RED CROSS FIRST-AID TEXT-BOOKBY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
The Red Cross Society is becoming more and more practical, and is getting closer and closer to the everyday life of the people. In the past it has been distinguished by affording relief in times of great calamities, famines, epidemics, floods, fires and plagues, but, as the organization spreads throughout the country and becomes localized its merciful missions reach the thresholds of the schoolhouse and the home. It is now circulating a little pocket edition of “The American National Red Cross Text Book; a Manual of Instruction; How to Prevent Accidents, and What to Do for Injuries and Emergencies.” It was prepared by Major Charles Lynch of the medical corps of the United States Army, who distinguished himself as medical attache with the Japanese Army during the late war with Russia and has recently been detailed to make a special study of possibilities of Red Cross aid to armies in time of war.
The book is published for the Red Cross Society, and is being circulated from the headquarters in the War Department with the hearty indorsement of Judge Taft, who was president of the Red Cross Society long before he was elected President of the United States. Brigadier General R. M. O’Reilly, surgeon general of the United States Army, writes the preface, in which he explains the necessity and the usefulness of the booklet, which, he says, “will serve to fill a place of its own in the ever-increasing movement for the relief of human suffering.”
“Notwithstanding the many excellent works already in existence on first aid instruction,” continues Surgeon General O’Reilly, “none of the writers so far as I know, have given much thought to teaching the prevention of accidents. While this subject is necessarily treated rather briefly here, at least enough is said to call attention to the importance of prevention as contrasted with cure, and, for this reason, it seems to me peculiarly appropriate that this book should have the indorsement of the Red Cross, as the beneficent mission of that association, like that of the good physician in treating disease, should be to go deeply into causes which are responsible for the physical sufferings of humanity, rather than resort solely to palliative measures.
“Another novelty in the present manual is that it treats not only of first aid as given by the individual but also of relief columns, bodies designed to administer first aid as organizations. Army conditions emphasize the necessity for the creation of organizations in order that first aid may be given with maximum efficiency. And there are many situations in civil life, such as vast concourses of people, great fires, railroad disasters, which equally demand first aid organizations instead of individuals, who, however well taught they may be, must, under such circumstances, work at cross purposes, unless they are united into a disciplined body in which the special duties of each are carefully defined.”
Gen. O’Reilly might have added something about the importance of the little book for the household, for it seems to contain directions for every possible accident that may occur to human creatures from concussion of the brain to chilblains. There ought to be a copy on every farm and ranch, in every factory and workshop, on every football field and in every gymnasium. There ought to be a copy in every automobile. Every railway conductor and brakeman should be required to carry it in his pocket, for it tells him what to do in every kind of accident. Organizationsseek such books for the instruction and guidance of their members, but they must be brought to the attention of households, where, I think, this will be most useful in preventing as well as relieving the little accidents that occur daily and the little afflictions that children and grown people suffer. These are often thought to be so insignificant that no attention is paid to them, like mosquito bites, stings of insects, injuries to the eyes, poisons from ivy, burns and scalds, wounds from fish hooks or shotguns, and Dr. Lynch has explained what to do under every circumstance and condition.
The Red Cross book should be used as a text-book in schools, for it is full of practical physiology, and children can be trained to render effective first aid to each other. The ordinary text-books on physiology are doubtless full of important information, but as a rule they are too theoretical to be applied to ordinary everyday accidents.
A copy of Dr. Lynch’s book has been placed by the District Red Cross Society in every police station and engine-house in Washington. The Cleveland society has done the same, and it would seem that every city in the country might follow these examples with profit. The Red Cross relief column at the time of the inauguration will be supplied with copies. The book is compact and small, with flexible covers, so that it can be carried in the pocket.