330 FIRST AID TO THE INJURED 



the nature, location and severity of the fracture and 

 the surroundings of the patient. In general, the 

 wounded part should be disturbed as little as possible, 

 if a physician can be secured. For examination, the 

 clothing should be cut, if to remove it means to dis- 

 turb the injured part. The location and nature of the 

 injury should then be determined by a careful and sys- 

 tematic comparison between the injured limb and its 

 mate as to length, deformity and mobility. If, after the 

 fracture has been located and the extent of the injury 

 determined, it is considered necessary to move the pa- 

 tient, it should be done with the least disturbance of 

 the fracture possible. If one of the legs is injured, the 

 person should be placed upon a stretcher (see Appendix 

 C), shutter, or door. If one of the arms is fractured, 

 it should be supported by splints and put up in a sling 

 (see Appendix C). If the collar bone is fractured, the 

 arm on that side should be put up in a sling, in order 

 to relieve the shoulder of its weight. A simple fracture 

 of the ribs permits walking or riding, except where 

 blood is coughed or spit. In that case, the broken rib 

 has punctured the lung and absolute quiet is essential. 



In case a physician cannot be secured, an attempt 

 should be made to set the bone. In case of a simple 

 fracture, the limb may be straightened to the length 

 of its mate by pulling it very gently and evenly in the 

 direction of the part nearest the body. It should then 

 be carefully brought to a position as similar to the nat- 

 ural one as possible and supported by pillows. Tem- 

 porary splints made of canes, laths, or umbrellas padded 

 with cotton or cloth, may then be applied, or folded 

 sheets or pillows bandaged on. In case of a compound 

 fracture, there should also be antiseptic treatment, sim- 

 ilar to that in the case of a wound. If there is bleed- 



