Evening star., 1942-12-20

England's war experience has dis
PEELED "preconceived notions" that
trained women first-aiders cannot
replace doctors in giving emergency
treatment at the scene of accidents,
according to DR.. James w. Braden
staff surgeon at Casualty Hospital
Commenting on the ambulance
driving and first-aid training now
being given by Casualty staff ply
slcians and drivers to eight AWVS
women one of whom drove an am
bulance during the London blitz-
DR.. Braden predicted the present
Casualty. Hospital experiment of
meeting the shortage of physicians
with women first-aiders would prove
successful
Helpful in Many Cases.
I'm the majority of cases, con-
trary to public belief, women first
siders can be as helpful at an acci-
dent scene as physician" DR..
Braden said. The first-aiders know
how to do these things /, Control
hemorrhage by placing a sterile
dressing on an open wound and ap-
ply pressure; 2, apply heat and blan-
kets and keep warm the patient
suffering from shock: g. apply
splints for fractures if necessary;
4, use the resuscitator in drown
ing, gas and electric shock cases:
S. get the patient to a hospital as
quickly as possible"
First aiders are not allowed to
inject medicines to deaden pain, but
neither does the average ambulance
physician use hypodermic needle
at the scene, DR.. Bradep empha-
sized.
The important thing is to apply
hrst-aid treatment and get the pa
tient to the hospital quickly" he
added.
The eight women undergoing Cas-
ualty Hospital training are Mrs.
Alec Preece, group leader; Mrs. Will
liam Ritchie, wife of the Second
Secretary of the British Embassy;
Mrs. Theodore Hancock, Mrs. R. A.
Lovett, Mrs. A. Hewitt, Miss Belle
johnson, Mrs. Eugene Carusi and
Mrs. Palmer Carter Each had re-
ceived a Red Cross first-aid certifi-
cate before being certified to Cas-
ualty Hospital by the American
Women's Voluntary Services.
Each can take turn at driving
an ambulance or giving first-aid
treatment They are volunteering
their services in the emergency. to
render a public service. Asked if
they planned to 60 into nursing or
study medicine as a result of their
ambulance experiences, they said
they do not anticipate professional
careers in this respect.
Reluctant to Talk,
-Four who worked yesterdays shift
were reluctant to discuss experiences
to date, but Miss Elizabeth M Rog-
ers, superintendent of Casualty Hos
pital, and DR.. Braden, termed the
women most capable and very con-
scientious in their work
1t took a bit of coaxing by Miss
Rogers to get Mrs. Ritchie to dis
cuss her experiences as an ambu-
lance driver and first-aider during
the bombing of London. With typ
ical English reserve she discounted
her own role Il was Just one of
many, many women helping the VIC
Tins of German bombs" she said.
She drove an ambulance in Lon
don from 1888 to 194l before COM
ing to Washington with her hus-
band.
Il worked in the southeast section
Of London. near the dock area, and
this was the worst hit section" she
related. "As I look back on those
terrible days-never stopping work
day or night for period of three
weeks-the one thing that stands
out was the great determination OF
all the British people to hit back at
the enemy.
The ambulance work we are now
doing at Casualty Hospital is the