Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

174 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTgnats that are bent on suicide and on blinding somebody in doing it.First Aid Kits.— There are many kinds ofpocket medicine cases, and of first aid boxes fittedwith both medical and surgical supplies. Most ofthem are too large and heavy to be carried constantlyon the person when a man is afield : they willbe left in camp — and camp is not the place whereaccidents are most likely to occur.It is quite important that the little store of firstaid appliances that one does keep always at handshould be contained in a case that is air-tight andaseptic, yet easy to open and close. I have not seena ready fitted emergency case that is so, except thesoldier's first aid packet, which is hermetically sealedin either tin or impermeable cloth. This packagecontains a triangular bandage, one or two compressesof sublimated gauze, two safety pins, and instructions.A triangular bandage is made by dividing a pieceof muslin a yard square into halves by a diagonalcut joining two opposite corners, and thoroughlysterilizing it. Cuts are printed on it showing howto bandage any major part of the body. Rollerbandages are difficult for untrained people to handle,but anyone can see almost at a glance how to use thetriangular one. A folded neckerchief, or any triangularpiece of cloth, will do as a makeshift, if anaseptic dressing is first applied, in case of an openwound. How to fold the bandage before applyingis shown in Fig. io8. A tourniquet to check bleedingis made by folding into a narrow cravat, as indicated,and then twisting into rope form.The soldier's packet is intended for a first dressingof gunshot wounds, fractures (with the aid of improvisedsplints), and other serious injuries. Onewould not care to open it if he merely had cut histhumb, skinned his knuckle, or blistered his heel.Yet it is the lesser injuries that we are most apt tosuffer^ and they certainly should be treated anti-