52 ‘THE VANCOUVER BRIDE

(c) Blanket Stretcher: Made with a blanket and two poles. Open the
blanket on the ground. Place the poles on the blanket parallel to each other
and each ten inches from the centre of the blanket. A fold is now turned
ever the sides of the poles. The right side of the blanket is then brought
over the pole on that side to the other pole, and the left side of the blanket
is brought over the left pole to the right pole, and the stretcher is formed,
consisting of three folds of blanket.

(d) Pole and Rope Stretcher: Two potes are placed in parallel twenty
inches apart, then wind a long, strong rope alternately from side to side
round each pole.

Gates or doors may be used if any of the above methods are not possible.

Always test the strength of an improvised stretcher before placing the
patient upon it.

When the injury is not severe and the patient is conscious, improvised
seats can be employed, but the directions are too long for publication.

ANTISEPTIC SOLUTIONS

As all water used for bathing a wound should first be boiled and cooled,
it is often impossible to obtain it in this form in “first aid’ work. Antiseptic
solutions are used.

Tincture of Iodine.—Can be applied to wounds and surrounding skin or
for the sterilization of the hands, or, it may be used in the proportion of one
teaspoonful to half a pint of water.

Note—Make sure the Iodine or other antiseptic penetrates into wound.

Boric Acid may be used in the finely powdered state or in the form of a
saturated solution.

Permanganate of Potash may be added to water in the proportion of 5
grains to the half pint of water.

Carbolic Acid (1 in 40)—Dissolve one tablespoonful of Carbolic Acid in
one pint of warm water.

Note—Lysol, Creolin, Izal, etc., may be used similarly.