The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-01
GIRL BANDAGE FOR FRENCH
Many Ingenious De-
vices Created by Her
to Fill Special Needs
of the Busy War Sur
geOnS

risks the broken ends knitting side
by side. whence weakness. pain and
limping on a short leg forever.
Whence. leg pulling, gentle, cOntinu-
rs, to keep the broken bone In align
nent. The leg IL put in the sliding
cradle and the cradle liz pulled. trac-
ton by weight. Also. by having con-
tinuous traction they are able to dress
the wounds without letting go the
weight. otherwise, while dressing, the
bone might slide back. Half the
limps OF the past were 40 caused!
The appliance Is due to the ingenuity
of an American girl.
"Sne day" she continued, "Dr. Min
got brought a mobile splint which
was used in his Bordeaux hospital.
II was complicated to make n had
several disadvantages. tried to ac-
complish the same result more sim
ply. The surgeons told me that |
had fallen on n well known system,
simpliiied it, made IL adaptable tn
arms as well az legs, n obviating
the cradle for the bed clothes"
Her next triumph was the American
ambulance field splint.
We all had a hand in It," she said.
generously. Things used in times
Of peace did not seem Of much use
for the terrible problems of the war.
Dr. Frank Gardner came to US in Oc-
tobcr and made the first metal splints
we used. They were notifications NJ
what | have since learned was the
Thomas splint. When Dr. Gardner
left, the work was turned over to me.
to see that the things were made.
My artists knowledge of anatomy
helped. of course, and before he LETT
Dr. Gardner had said to me that he
would like To work out "A splint for
field use. to transport men with
broken legs. and he wanted to accom-
pliSh it without weights.
II had already made a little anklei
for the hospital when fractures were
too low to admit gluing the strips
on. So ! imagined a gaiter, making
the splint straight, with buckle at the
bottom. and placing straps in such "A
that they could be strapped
above and below the fracture. This
had not been done before he left.
one day one of the came
W tlt Will NV Sdiii' fi'l'Si'i'li' 4
said | thought | could do il and
told him what ! had devised. He
said il looked all right and told me
to make one. This | did, and it is
now what is called the American
ambulance field splint,"
The reference To glue is an innova-
! ton II Du Bouchet, the use Of glue
instead of adhesive plaster. which ag-
gravates the skin in long cases. ,"All
our cases are long" say Miss Gas
| sette. "and aggravated of themselves,
with quantities of compound frac-
lures caused by %schrapnel and broken
SHELF DIR. Du Bouchet. the Phila-
delphian. found the glue.
Early In September Or. Du Bou-
chet asked me to make cotton flannel
strips to he used for an extension with
this glue continued Miss Gassette.
From his idea ! worked out h first
appliance hat was used. Then he
asked for a pillow filled with excel
sior to take the place of padded
splints. Like everything in my de-
partment. it was an evolution, and
to-day we make five kinds of stock
splint pillows. and | have made six
other kinds for special cases"
"For the Du Bouchet splints we
use the cotton flannel appliance. We
have had To deal with a~mputations
so | applied the cotton flannel to an
extension for the skin To help in
granulation. This strip is glued about
the leg so as not to interfere with
the dressing. The ends are buckled
into the crosspiece. \ cord is fas-
tened to the centre and runs over q
pulley. and the extension is caused b!
weight. Using so many extensions
and weights. | have made one-hal'
pound and one pound bags of sho'
10 be put into larger bags as needed
| For pulleys we use large spools,"