History of First Aid
First aid is defined as the assistance given to someone after a sudden illness/injury. It is often viewed as a modern innovation, with the prevalence of first aid training, and technological equipment. Less thought goes into the early origins of first aid and how it came into existence.
Ancient Egyptians & Greeks
There is no one period where first aid was definitively invented. However, studies of early civilisations have found that the ancient Egyptians may have been some of the first people to utilize the protective and healing properties of bandages.
The most well-known example of their use of bandages would be those used to create mummies. Less is known about their use in treating wounds from the battlefield.
Ancient Greek scholars who studied and lived amongst the Egyptians returned to Greece to share their knowledge. You can even see an array of bandage techniques depicted in Greek pottery, highlighting their usage in historical battles.
Roman Army
As times moved on new, more technologically advanced, first aid techniques were invented. None were more advanced for their time than the Romans.
At a time when battles were raging across Europe, the Romans protected their army legions with a range of makeshift ambulances, surgeons and even field hospitals. These very same techniques are still used today in modern warfare.
Napoleon’s Ambulance Corps
If there was an early ‘hall of fame’ of First Aid pioneers then surely it would be the great Dominique Jean Larrey. Dominique was Napoleon’s right-hand man and some have dubbed him the first modern-day military surgeon.
However, it is not his surgical techniques but the creation of the first ‘ambulance corps’, which puts him in the hall of fame. The ambulance corps at its peak was roughly 340 strong. It comprised of a network of carriages, stretcher barriers and field surgeons.
Pride was taken in how quickly men could be carried off the battlefield and then treated. The pioneering techniques were successful and were eventually adopted by the British.
Early first aid was centred around the ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures. The strong prevalence of battles at the time saw their techniques adopted by the Romans and, in later years, Napoleon.
Really this was just the beginning. In the following years, first aid would take on a whole new meaning and go on to save many lives. Historical characters of the time would lead the way in taking first aid to the masses.
Drowning Concerns
The 18th century was a time of revolution, exploration and scientific development. During this period, great numbers of Amsterdammers were drowning in the city’s network of canals. So, William Hawkes created a society for the preservation of life from accidents in water in 1767.
His work can be roughly shown to be the beginning of the use of resuscitation techniques. Society’s work began to save lives within the city, and its techniques have been adopted to this day.
Esmarch Bandage
Friedrich von Esmarch designed and distributed the ‘Esmarch’ bandage during the Franco-Prussian War in the late 1800s. The bandage could be tied in 32 different ways across various body parts to help injured soldiers. He taught these techniques, which are still loosely followed today.
Saint John of Jerusalem
In 1872, St John of Jerusalem moved away from hospice care within Britain towards more practical techniques designed to help treat and transport the sick and injured. Interestingly this could be the start of the ambulance service that we know today.
British Army
British surgeon Major Peter Shepherd discovered the wonders of the Esmarch bandage and adopted similar teachings in the British army in the late 1800s. He would go on to give the first lectures on first aid to members of the public in Woolwich, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
This represented a major shift in taking first aid training out of the battlefield, and into the hands of the general public. Word quickly started to spread and the teachings were adopted throughout the British empire.
In the 21st century, first aid has evolved further from the battlefield to be able to empower the general public to save lives. Networks of the first aider are now wandering the streets ready to do just that.
Training Courses
Today it is hard to imagine an industry that is not involved in first aid training. Most people if not having been on a training course themselves would know someone who has. Modern-day teachings have evolved since the early days in Woolwich. Yet the principle of teaching a group of people remains exactly the same.
Heimlich Maneuver
Henry Heimlich was fed up with the 1000’s deaths that were occurring from choking and in 1974 created his own solution.
Dubbed the Heimlich manoeuvre it involves pushing hard into the abdomen, whilst at the same time lifting, to create an upwards rush of air. This resulting airlift can dislodge a foreign object and allow the casualty to once again breathe normally.
The technique was eventually adopted globally and saves 1000’s lives each year. Sadly Henry recently passed away but his legacy will always live on.
Resuscitation Manikins
One of the main ways that training evolved was through the use of resuscitation manikins. These impressive devices come with inflatable lungs and compressible chests for practising CPR.
Over the years the dummies have been made more life-like to resemble the pushing motion on a real-life casualty’s chest. Some models are now linked to computers to record a learners performance, and it is even thought that future models will be linked to virtual reality.
AEDs
The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is the true winner of the history of first aid. The late Frank Pantridge invented the device in 1968 after discovering that most of his cardiac patients were dying and needed treatment before they got to the hospital.
The AED is the only proven method of treating ventricular fibrillation. The machine can read the hearts rhythm and then deliver an electrical shock to someone whilst in cardiac arrest.
