Evening star., 1940-12-15
Red Cross, Leader in First>Aid Work,
Always on the Alert for Expansion

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Whether or not you Join the Red
Cross classes, he urges that the next
time you try to render aid to an &C.
cident victim In the street, let him
stay there, even If he is in . danger.
Gus spot. You will be doing your bit
If you merely station yourself 50
feet away and direct trafdc to detour
around him.
Mr.. Duncan gives other rules, some
of which may be mentioned.
Keep the patient lying down.
Blood circulates more easily in that
position, and good circulation Is
just as important for an accident
victim as it is for q newspaper. It
minimizes shock.
Examine, tenderly, for injuries not
clearly seen, and for bleeding. Call
a doctor and be sure you get the ad-
dress right. Make him promise when
he can come. Keep the crowd away.
Don't let on to the injured person
that he may be badly hurt; whether
he is, or isn't, the news that he is
brings shock
Never try to give an unconscious
person a drink, even if the drink is
only water, and even II you have
seen 1t done in the movies. If the
movie director wants to make that
mistake. let him; it won't hurt his
actors, who are only pretending to
be unconscious If they really were,
they might easily choke to death.
In cases of drowning, do not waste
time looking for q barrel on which
to roll the victim. If there is a
barrel handy right on the beach, it
can be made to serve a good pur-
pose. Order some one to make q
bonfire Of it. while you get busy with
artificial respiration. Your Job Is
not to get water out Of the lungs
little. If any, will be present there
but to get air into them, and out,
and in again, and so on, for hours
II necessary. Then. when he Is re-
vived he will need warmth-acci-
dent victims should always be kept
warm-and as he gazes into the
CHEEKY blaze he will thank his lucky
stars that he had a rescuer who
knew what to do with a barrel, In
stead of one who wasted time,
precious time, in rolling him on it.
The Red Cross, says Mr.. Duncan,
is working to have first aid taught
in the public schools as a compul-
sorry subject. He fully expects it
to come, in time. As he points out,
safety is now taught in the schools,
and first aid is only a step beyond
safety. Certainly there will be no
opposition from q certain school In
the Middle West where q small child
cut an arm and bled to death BE-
cause there was not q sinrle soul
IN the entire building who knew
how to apply . tourniquet.
Demand for Experts.
Even now some school principals
call upon the Red Cross to sen.
instructors to conduct first-ai6
classes. Churches do the sau,s
factories also. Even Governmen,
departments want their experts to
come over. after business hours, and
train the personnel in first aid,
These increasing demands necessi-
tate more instructors, and in fact
Mr.. Duncan stresses that his pro.
gram Is mostly one Of education,
He is not satisfied merely to teach
John Smith what to do In an emer.
gency; he wants John, If he has
the ability, to become an instructor
and extend the work to Richard Roe
and Jane Doe.
This he does by having three
courses-standard, advanced and in
structors'. Real laboratory courses
they are, with splints, crutches, ban
dages and other equipment. Ere.
quently a graduate, even Of the
standard or elementary course,
learns more about emergency work
than many doctor. The doctor, at
his ONCE or a hospital, can make
perfect sling for q broken arm,
because he has available what he
needs, but often q Red Cross grad.
uate can beat him, In the field, In
the art Of improvising . sling out
Of q coat lapel. He has been taught
how to do it, and maybe the doctor
hasn't.
Not that Mr.. Duncan wants his
pupils to replace doctors; far from
it. All he wants each to do Is to
be able to pinch hit for the doctor
until he can come to bat, and then
take . seat on the bench and let
the physician do the rest. ANY one
with fair intelligence can become
such a pinch hitter-but only by in.
struction. Without it, he will either
strike out, or, still worse, thoueht.
lessly hit into a sort Of double plav
that kills the very man he is tryins
to advance.
1nasmuch as you may at any time
be called up to the plate to assist
some unfortunate victim, why not
do 1t the right way, by joining M
Duncan's classes? New ones start
Just after the hrst Of the year. ana
they are so easy to join. There IL
absolutely no red tape, and not even
an interview or formal apuIlcation
is required. All you need 10 ID tele.
phone National Sl1,, Dnuach 20
@uo AK tor Mr.. Duncan.