by physicians at the
opening session. in the small ballroom
OF the New Willard Hotel this morning.
OF conference on first aid, accident
surgery and transportation of chief
surgeons and other officials of rail-
roads. together with representatives Of
the medical departments of the army.
navy, public health service and the
Red Cross. The conference is TO last
for two days
Dr A 5. lie Conte of Philadelphia,
president of the American Surgical So
ciety' presided until the arrival at II 30
o'clock of Col. William c. Gorgas. sur
Seon general. L. S. A, who is to preside
at the remaining sessions The deIib-
erations of the physicians are entirely
informal, no papers having been pre-
pared
While all speakers at this mornings
session seemed agreed that first aid
treatment b ymeans of first aid packets
Is desirable thing, there was Some di-
versity of opinion as to whether in the
hands OF laymen, including railroad
employees. the proper treatments could
be accorded wounded men efficiently.
First aid is fine thing il it is not
carried too far" declared one speaker
The gist of opinion was that the sim
pier the first aid the more effective IT
was liable to be. and that first aid
packages or kits should be composed
of a minimum amount of materials and
appliances.
First Aid Minimized.
Headed by DIR. J. p. Kaster. chief
surgeon of the Santa Fe railroad, those
who seemed not so sure that first aid
is such a wonderful thing in the hands
of the inexperienced made themselves
felt at the session this morning.
1t was just case of when doctors
disagree" but was a most harmonious
disagreement. showing. as one speaker
expressed it, that while doctors are
the most optimistic men on earth they
are perfectly willing to see all sides OF
thing.
!"I am in favor of first aid. but there
clared DR.. Kaster. First aid. while
theoretically beautiful, is still in the
position that the most benefit comes
from the simplest dressings with the
simplest instructions to the layman
what to do and what not to do"
From his experience of twenty-five
years on the Santa Fe. DIR. Kaster de-
clared it his opinion that it is impossi-
first aid kit" for the whole United
States, and for use on railroads. in the
army and navy and in all manufactur.
ing plants alike. Some manufacturers.
for instance, have practically nothing
but burn cases to treat, while the next
will have practically no burn cases.
We should not talk SO much, il
seems to me-" he said. about stand
see that the different packages are
kept up to their individual standard"
DIR. kaster then told of how the first
aid boxes on the Santa Fe have been
found them often used for work kits,
the men keeping nails and tools in
them. instead of frst-aid appliances.
Small Packages Most Effective.
The smaller the package the more
effective it will be. declared DR.. Charles
H. Lemon. chief surgeon of the Electric
Railroad and Light Company of Mil
waukee. In the opinion that first
aid packet should contain no antisep-
tics. except possibly boracic acid I'm
meet the approval of most of the ply
sfcians. The scrubbing and irritation
Of wounds and the ''meddlesome prac-
tice of sewing everything up" we're
trowned upon by the doctors.
Laymen should give first aid and
then quit, declared Dr. Lemon. IL the
packet is simple and contains few
be less incentive for appliers of first
aid to meddle with a wound before it
is properly treated by physician.
other speakers brought out that il
frst-aid packets were widely distrib-
uted among laymen, especially among
railroad men. they would tend to foster
the pernicious habit of self -medica tion.
Having dressed his wound. the layman
would think all was well and would
not go to a physician, as he should
Every shop has it's EYE DOCTOR" one
of the railroad physicians said He is
one of the greatest dangers in a shop,
especially the fellow who removes for
eign bodies from the eye by means of
horsehair.
All present this morning seemed
to agree with that speaker who de-
clared that "the minute you try to
make the layman doctor you are w
against it," 1t was pointed out that
before teaching the laymen first aid
we should take the mote out of our
eyes. On railroad with 45O surgeons
along the line, one speaker declared,
there would be $50 ways of treating
cases. For this reason it
was advocated that the standa rdization
of first aid treatment was a most i'm
portant consideration.
Buffet Luncheon.
The fifty or more delegates to the
participated in a buffet
lunch served in the small ballroom at
l o'clock. This afternoon. tonight and
tomorrow informal deliberations will
be held. with the idea of getting at
the real needs of first aid and ''S ap-
pliance throughout the country. In
pursuance of this result. following the
IDEAS of the railroad surgeons this
representatives of the army
navy and Red Cross will C. ntribute
their opinions as to first aid at the re-
naming sessions of the conference.
DIR. Joseph c. Bloodgood of Johns
Hopkins University is secretary of the
Assistant Surgeon Cen
erai w. c. Rucker is detailed to rep
resent the public health service.