FIRST AID IN BATTLE
WHEN A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS OF VALUE (By Lieufenaiit K. S. M. Shirges, author of "On tho ltemuinder of our Front.") It is something of a paradox that ail important part of tho Uritish soldier's training should, be concerned not wilh tho destruction of human life, but with its preservation, livery soldier in tho British Army carries in his f u.iiie field 1 dressing, and in his head a knowledge of'its use. More tlmn that, ho is trained in the elements of first aid lo the injured, and that braining is of a practical and serviceable kind. It might bo argued that such training is likely to be a «a?te of time, as a medical officer with an export knowledge of such matters is attached to every battalion and to every unit of tho British Army. So long as the ordinary soldier is capable merely of applying his own bandage, surely the medical ollicer can do anything eise that is necessairy far more efficiently than an amateur who has picked up a smattering of first aid from a lecture delivered many weeks ago in England. Tho old saw condemning a little knowledge as a dangerous thing might 1m quoted in support of such an argument. But a moment's reflection will show the fallacy of this argument. In tho first place, during (he licni of battle or of a fierce artillery bombardment "it is impossible for the medical ollicor fo attend to every caso at once. Very often it happens that men are cut off altogether front his ministrations. The medical officer himself may be hit, and in such a caso those who wore relying solely on his help would be in a precarious state. Again, a little knowledge of tho immediate action necessary in the case of certain wounds—the application of a tourniquet to a severed artery, for instance—will save a soldier's life, whereas a few minutes'" delay in waiting for the medical officer or for the eti'otcher-beairei'S would be fatal. A little knowledge may be dangerous, 'but no knowledge at all would be disastrous. Such considerations are in themselves sufficient justification for the time spent on first aid instruction, tut there are other.-; which, though not so obvious, are nevertheless even nioro important than these. They aro connected with that factor which is found to have an everincreasing influence on the conduct of modern life. There are few' tilings more demoralising than enforced inaction iti a time of emergency, "When a man is hit ho is ill pain and blood begins to How. Tho sight of blood, the cries of pain, aro douibly trying to tho man who cannot help and who realises his impotence, lie has no confidence in himself, and he inspires none in his wounded friend. A little knowledge, however slight, is in such circumstances an asset of tho first importance. Action of some kind is wanted. It'may not bo tendered in the most approved way, but tho confidence which it inspires in the minds of both operator and patient is of the greatest possible value. Wherever practicable, men aro instructed and rehearsed in first aid by their own platoon officers. It might be thought that such instruction, which is necessarily second-hand in most cases, would better be given direct by a qualified doctor; but such is not tho case and for the following reasons. In the first place, a scientific expert is not always the best.instructor; lie is naturally inclined to go too deeply info his subject, and to use abstruse phrases and technical terms which are so familiar to himself that he forgets that they are generally incomprehensible to his hearers. But apart from that fact, it is important that men should receive instruction from their own officers in order that they may have confidence in them. After hearing a lecture on first aid from his own officer, a soldier receives the impression that his officer is a man of some medical knowledge and experience, on whose help he can reply ,when lie is wounded. Moreover, the ollicer himself is encouraged thereby fo live up to that impression. This state of things plays no small part in the wonderful comradeship that exist* between officer and man in the British Army; there is a feeling of mutual trust and confidence whjch is the real secret of moral, The British soldier looks to his officer at all times, most of all in times of stress and anxiety, when he is wounded and in pain, and it is a fact that lie would rather have his wounds dressed 'by his own officer than by any. one else.
Last, but not least, knowledge is a powerful antidote to fear. The essence of fear in all its forms is a shrinking from the unknown—it is bound up with the instinct of self-preservation. Men are often afraid of wounds because they are ignorant; the average man has an instinctive fear of blood; he imagines that to loso a little blood is to bleed to death. But the littles knowledge that the soldier acquires in liis first aid training lo a greiut extent counteracts this fear. He learnS that death from mere bleeding is exceptional, and more important still lio learns how 'bleeding- can be slopped. So, as his knowledge increases his fear diminishes. and when ho meets wilh wounds on tho field of battle lie deals with tliem calmly and with confidence. There will ccme a day—and we hope it is ;iot far distant—when tho soldier's knowledge of the rifle, the bayonet, the bomb, and all tiie other weapons of destruction will no longer be required; but his knowledge cf first aid will never lose' ils value, and throughout his life lie will bo grateful that his Aa-my teaching will never allow him to be unprepared in the case of accident to his fellow-men.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 281, 16 August 1918, Page 8
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978FIRST AID IN BATTLE Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 281, 16 August 1918, Page 8
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