Although life may seem extinct, make every effort at resuscitation.
Various procedures are advocated. The Sylvester method is one of the best.
Hold the boy for it few seconds as in Figure 2, to get rid of water which may have been taken in. Do this several times. Tear off clothing. Rub briskly the legs and arms toward the body. Draw the tongue forward every three seconds for a minute. If these methods fail to restore breathing, then perform artificial respiration, first sending for a physician.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Respiration]
Lay the boy on his back with a folded coat or sweater under his shoulders, and grasp his wrists or his arms straight up over his head as in Figure 3.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 3. RESPIRATION]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 4. EXPIRATION]
Pull steadily and firmly in that position while you count 1, 2, 3. This causes air to enter the lungs. Then quickly bring his arms down on his chest and press them firmly on his ribs (Figure 4) while you again count 1, 2, 3. This forces the air out of the lungs. Then quickly carry his arms over his head and down again, and repeat the same routine fast enough to make him breathe from twelve to sixteen times a minute. The tendency is to work too fast. If the work is done properly the air can be heard distinctly as it pa.s.ses in and out of the air pa.s.sages. Sometimes the tongue drops back in the throat, stopping it up so no air can enter. If you suspect this, have an a.s.sistant grasp the tongue with a handkerchief and keep it pulled forward.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 5. Expiration.]
Cuts used by courtesy of Health-Education League.
Don"t Give Up
It will make it much easier if you have another person push on the ribs for you when you relax the arms, as shown in Figure 5. Have him place the hands as shown in the figure with the thumbs toward the medium line in front, the fingers farther away, the palms just below the b.r.e.a.s.t.s; this will make the boy"s nipples come just midway between the ends of the thumbs and the middle joint of the forefinger. Press firmly downward and inward toward the backbone.
Continue these motions about fifteen times per minute. Keep this up until the boy begins to breathe, himself. When done properly, the work is hard for the operator, and he should be relieved by some one else as soon as he gets tired.
Warmth and Quiet
As soon as the boy begins to breathe himself--but not before--his limbs should be well rubbed toward the heart. This will help to restore the circulation. He should afterward be put to bed, well covered with warm blankets, hot stones being placed at his feet, and warm drinks administered. Fresh air and quiet will do the rest.
Books
"Boys" Drill Regulation," published by the National First Aid a.s.sociation of America, and "Boys" Life Brigade Manual of Drill," published by the Boys" Life Brigade, London, England, are two small books containing a number of practical drills which may be used in training the boys in camp for emergency work.
Instruction
Every camp for boys, no matter how small or how large, should plan for instruction in First Aid. This may be done by the camp physician, the director, the physical director, or some physician invited to spend several days in the camp.
Drills
The ill.u.s.tration on page 174 shows how one hundred boys were trained in Camp Couchiching. The "litter" drill was especially attractive to the boys of Camp Becket. The boys were sent out in the woods in brigades of five each, one of whom was the leader. Only a small hatchet was taken by each squad. One of the boys was supposed to have broken his leg. An improvised "litter," or, stretcher, was made of saplings or boughs, strapped together with handkerchiefs and belts, so that in ten minutes after they left the camp the first squad returned with the boy on the litter and in a fairly comfortable condition.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Litter Drill]
Health Talks
A course of health talks given in popular form by those who are well versed upon the subject, cannot help but be instructive and productive of a greater ambition on the part of the boy to take good care of his body.
The following list of subjects is suggestive:
The Human Body and How to Keep It in Health 1 The Skeleton.
2 The Muscular System.
3 The Vascular System.
4 The Nervous System.
5 The Digestive System.
6 The Lungs, Skin and Kidneys.
Personal Hygiene 1 The Eye, its use and abuse.
2 How to care for the Teeth.
3 Breathing and pure air.
4 Microbes and keeping clean.
7 The health of the Skin.
8 Some facts about the Nose.
9 Our Lungs.
10 Eating.
11 Alcohol.
12 Tobacco and the Human Body.
13 The Use and Care of Finger Nails.
14 Cause of Colds.
The American Red Cross Society, 715 Union Trust Bldg., Washington, D. C., issues a series of five handsomely lithographed wall charts mounted on linen and heavy rollers. These charts are numbered as follows and may be purchased for $2.50 for the set.
Chart I. The Skeleton; Chart II. The Muscles; Chart III. Scheme of Systematic Circulation; Chart IV. Fracture and Dislocation; Chart V. Arteries and Points" of Pressure for Controlling Hemorrhage.
These charts will make the talks doubly attractive. Honor points are given boys for essays written upon the Health Talks. Some camps found that boys were desirous of taking examinations in First Aid. In one camp twenty-three boys won the Certificates of the American Red Cross Society.
For information write to the Educational Department of the International Committee, Young Men"s Christian a.s.sociation, 124 East 28th Street, New York, or the American Red Cross Society. (See address above)
CHAPTER XVI--PERSONAL HYGIENE
EATING TEETH HANDS EYES EARS NOSE HAIR FEET INTERNAL ORGANS BATHING SLEEP CLOTHING
Eating
Very little thought is given by the boy to what he eats, as long as it suits his taste, and there is an ample supply. The causes of most skin diseases are largely traceable to diet. Chew the food slowly. Don"t "bolt"
food. Your stomach is not like that of a dog. Food must be thoroughly masticated and moistened with saliva. Hasty chewing and swallowing of food makes ma.s.ses which tend to sour and become poison. This often accounts for the belching of gas, sense of burning and pain, and other forms of distress after eating. Drink before or after meals. Don"t overeat.
Conversation aids digestion. Eating between meals is detrimental to good digestion. Regular meal hours should prevail. After dinner is the best time to eat candy or sweets.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Camp Tooth Brush]
The Teeth
If the tooth brush gets lost make one out of a dry stick, about six inches long, which can be frayed out at the ends like the ill.u.s.tration. A clean mouth is as important as a clean body. The teeth should be cleaned twice a day, morning and evening. Insist upon the bringing of a tooth brush to camp. Impress upon the boys that time spent upon teeth cleansing will prevent hours of agony upon a dentist chair. Cleansing the teeth of sticky deposits by running fine threads between them, in addition to the use of a brush and a simple powder, prevents deposits from becoming the starting point of decay.
The Hands
Care of hands and nails is much neglected in camp, Nails should be properly trimmed and the "mourning" removed from underneath the nails. The habit of biting the finger nails is dangerous. Finger nails should be cut once a week with sharp scissors or "clip." If the nails be neglected and a scratch received from the infected fingers the system may be inoculated with disease. The cleansing of the hands after using the lavatory needs special emphasis, for in no place do more germs collect and spread. Boys should not be permitted to use each other"s towels, combs, brushes, or soap. A towel may carry germs from one boy to another.
The Eyes