PRACTICAL TESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 87, 13 April 1936, Page 14

PRACTICAL TESTS.

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE. ANNUAL COMPETITIONS. Something of the extent and variefy of the work that the St. John Ambulance Brigade might be called upon to do cvery day of the week, was demonstrated at the Domain this afternoon, where the annual competitions conducted by the Auckland Corps of the brigade, were held. The efficiency and resource of the members taking part was an eye-opener to the crowd watching. In all, eight trophies were competed for, and teams from as far south as Dunedin took part, and as for north as Whangarei. Actually, teams were in two divisions, the ambulance division for men and the nursing division for women. There were four trophies for the nurses, four for the men and one was open to both. A total of 108 persons took part. The event is an annual one, always held in Auckland on the same day. It lias attracted Dominion-wide interest, for to win a trophy in this competitin carries a good deal of prestige. Thus it was the teams from Dunedin, Timaru, Wellington, Tauranga, Hamilton and Frankton, Glen Afton and other nearer places were present. The events were under the direction of Corps Superintendent C. Liijdesay, of Auckland, with Corps Officer R. K. Crawford assisting. Lady Corps Superintendent Mrs. E. Cammell was in charge of the nurses. Other prominent St. John officers present were the Auckland District Commissioner, Mr. C. J. Tunks, the assistant Commissioner, Mr. F. Hutchinson, District Officer U. Hitcheon, and District Officer R. A. Wall, of New Plymouth, from the Wanganui district. EVENTS DESCRIBED. The eight events were: The Gaze Cup, in which a stretcher case had to be taken over an unstable object, the stretcher having thus to be lifted over without touching (judge, Dr. F. C. M. Shortt) ; the Intercolonial Cup, in which a stretcher is taken over an obstacle. It is also an individual test of roller and triangular bandaging (Dr. Selwyn de Clive Lowe) ; the Grade Memorial Cup, in which a patient injured down a mine shaft has to toe treated (Dr. Garfield Stewart) ; the Whangarei Efficiency Cup, an accident case in which one of the team Is incapacitated, and the other three members have to deal with the patient and the fourth team member (District Officer F. Schofield) ; Auckland Ambulance Cup, a first aid test with improvised material (Dr. Frederick R. iSmale) ; the A. J. Horsley Cup, for treatment of fracture of lower limbs, and teaching for untrained persons to lift and carry a stretcher (Dr. Gladys Montgomery) ; the Nurse Saunders Jones Cup, in which two team members give first aid on the ground, the patient then being placed in bed (Dr. J. Kirkwood) ; the Smith Hathaway Rose Bowl, for a first aid treatment, including I a fracture, in which the doctor asks tiuestions about the injury (Dr. Kirkwood). Not until the patient was before them did the teams know what they had to treat.' Then they had to begin and do the best they could with the materials at their disposal. Perhaps the most interi estinff events were those in which the materials were improvised. The teams used rags, newspapers, bits of straw, thing, in fact, that would serve. ihe whole afternoon was an eminently practical test of the capacity for a St. John member to deal with au emergency. Results: — Gaze Cup.—Hillside Railway 1, Huntly 2. A. J. Grade Memorial Cuy.---CJieu -lit' ■' 1, Mount Albert 2. . Intercolonial Challenge Cup. Hillside 1, H Auckland Ambulance Cup.—Mount Albert 1 " Whangarei Efficiency Cup.—Hillside I, Huntly 2. Nurse Saunder-Jones Cup.—Tauranga 1, Auckland 2. Smith-Hathaway Rose Bowl. —Epsom 1, Auckland 2. Horsley Challenge Cup. — Wellington South 1, Timaru North 2.