File:Interstate medical journal (1917) (14783411922).jpg

Identifier: interstatemedica2419unse (find matches)
Title: Interstate medical journal
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Medicine
Publisher: St. Louis, : Interstate Medical Journal
Contributing Library: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia Historical Medical Library
Digitizing Sponsor: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the National Endowment for the Humanities

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kinds of bath tubs, the usual type and a very shallow kind. The latter, were used for men with leg or body injuries. The injured members were supported on broomsticks to keep the bandages from being wet. There were two nurses to each bath tub, to give the soldiers a thorough scrubbing. We had fairly good green soap, we had stiff brushes, and the nurses had strong arms and good wills, and all dirt and much epithelium was removed. We could not force our Austrian nurses to wear rubber gloves and after several unsuccessful attempts we stopped trying. After the patient had been dried, his scalp, axillary and pubic region were vigorously rubbed with blue ointment. The soldier was then put on a hospital stretcher and taken into the adjoining surgical dress- Bettmann: The Reception of a Convoy of Wounded 793 ing room, where, while waiting to be dressed, one of our clerks or a patient took a short history. We made it an absolute rule to remove every bandage immediately. No patient was allowed in the wards
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Fig-. 2.—Bathing- the arrivals. with any of the dressing which he had had on during the transport.We did this for many reasons. In the first place, the bandages often harboured fleas or lice. Then again we frequently found a 794 INTERSTATE MEDICAL JOURNAL clean bandage covering up a dirty, filthy dressing, as likely as not fairly alive with maggots; this condition is not at all uncommon,nor does it necessarily show gross neglect. A suppurating wound,swathed in bandages which have not been changed in 48 hours,especially in hot weather and with the patient lying on the ground,or in the open box cars, will very easily be infested with maggots. Again we have discovered cases of erysipelas, or other infectious diseases, only after the removal of the bandages. It, of course, stands to reason that no diagnosis could be made with dressings on. The soldiers were often worn out and it was, time and again,a great temptation to waive all rules and put patients to bed. How-ever, for reasons above ment

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