EKETAHUNA NEWS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15467, 30 September 1943, Page 4

EKETAHUNA NEWS

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSN . A full attendance of 20, including several members from Newman and a number of junions assembled to hear JDr. E. M. Simmers in his first lecture to the recently-formed Eketaiiuna branch of the St. John Ambulance Assn, on Monday evening. In an interesting and instructive lecture JDr. Simmers dealt with the first principles of first aid under various headings, tlie first being to find out a« much as possible about an injury or to obtain what is known as the history of the ease. The next thing was to look for symptoms, and these would vary with the temperament of different p>eople Some would make a great fuss over a minor injury while others would endure pain and discomfort wren great fortitude. Symptoms could determine the nature of an injury as in th© cas© of a broken bone, pain would be present where the break occurred. Signs were another important means of determining the nature ol the ailment and the first aider should use both eyes and ears for this. Much -could be learned from listening to a patient's breathing, or. it a pierson were unconscious, the way in which li© lay might give an indication of the probable cause of injury. In the case of a broken limb it would very likely be in an unnatural position It i« most important to listen and to see and this combined with th© headings already dealt with constituted observation, one of the essentials of a trained St. John’s operative. The sense of touch could also be used but must be used sparingly, as unnecessary touching of an injured piart could causea voidable pain, while the sense of smell might also be used in some cases, such as identifying a poison. lue lecturer went on to say that though he had referred to th© necessity of using various senses, there was a sense that was more .important than all and that was common sense. In St. John’s work, what is don© is no mystery. It is merely ap>]*lied common sense. The doctor continued his lecture with a clearly detailed description of tlie human frame, dealing with the skeleton and

muscles and their uses, at the same time giving poiut to his remarks by sketches on the blackboard. The next subject dealt with was broken bones. “But,” said th e doctor, “before going further it is necessary to learn how bones are made up>. Bones were hollow and were filled with a reddish substance called marrow which was used for renewing the blood. In the case of the bone under discussion (the arm bone or humerus) the construction was such that the outside shell was thickest at the part most likely to break, that is, toward? the middle.” Two classes of breaks or fractures wor© explained, firstly a simple or closed fracture and secondly a compound or opien fracture, aud their correct treatment discoursed on, where again, observation in tlie form of history, signs and symptoms was stressed as an important point in correct diagnosis. A demonstration of th© use of the triangular broad and narrow bandages was then given, in which the speaker stressed the necessity for care in moving the injured limb as little as piossible. If at all practicable all bandaging should be done without the removal of clothing as any movement of a fractured bon© tends to set up 'friction between the broken parts and may, by causing the broken bone to pirotruid© through the skin, change a simple fracture into a compjound with a further risk of serious infection. After showing the correct method of attaching splints and the us© of an arm sling, the doctor gave a brief summing upi of the subject matter and answered a number of questions. It was decided that next Monday th© class undertake practical work, based upon the lecture, with Mr B. Brigham and Mr M W. Priest as instructors. The secretary had oil hand a dozen St. John first aid manuals but tlies© quickly sold and a further supply will b© necessary to meet tlie demand. It was intimated that permission had been granted for th© us© of a great deal of equipment lately used by the E.P.S. and this should prove very helpful.