First Aid Box Instructions
(For Lifeboat)
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Don’t sing or shout. You will be uncomfortable,
but make the best of it and remain cheerful. Your survival depends
upon your carrying out your routine duties cheerfully and
promptly.
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Everyone except wounded and sick must have a
job. Watches must be kept.
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AS SOON AS POSSIBLE get the boat dry. Then
squeeze out all wet clothing, undressing layer by layer. But do
not take off all your clothes unless the weather is warm
and dry.
-
Take off boots and socks. Dry feet and put on
dry socks if you have any. If not, squeeze out wet ones and
replace. Unless feet can be kept thoroughly dry with wrappings and
socks, leave your boots on.
-
Don’t take off too many clothes if the sun is
strong. You will get burned. This applies to legs and feet. Wear
damped headgear. Don’t use oil or ointments on the skin – they
will not protect you. To stop glare use cloth as eyeshade. You may
bathe once a day but ware sharks, barracuda etc.
6. WATER
(i) O i/c muster all supplies at once. Unless sweating don’t drink
for 24 hours. If likely to be picked up soon, ration 18 oz per day.
Until 1 pint left per man, then 2 oz per day. If likely to be adrift
for some time, ration 8 oz per day.
(ii) Catch all the rainwater you can. Use any
container. Use first collection to rinse off salt.
(iii) NEVER DRINK Urine or seawater or spirits
7. FOOD (i) Officer i/c muster at
once. Best foods are fats, chocolate, canned milk, biscuits etc
(ii) Meals at sun-up, noon, sunset.
(iii) Make the most of your water by washing the
mouth, gargling, then drinking. If your mouth gets dry between
whiles, suck a button.
(iv) Break up the biscuits in your pocket and nibble
all day.
(v) Drink canned milk one hour before water ration.
8. It is unlikely that you will have bowel action
or pass much urine while adrift. This is normal
9. Don’t smoke unless you are a
very heavy smoker and feel you cannot do without it.
10. SLEEP regularly. Huddling
together under sail or cover to get warm. NEVER SLEEP ON CARLEY
FLOAT.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE OF CONTENTS OF THE FIRST AID BOX
ENERGY
TABLETS
These lessen fatigue, promote will to hang on and prevent sleep.
Effect takes an hour to come on and lasts several hours. Cannot be
prolonged more than a few days. (Note: From list of medicines, these
tablets appear to be Methodrine).
IN BOAT: Try to avoid using for the first few days.
Then when exhaustion is setting in, give single doses of two tablets
to man on tiller or lookout, to keep him awake on his watch. If
severe exhaustion overtakes everyone, issue two tablets twice a day.
At any time if a special effort is required, give two tablets to
each man.
IN FLOAT: or raft, dinghy etc. If conditions good,
use as for boats. If bad, start using right away – two tablets twice
or even three times a day. As soon as conditions improve, stop
issue.
NEVER give to wounded, excitable, hysterical or
delirious.
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DELIRIUM Humour the man. See he doesn’t go over the
side.
SEVERE PAIN Use Morphia
tablets, one lasting several hours. Do not repeat unless you must.
If he is vomiting or cannot swallow for other reasons, use ampoules
(rip off silver paper, remove ampoule, take out stiletto from
needle, stick in arm or leg and squeeze tube). One lasts four hours.
Effect immediate. The tablets should be crushed in the mouth before
swallowing.
MILD PAIN Use
Aspirin tablets.
DROWNING Use Schafer’s
method of artificial respiration. (Place him face down, head to one
side. Kneel by side, putting hands on lower ribs, one each side.
Lean on him slowly once every five seconds. Keep it up for at least
two hours).
WOUNDS Expose
wound. Do not touch with fingers or try to remove pieces of metal
or bone. Wash with clean water. Don’t worry about oil in the wound –
it will disinfect. Sprinkle with sulphanilamide powder and apply
field dressing (or if large, shell dressing or dressings). Bandage
firmly. Keep dry and do not change.
Can make dressings to size
required using gauze soaked in flavine solution (diluted 1 in 9
before use with sea water) cut to size. Put this on wound and cover
with cotton wool. Bandage on with a roller bandage. Keep dry and do
not change.
….(omitted from here are the instructions given for dealing with
various conditions - Bleeding, Fractures, Burns, Shock, Cracked Skin
or Lips, Fever, Vomiting, Swelling of Legs, Frostbite and Immersion
Foot).
………………..
Keep WARM DRY CHEERFUL. KEEP THE BOAT DRY
………………..
Remember that it is exceptional for people to be
adrift longer than five days.
………………..
Prepared from BR769, 1944
Source: Extract from report of HMS Scott's Medical Officer R T James
1944 (ADM
101/668)
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