FIRST AID AND RELIEF COLUMNS

CALIFORNIA. FIRST AID COURSES FOR SAILORS.

By Dr. G. H. Richardson.

In the January Bulletin you have an idea of how the work was started and I gave weekly lectures to the “Sailors’ Union” and bi-weekly lectures to the “Harbor No. 15,” completing the course about a month ago.

I found that it was useless to endeavor to do much with the men of the Sailors’ Union, for they are here today and away tomorrow, and while apparently interested in the lectures there could be no permanent results obtained. With the “Masters and Mates” it was, however, different, for they are better educated and realize fully the importance of our efforts.

I found here also that the card system was not practicable, for many of the officers could not attend regularly and besides I thought we should try to develop some uniformity which could be utilized all over the country.

To this end I wrote and obtained from the Surgeon General of the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, 100 copies of the “Handbook for the Ship’s Medicine Chest,” (Stoner) and am using this book now with excellent results.

I am giving each member of the Harbor a copy, obtaining a receipt for same, and in the lecture follow closely the instruction laid down in the book.

I have placed on the Bulletin Board of the Harbor the subject and date (with pages in book) of the lecture and give them in the afternoon of every other Thursday at 3.30 o’clock. This I find better than in the evenings for the officers and I have from 25 to 35 present each time. This book, as you will note, has an ideal medicine chest outfit and strange to say very few of the officers knew of the book until I gave them a copy.

I am going to give about eight lectures from the book and then have planned to write you for instructions. Dr. Blue has suggested that when candidates for license as masters, etc., be examined for their eye-sight and color blindness, that an examination in First Aid could be given them. This brings up the question as to how far the Red Cross and the various departments should work together and in my mind is the most important question before our organization today.

In talking with Captain Westcott of Harbor No. 15 here he seems to think that his association should make attendance of its members on the lectures obligatory, and at the same time by a change in the By-Laws make each member become a Red Cross member. I think from what I can learn here that it would be carried unanimously, for I have an excellent reception at every one of my lectures.

Therefore, to be concise, my plan is tentatively—

a. Make each member of the National Association of Masters, Mates and Pilots a member of the Red Cross, arranging with the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service for books, we to collect receipts for same and keep the records.

b. Have “First Aid” Committees in each local Branch, who, with a Secretary, should keep in touch with the work, assign physicians to lecture and examine and arrange for examination of candidates and keep record of same.

c. Endeavor to have laws passed which shall make it necessary for each ship to have a properly equipped chest on board and a copy of the authorized book.

d. Arrange with the Secretary of the National Association of Masters, Mates and Pilots to have him publish in his journal the dates and names of lectures, making them uniform in every place, and where the lectures are to be held.

RELIEF COLUMNS

On Monday, February 5th, at Copper Hall, Lane College, Dr. Geo. F. Somers delivered a witty and entertaining lecture on “First Aid.” A trained litter-squad from the detachment of the First Unitarian Church composed of Messrs. Eastman, Addison, Meyerink and Mikkelsen appeared and gave a practical demonstration in illustration of the lecturer’s subject. The lecturer ingeniously introduced them, by saying, “There is a gentleman here who has met with an accident. Are there any Red Cross men present?” The squad seated individually in different parts of the auditorium assembled about their supposed “victim,” who was bandaged, and splinted, much to the amusement of the audience.

First-Aid Squad Which Accompanied Athletic Team to Australia.

The first county of California to organize a detachment was Alameda. Under the auspices of the State Branch, a very active and ambitious Detachment and Woman’s Auxiliary of the Legion of the Red Cross was formed at the conclusion of a banquet given by the ladies of the congregation of St. John’s Presbyterian Church. The detachment and auxiliary meet together at monthly lectures upon sanitation, hygiene, and allied subjects given by specialists in these different fields.

The detachment under the assistant directorship of Dr. J. N. Force is being drilled by Senior Sub-director Paul Y. Yost, commander of the California Cadets of the University of California.

The “Mariposa.”

The detachment of the Columbia Park Boys’ Club have been training a squad of four young men, Messrs. Wing, Cliffs, Clover and Peterson, who will accompany the athletic team of this famous organization to Australia. Through the courtesy of Dr. McCoy, of the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, they will be drilled by Mr. James Leek.

The young men will start prepared for First Aid in the field and will doubtless have something to do during the football contests. This is perhaps the first squad of the new Legion of the Red Cross to be in service beyond the border of the United States.

By the steamer “Mariposa” on Friday, April 21, bound for New South Wales, a sergeant and a squad from the Grand Legion of the Red Cross, California Branch, accompanied the Columbia Park Boys’ Club upon their six months’ tour of the Antipodes.

With their credentials went a recommendation to Major G. L. Mullins, M. D. Knight of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Australia.

San Francisco, March 18, 1909.

This is to certify that Leon Wing, sergeant of a squad from the detachment known as the “Columbia Park Boy’s Detachment of the Grand Legion of the Red Cross” is a duly accredited representative of the California Branch of the American National Red Cross, a branch of the International Red Cross established under the Treaty of Geneva.

We extend the hand of fraternity to the St. John’s Ambulance Association of Great Britain and recommend this squad and its sergeant to the kind offices of those representatives of the St. John’s Ambulance Association in Australia.

The Columbia Park Boy’s club has set a national standard of efficiency in training boys in clean living, thinking and athletes and it is both the pride and pleasure of the California Branch of the American National Red Cross to wish this, the first squad of a detachment of the Grand Legion of the Red Cross to visit another nation, God speed and a hearty welcome in the Antipodes.

(Signed)

BENJAMIN IDE WHEELER, President. MRS. JOHN F. MERRILL, First Vice-President. MRS. THURLOW McMULLIN, State Secretary. DR. G. H. RICHARDSON, Field Agent. WM. LATHROP MCCLURE, Sec. Legion (Asst. Dir.)

ILLINOIS.

The Illinois Relief Columns took a prominent part in the Memorial Day Parade, of which a report will be made for the October Bulletin by Dr. Blech. To Dr. Blech’s energy, interest and work much of the success of this Illinois Legion is due.

One hundred and sixty men in Khaki uniforms took part. The Legion was under the command of Director J. B. Weintraub and marched in the Fifth Division, of which Division Dr. Blech was Marshal, assisted by the regular staff officers of the Red Cross Corps. Captain J. Ralph Shook, U. S. A. Medical Service, acted as Division Adjutant. He has given the Legion much encouragement and says of it that it has done as well as any hospital corps, regular or volunteer, he has ever seen.

NEW JERSEY.

Mr. Chris. D. Fisher of the Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, the Northern Central and the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad Companies writes of the work done at their car shops at Camden, N. J. Mr. Fishers says:

“I have been in communication with Mr. Speakman and think we will soon have the New Jersey Column in working order. We have another of our shops where 750 men are employed thoroughly organized and the men are doing excellent service. I enclose a copy of the notice which is posted around the shops.”

NOTICE.

The following men have taken a thorough course in “First Aid to the Injured” and have received certificates from the Red Cross Society qualifying them to render first aid to injured persons:

George Boenig, Erecting Shop.

Walter Davidson, Machine Shop.

Henry M. MacSweeny, Power House.

Edward Bright, Pipe Shop.

Fred. Dean, Tin and Copper Shop.

William Welch, Blacksmith Shop.

William Wink, Blacksmith Shop.

Thos. McCorkendale, Boiler Shop.

Mr. Boenig will act as head of the Relief Staff and take full charge of all cases of serious injury.

In case of serious injury to an employe Mr. Boenig should be notified at once, and until Mr. Boenig arrives the Red Cross man assigned to that department, or the one who happens to be nearest to the scene of the accident should give the injured person all the assistance possible and be prepared to assist Mr. Boenig, if necessary, when he assumes charge of the case. The patient should be taken to the Storeroom as quickly as possible where he can be kept quiet and better attention given him, and it will be the duty of the Chief Watchman and the Storeroom attendants to keep all unauthorized persons out of the Storeroom, except in the case of a relative of the patient, who will be admitted upon application to the Chief Watchman. The Chief Watchman will make all necessary arrangements for taking the patient to the Hospital, if necessary, either by wagon, shifting engine, or ambulance and in the latter case notify the Master Mechanic’s office, from which office the ambulance will be called.

In the absence of the Chief Watchman the Watchman on duty will attend to the above, and in the absence of Mr. Boenig, Mr. Bright will assume his duties.

No stimulants whatever must be given to the patient unless administered under the instructions of one of the Red Cross Staff, as such stimulants are very likely to interfere with the work of the hospital surgeons, or may cause injury in other ways.

In all cases of injury sufficiently serious to cause a man to go home, the Chief Watchman should be notified at once through this office, so that he can get the necessary information for making his report.

For the present all minor injuries, such as cuts and bruises, will be attended to in a small room which has been fitted up under the Machine Shop office, where necessary medical supplies and appliances are kept on hand.

All Foremen will please see that C. T. 75, Accident Report, is made up promptly in duplicate and sent to this office, for all cases of injury sufficiently serious for the man to quit work, or in all cases where the Foremen think the nature of the injury demands it.

H. H. MAXFIELD, Master Mechanic.

NEW YORK.

The Relief Columns of the First Legion of Brooklyn held a public concert with an exhibition of the Drill and First Aid work of the Column. There were about two hundred persons present, who showed great interest in the illustrated lecture and exhibition drill. Special mention should be made of the energetic and successful work of Mr. Bosworth and also of Assistant Director Ferguson whose drilling and training was so well demonstrated in the exhibition drill. Dr. Hyatt, with the aid of the stereopticon, showed pictures of Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross; of the Swiss flag and how it was reversed, making the Red Cross flag; of the Red Cross work during the Japanese-Russian War; of the relief after the San Francisco disaster; of the relief columns in its different activities on duty Memorial Day, 1908; en route for the Inauguration in Washington, of its functions and litter duties. Captain Siler of the U. S. A. Medical Service was present at the entertainment.

Captain Siler writes of the value of organizing relief columns in mining districts. In some mines a number of the men have received excellent training in First Aid and could be easily organized into Relief Columns.

A number of the Mills Training School Male nurses are considering the formation of a Column which in case of necessity could be assigned as a body to certain hospitals as nurses. In case of war the services of such a relief column of trained nurses would be of great value as they could be sent much nearer the front than women nurses.

CASE REPORTS FROM MEMBERS OF FIRST LEGION.

Total number of cases reported from May 24, 1908, to May 31, 1909, inclusive—59.

SUMMARY.

Heat prostration 9

Sprained wrist 1

Fainting 2

Wounds of face 3

Sprained ankle 1

Crushed toes 1

Contused wounds of foot 1

Drowning accident 1

Collapse after rowing contest 1

Infected arm from scratch 1

Contused wounds of head 1

Dislocation of thumb 1

Lacerated wounds of hand 4

Alcoholism and unconsciousness 1

Burns 2

Lacerated fingers 10

Amputated fingers 1

Amputated hand and foot 1

Fractured nose 1

Fractured leg 3

Epilepsy 1

Fractured skull 2

Injuries to the eyes 1

Scalp wounds 5

Lacerations of leg 1

Dog bite 1

Boil on neck 1

Nausea 2

59

Respectfully submitted,

JOSEPH FERGUSON, Assistant Director Commanding.