The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-12-24
(Reprinted from The Baltimore

W Red Cross is extending its ac-
ava tives to meet everyday needs,
as well as unscheduled catastrOphies.
Now over much of the country it IS
taking the Good Samaritan's rule, lit
orally, by providing first aid along the
highway.
1t is we'll that it should do so. 4
truck rounding blind curve collides
with a passing automobile and brushes
it against an embankment. The truck
crew get out, examine the wreckage
and find a man pinned beneath the de
bris. They pull him out, hail a passing
motorist and send the victim in Sit
ting position TO the nearest city. By
the time he has reached a hospital the
1urching ride may have caused frac-
tured rib to puncture his spine, caus-
ing a paralysis from which all the hos
pital staff's skill cannot rescue him.
The truck drivers were playing the
Good Samaritan all right, but dis
astrously. Had they been trained in
first aid, or had first aid been available
at a gasoline station within a mo-
ment's distance from the accident, the
man would have been properly ban
DANCED for the journey and would have
been sent to the hospital in lying po-
sition, or would have been kept on cot
until an ambulance or a doctor could
arrive. Had this been done, the man
would be well today.
\ 4 +
inexperienced persons, with the best
of intentions, can do great harm
through wrong handling. The Ameri-
can Red Cross, realizing this, has set
up classes in first aid and hopes, even
tually, through the schools, to have
even children trained TO meet such
emergencies as the modern highway
provides.
However, until that ultimate goal
can be accomplished, the Red Cross is
establishing highway fr8t-aid stations
at the most dangerous points along the
highways. Although this Red Gross
project began as late as October, 1885,
already 1,204 Of these stations have
been established and many others have
been arranged for, so that it is hoped
by next January to have between g.,
900 and 5000 in operation, and ulti-
mately to have one at every dangerous
spot and on every section of high
way that is heavily burdened with
traffic.
OF those that are already established,
523 are in the East, 494 in the mid
West, and 1877 in the Pacific area
Maryland has only "a few stations
operating (some near College Park
and one at Okland), with others now
in training The Baltimore Red Cross
has a substitute plan, Of which more
will be said. Delaware has thrty-two
stations, probably the best organiza-
ton in the Union; Virginia, twenty
nine with siXty-three in training);
Pennsylvania, ffty-four with one
hundred and seventy-four in training)
and West Virginia, pioneer in this
work, forty-three stations.
***
While this project is sponsored by
the national organization, it is carried
on by the local chapters Of the Red
Gross. The best they hae been able
20 do with the money at hand is to
call upon the cooperation Of gasoline
stations, wayside inns, stores, police
suhstations and volunteer fire depart
ments-any available facilities that
keep open late at night.
Before gasoline station can put up
its Red Cross emergency frst-aid sign
it must be inspected by a subcommittee
to see whether it meets the sanitary
and personnel requirements. The sta
ton must have at least two attendants
who have taken the fi1St-aid course
and have passed the examination for a
Red Cross first-aid certificate. The
reason for the two is that an acct
dent might occur when one attendant is
out to lunch or on an errand and some
trained person must be on hand at all
times.
The textbook used in training for
highway first-aid service is the Amer
Jean Red Cross first-aid textbook
which gives information as to the need
for and use of first aid, the anatomy
and physiology Of the, body, symp-
toms of various disorders and the first
aid treatment to be used in each case.
While it is not so far-reaching as a
medical textbook, or even as grand
mothers doctor book, it is more scien-
tific, at least, than the latter, at the
same time being more underestimate
BILE than the former. 1t covers the field
of every possible emergency and is
told with simplicity and with illustra-
tions so that any literate person with
a love for humanity could understand.
###
As this textbook is designed primar-
lily for first aid in general, as needed
on the farm or in the home, there are
some ailments listed which would not