New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-20
URGES STANDARD
FIRST AID KITS
Assistant Surgeon Gen
eral Rucker Tells of Their
Advantages.
SUGGESTS FOUR
UNIFORM GROUPS
Would Save Workers In Peace
Times and Soldiers When
War Breaks Out.
tFrom Tn. Tribune Bur-aul

Washington, Sept. ~. That pre-
parcdness for war was linked up with
the programme for first aid education
TO he advocated by the Commission on
First Aid which will be appointed soon
by President Wilson was stated to-day
by Assistant Surgeon General Rucker
of the Public Health Service, who will
be recommended by Surgeon General
Blue to represent that service on the
First Aid Commission.
"The prime idea" said DR.. Rucker,
sis to have every man or certainly
every man and woman employed IN the
occupations generally recognized az
hazardous carry a little first aid kit,
so hat when a man or woman is in
jured first aid relief can be extended at
once. without the wait usual before n
physician or surgeon can come.
unfortunately, two big mistakes
have been made up to this time in adj
vocatinG first aid kits. One of these
was that there were so many different
ideas as to what the first aid kit should
contain that in no two places can kits
be found alike. As a result the cost
of the kits is many times higher than
il ought to be, with no corresponding
benefit whatever.
"The kits should be standardized
The commission, or some other body Of
surgeons, should determine just what
ought to go into the kits, and that
should settle the matter.
Suggests -Four Kit Types.
81 do not mean that men employed in
big steel mill should have the same
kind of kits as those in a textile fac
tory. Bus it would be possible, for in
stance, to work out about four different
kinds of kits, and one of these four
types would be ideal, or very nearly so.
for almost any kind of occupation.
They would be divided, of course, along
the line Of the natures of injury likely
TO be received in the occupation. One
class Of workman, such as the workers
in the steel mills, would be more likely
to be injured by heavy crushing
weights dropping on them or by burns
from hot metal. Another class, in the
textile mills, would be more likely to
be struck by flying bits of metal or
pierced by needles or like injuries, and
so on through the industries. But
think four different combinations in
the kits would be plenty.
Then, with the kits standardized, It
would be possible for the employers of
the men and women wanting the kits to
buy by the thousands the little packets
arranged in the combination most
suited for their industry, with the re-
suit that the individual cost would be
comparatively trifing.
with this accomplished, not only
would the cost be cut tremendously,
but, with the Standardization of the
0andages, etc, a wonderful supply of
necessities for field hospitals would be
at the disposal Of the country in the
event Of war There would be no delay
or suffering on the part of our sol
diers, accustomed TO the sad lack of
hospital supplies which has character
lied the treatment of the wounded
after many of the worlds battles.
These little kits in the possession Of
the workers of the country would keep
the army surgeons going until other
arrangements could be made for their
supply.
"Going to the other mistake, we have
been so enthusiastic and Jealous IN
our instructions with regard to first
aid that we have in many instances
substituted poor surgeons. If not dan
gerous surgeons, for good first aid men.
We have urged the laymen to go
little too far in the first aid measures,
instead of waiting for the trained cX
pert.