BOMB BLAST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24832, 4 February 1942, Page 4

BOMB BLAST

DANGER OF CONCUSSION PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN In.a letter to a Dunedin businessman, an English doctor has given an idea of the danger of concussion through bursting bombs. He has outlined the following precautions to be taken against death or injury from concussion:—.' ''• \ 1. Always have some cotton wool in your bag or.in a small tin." Ram this quickly in your ears after you are in a shelter. 2. Keep your mouth open. Chew sweets or gum. . Alternatively, have, a small square of india-rubber handy to place between the teeth to prevent the jaws closing. This precaution will prevent concussion, which may burst the lungs in serious cases, and permanently affect the hearing in less serious cases.

' 3. Do not lean against solid walls or partitions. Ground vibrations after explosions of bombs 200 yards away can transmit "shock waves" powerful enough to stun or even kill a human being incontact with wall transmission. Air-space acts as a -buffer;, and is flexible., Let it do its work. 4. Relax after local detonations for four or five minutes. Nobody is normal or fit to think immediately after nearby explosions. 1 5. If caught in open fields, or wide roads and unable to : reach shelter, lie down, but keep your head and shoulders ground. Concussion ,may choke you unless you remember this, even though you. escape injury from blast or;debris. ,