St John Review (1981)

RESUSCITATION TRAINING MODEL

Belt Pouch for Ambulance Personnel

Specially

STJOHN ' REVIEW

THE NEW YEAR is a very good time for looking at the road ahead, spotting landmarks and planning our onward journey to distant goals on the horizon. But every good pioneer knows that besides looking ahead he must also take an occasional backward glance at the road by which he has already travelled, if only to assess the progress that he has made so far and use his past experience to help him in planning for the future. With this in mind, I was recently browsing through articles written in former years and came across one describing a realistic incident staged 35 years ago (and later published The Scouter) for what we called 'The Adventure Club', a monthly training meeting for Senior Scouts (now 'Venture Scouts') in South Bucks. And I hope it was not mere nostalgia that made me feel it might perhaps interest some of our readers who at the start of 1981 are casting a backward glance to help them plan for the future. But if, for example, references to hot water bottles and cups of hot sweet tea make you raise your eyebrows, please remember that the incident took place 35 years ago and we've revised some of our procedures since then!

'A bsolu tely Realistic'

'About 50 Senior Scouts from various 'Troops in the district met at 2.30 on a Sunday afternoon; and after flag-break and the sorting out of patrols they were told that whatever adventure they might meet that afternoon, there was to be no make-believe in the way in which they dealt with it - everything they did was to be absolutely realistic, and if they found that they wanted a sailing dinghy, a steam roller or a policeman they were not to be satisfied till they actually produced a real one.

'After a few minutes of relay competitions, a Scouter who lived about half a mile away was seen cycling at furious speed up to the HQ; he leapt off his bicycle and burst panting into the room. He said that as he came out of his house a few minutes ago he heard an explosion in some cottages in the next road; he ran round to see what

Continued on p. 10

I.

Grand Prior's Trophy

THE 1980 competitions, at which the trophies were presented by the Lord Prior, Sir Maurice Dorman, were held on November 27 at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton - the first time in the 31 year history of the Finals that they have been held outside London. It is estimated that over 21,000 first-aiders from all over the country take part in the preliminary eliminating rounds which lead to these finals.

A St John Ambulance National Coal Board men's team from the Donisthorpe Colliery Division took the coveted Grand Prior's Trophy (last year the SJA Grimethorpe Colliery Division finished second), and the Police Metropolitan 'A' women's team completed the hat trick by winning their section (as they did in 1979 and 1978). This is the first time the competition has had a winning hat trick. And another mile-stone in the story of first aid competitions - 100 years ago the first organised St John Ambulance competition was held in the Midlands. It makes the mind boggle to think of how many people have taken part in such competitions over that century!

WINNER

SECOND

WINNER

SJA

IT IS NOW a year since the fir st party of Brigade members set out on a training attachment to open the Year of Nursing 1980. Appropriately, their project wa s to spend Christmas and New Year working at the St John Ophthalmic Ho s pital in Jerusalem, and they had a very satisfying time there.

Now all the trai ning proje c ts are completed, including 15 overseas, the three winners of nursing bur saries are nearing the end of their chosen studies, and our teaching project for the year 'Simple Nursing at Home has been successfully launched. In addition, many outstanding events to boost nursing in counties have taken place, bringing this aspect of our work a recognition it has never known before in peacetime. So it is time for me to thank everyone involved for the immense amount of time and effort they have given - and I would like to begin with the Editor of the Review. OUr great problem throughout was to get information down to Divisions

What the Year of Nursing achieved

The Supt-in-Chief sums up

quickly in digestible form The Review provided the ideal channel, and the Editor never failed to give us stop-press space when needed. Then I am grateful to all those Divisional Superintendents and Secretaries who processed applications although perhaps unable to apply

themsel ves; to the travel agents for the various projects especially when there were last-minute changes in names; to our sponsors without whose gene r osity no one could ha ve gone a t all; and a word of sympathy to the man y reserves who offered to go at short notice and were not called.

Finally, to t hose men and women who went and so well upheld our standards of efficiency and understandi ng at home and abroad, I offer my congratulations From the letters you have written and the excellent reports we have received it is clear that the primary aim of the Year of Nursing has been achieved: to encourage the teaching and practice of nursing within the Brigade If in doing this you have opened up new contacts and opportunities for service, do develop them and bring in other members so that your contributions this year may be continued into the future.

A success full New Year to you ALL. Mo y ra Browne

NOTTINGHAM into the Eighties

Fr,ank - Forthright - and Challenging

Open foru m - the C - in - C (now Chief Commander) Maj-Gen Peter replies to a question with Lady Moyra Browne.

Supt-in-Chief arid Wg Cdr Tom Fazan

NOTTINGHAM 1980, agreed the pundits, hit the jackpot. It was definitely, as the Walrus said (and the programme quoted), the time to talk of many things And talk we did - members from some 40 counties - well into the early hours. And listen too.

This year the usual initial syndicate meetings on the Friday evening (before everyone has arrived) were abandoned for informal exchanges of ideas and views on the problems which face SJA. Instead, the eighteen syndicates met on Saturday morning, before the conference was officially opened, but some members found this change odd, which only goes to show how easily we can get stuck in a rut.

Saturday morning syndicates , (Above) Including JohanniterUnfa ll-Hilfe's president, Gen Wolf Zawadski. anct Wulf Peltz a regular visitor to Nottingham, (Below) The then C-in-C with an overseas visitor Olav Joseph

Capt Mark Tennant with (L to R) Lady Moyra Browne. Chief Nursing Officer Rosemary Bailey and Miss Elizabeth Stewart who told the conference about Oxfordshire's Enterprise Unit

Stand up

With the retirement of Nottingham's 'Godfather' and Brig Fergie Semple's absence on sick leave, Chief Staff Officer Wng Cdr Tom Fazan made the opening address by welcoming everyone and asking the new C-in-C, General Sir John Younger, to stand up so that we would all recognise him Guests for the weekend were West Germany's General Wolf Zawadski, retiring President (equivalent to our Chief Commander) of JohannHer-Unfall -Hi lfe; Dr W. J, E. Darling, from Not ti ngham, who was introduced as the conference's House Physician and successor to Dr Ian Mackenzie; and three overseas visitorsOlav Joseph , secretary to Council in Nigeria, and two young ladies from Australia who had also attended Mytchett, Miss Marion Steenhuis and Leslie Self.

The first speaker, Dr Tudor Powell Jones, needed no introduction as this was his eighth talk at Nottingham, His subject was Leadership in Management. Defining management as 'The organisation of resources in order to achieve satisfactory results', he gave four basic principles which all leaders must adhere to - consultation, decide and plan, communication and delegation. Among the essential qualities under each of these headings, he added courage, caring, commitment and cruising speed (individual pace) General Zawadski spoke about the work of the Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe and the great strides it has made since it was founded in 1952 with much help from St John, which they think of as a god-parent. I

He told us of their membership strength and their pride in having so many young members - the average age being about 20 years.

CNO Rosemary Bailey filled Our heads with thoughts on 'The Way Forward', In a series of shock tactics, starting with 'To the young, if you're over 20 these days you're old', she exhorted us to ask ourselves 'where St John is going in the next decade'. She also urged us to modernise our image, training methods and standards. Not to separate first aid from nursing, for the dividing line is too difficult to define now that our facilities, and duties both public and neighbourly, have changed so much from the traditional first aid. St John has changed, she said, and we must have the courage to accept that fact and promote it, and to think of St John in the 1980s as an expanding, successful organisation, not as a failing one,

At this, the CNO produced her toy owl Oscar to help us to memorise the es se ntials of The Way Forward:

then introduced Miss Elizabeth Stewart, who told us what the Oxfordshire Enterprise Unit is doing in trying to bridge the gap between cadet and adult divisions and so retain young adult Brigade membership. The unit has been in existence for five years. Its members play hard but work hard too, Miss Stewart said, but are still fully involved with the Divisions to which they belong.

Borrowing and modifying the Pope's address in Ireland last year, Miss Stewart summed up what she believes with:

I believe in youth; I believe in youth with all my heart and the greater strength of my convictions,

Today I say, believe in the youth of St John; when I look at you I see the St John of the future,

Tomorrow, you will be the force of your country and will decide what St John will be;

Tomorrow, St John will depend on you.

When I look at you I see the future of our great organisation

In conclusion, for this was a team matter, Mark Tennant left us with these thoughts:

'Maybe Enterprise is not right for your County, but something along these lines probably is Go back to your County and

make them listen. To the County my message is : be open minded, as Rosemary Bailey has said, For when you have gone what is left for the youth of today? All the effort you put into St John will di sap pear. Bring the young forward and keep them in our organisation. If you don't, St John will die.'

To the weekend of talks, Captain John Cook, senior British Airways pilot, who as well as flying Concorde and training pilots is also involved in safety, told us of the thrills of flying that magnificient great aeroplane.

Yes, a weekend of talk of many things, of dancing too, of fun. , and the spelling out' of the C-in-C's priorities for St John Ambulance for the next ten years:

Improvement in standards or fifsT aia and nursing care.

An increase in the number of Divisional, Area and County headquarters with social facilities.

The Nursing Certificate for every member.

Better officer training.

A casualty make-up expert in every Division.

That is the aim. Now something has to be done about it.

The next speaker, Mrs Kay Harris introduced us to the 'Magic of Casuatt) Simulation' with the following formula: mastery of make-up

A for the accuracy of actors

G for genuine and realistic s tages

I for illustration of her work

C for the casualties who are the prime concern

Mrs Harris echoed the C-in-C's - earlier request (before she had arrived at the conference) that each Division should have at least one member expertly trained in casualty simulation to aid training and improve standards, I'm sure Mrs Harris convinced everyone that practicing- on an expertly simulated casualty brings out a far greater sense of feeling and rapport. In fact, so realistic was the acting of her demonstration team that some of the audience began to wonder if this was a demonstration, for the caring sympathy evoked began to effect everyone and brought this subject to a dramatic

Back to earth

But we were rapidly brought back to earth by the next speaker, Captain Mark Tennant, who told us that everyone over the age of 40 would probably be pushing up daisies in 30 years' time! What he really wanted to know was 'what good foundation for the continuance of the Brigade would those over 40-year-olds leave behind them? - What are we doing to hold our young members and recruit more?'

Well, what are we doing? Mark Tennant

Dr Tudor Jones ended his talk with fhis prayer which (as he put it) 'is a mixture of gravity and levity

A MANAGER'S PRAYER

Dear Lord,

Help me to become the kind of manager and leader my organisation deserves, Give me that exceptional quality which enables me to explain to my followers policies, regulations, rules and programmes, even when they have not been explained to me.

Help me to remember always that the good 0; the organisation is much more important than the importance of my own ego - -

Help me to get on well with those who are trying - and those who are very trying!

Remind me that 1 am only appointed and not anointed, remembering that 1 have the power to appoint and to disappoint, the power to impress and to depress.

Give me the patience to lead the recalcitrant, the obstinate and the awkward in paths of righteousness even beyond my own experience and self-persuasion.

Supply me with the horsepower of the optimist and the breaking-power of the pessimist.

Help me to insure good input, good throughput, good output and good managerial scenarios;

Help me -never to use word jargon like input, throughput, output and managerial scenarios!

Help me to weed out the leaders who are not fully committed to the organisation, help me to weed out the non-playing captains.

Teach me to respect the conventional and the status quo, but not long after the quo has lost its status.

Teach me to smile even tl10ugh it is difficult; teach me to listen to people and to·' listen properly, not just go through the mo tions of listenfng. -

Give me the qualities of second sight and hindsight

Remind me always, that in management there is no flare without care; there is no thrill without drill; there is no expression without impression

Remind me that we all come from the same mould (although some are mouldier than others!)

Above all, enable me to get rid of the Them and Us attitude;

And when we have all achieved a high pinnacle in management and we have become the fountain of all supervisory virtues in this murky world .. move over! Amen.

AT 8.30 am on Sunday, October 12, someone in the village 'of Portland Peverel dialled 999, and gave this message to the Police:

'Large aircraft has just crashed here. Fear no survivors. Very many casualties amongst local population. Huge fires and explosions continuing. For God's sake send us help quickly.'

The Police, Fire Brigade, County Ambulance Service and the Voluntary Services were immediately called out, and proceeded to the disaster area with all speed. The Dorset Evening Echo reported the next day:

'Scores of dying and seriously injured people lay strewn on a Portland hillside yesterday; screaming, terror-stricken casualties at the blazing site of an airliner : crash on a village.'

This was the realistic setting provided by the Royal Navy for a St John Ambulance exercise which took place on a sunny but rather cold day at HM Naval Base, Portland. About 200 adult and 50 cadet members of Dorset Divisions, with 8 ambulances, participated in the exercise, with about 130 members of the Casualties Union, WRVS, Fire Brigade, Raynet, and the Dorchester Cine Club. The object was to give St John Ambulance training in the role of supporting the County Ambulance Service in a major disaster; and in particular to give members practice under the observation of medical umpires in :

1. First aid treatment of severe casualties on site, and preliminary documentation

2. Supportive treatment at Casualty Collecting Centres and Ambulance Loading Points.

3. Transport of casualties by stretcher and ambulance over difficult terrain.

4. Improvisation of an Emergency Hospital, and nursing casualties evacuated from the disaster site.

5. Communications and control.

6. Casualty simulation.

EXERCISE

Portland Peril

Realistic training for 250 Dorset members

The 'aircraft crash' was simulated with splendid effect by the Royal Navy on their Portland DISTEX Site, which they use for their own exercises. This site includes a number of derelict buildings, many of which were set on fire for the exercise. The Fleet Club, about a mile from the site, was also generously made available, with excellent facilities to meet all needs. The Gymnasium became the 'Emergency Hospital', and mattresses with pillows, sheets and blankets were set out on the floor. (Several nursing members suffered from back-ache the next day!). The rest of the club accommodation was used as a make-up room for the Casualties Union and, very importantly, for serving about 0400 people with beverages and hot lunches - most splendidly done by the WRVS, for whom it was, of course, an entirely realistic task.

60 severe casualties were simulated by the Dorset Branch of the Casualties Union with assistance from other Counties , and these were all brilliantly portrayed as usual, requiring in some cases considerable courage in view of the cold weather. In the event four people suffered from expo sure and became real casualties. This was in itself a considerable lesson for St John Ambulance which will not be forgotten. Luckily the four soon recovered after treatment on site and in the Emergency Hospital to which they were sent as urgent cases.

Other less serious casualties were well simulated by about 30 cadets of the Poole and Weymouth Cadet Divisions who had been specially trained for the exercise.

About 15 more, including 7 'dead', were

simulated by members of various Adult Di visions, and they too acted well. The 7 'dea d ' were later 'resurrected ' by one of the make-up team in the 'Mortuary', and were then released to act various nefarious parts as looters trouble-makers, rumourmongers, etc, who would probably be evident at a real disaster. All were eventually warned off or arrested by the 'Po lice It is pleasing to report that one person found the 'Black Box' recorder from the crashed aircraft and duly hangep it in. This box was not inappropriately an (empty) box of Black Magic chocolates!

The County Ambulance Service kindly provided their Mobile Control Vehicle, together with portable radio transceivers, for use by the 'County Ambulance Service Officers'; two of their own Officers brought the vehicle to the site and operated the radio switching apparatus (but played no other part in the exercise). The Chief Ambulance Officer also provided the Major Accident Trailer containing blankets, dressings, etc - all of which was of great benefit in the exercise.

A second and separate radio network was provided by the Dorset Raynet Group for traffic control by St John Ambulance members acting as 'Police'. This network was invaluable, becau se all the roads within the DISTEX site are very narrow and only single line traffic could use them.

The Dorchester Cine Club filmed (8 mm) the exercise and it is hoped that some interesting shots were obtained.

Members of County Staff and Divisional Superintendents played the parts of professional County Ambulance Service officers, such as the Ambulance Incident

Officer (in overall charge of the St John Ambulance operation on site), Forward Control Point Officers , etc, as specified in the County Ambulance Service major accident plan They were distinguished b y green armbands, having had no previous training in these duties! A few other members were employed on various administrative duties, including a couple who were employed as policemen for 'public order'.

The Emergency Hospital was 'womanned by 5 divisional nursing officers, 20 nursing members and 6 nursing cadets, all working under the direction of the County Staff Officer (Hospital Liaison). A Divisional Surgeon was in medical charge - and was grossly over-worked!

The exercise s tar te d, after assembly and coffee at the Fleet Club, with a general briefing (including safety rules). During the briefing two Fire Brigade tenders passed on their way to the site to reinforce the fire party, and, shortly after the Ambulance Incident Officer, with his team of 'County Ambulance Service Officers', followed. After a reconnaissance of the site, the Ambulance Incident Officer established these locations , and placed his officers in charge:

Ambulance Incident Headquarters

Ambulance Parking Point

4 Forward Control Points

2 Casualty Collecting Centres

2 Ambulance Loading Points

2 First Aid Supply and Stretcher Bearer Points

A mortuary and a 'Cooler' had already been established by the Police.

During their briefing at the Fleet Club all St John Ambulance members were, in theory, en route to the site, and shortly after the briefing they co ntinued in ambulances and a bus to the Site Ambulance Parking Point. The officer in charge there deployed them to Forward Control Points, Casualty Collecting Centres and Ambulance Loading Points as

ordered by the Ambulance Incident Officer on the basis of situation reports received by him. Cadets were deployed as runners, and a few adult members we re made stores issuers and clerks.

The planned procedure from then on was: at Forward Control Points a preliminary search for casualties, immediate first aid, taking the most urgent cases first, and preliminary documentation on ambulance information forms: conveyance of casualties by stretcher bearers to Casualty Collecting Centres for supportive treatment and sorting : conveyance by stretcher bearers to adjacent Ambulance Loading Points for despatch in priority order by ambulance,with additional attendants, when needed, to the Emergency Hospital: treatment in hospital in relays, and (only in theory) discharge or evacuation to a major hospital.

The operation continued throughout the morning, and then everyone returned to the Fleet Club for lunch, after which there was a conference on the Exercise. The umpires, among whom were Surgeon Commander

M. G. Williams, Royal Navy, and LieutColonel J S. Cox RAMC, made the following principal points:

(1) The first aid had for the most part been very good: some mistakes had been pointed out to individual members.

(2) Some of the stretcher bearing had been rather poor.

(3) The nursing in Hospital had been very good, and divisional nursing officers and nursing members had gained new experience in various respects.

(4) There had not been a quick enough or thorough enough preliminary search of the site, and hence delay had arisen in locating some of the casualties, including some severe ones.

(5) It took the operation rather a long time to get into full swing.

(6) Priorities for treatment and evacuation had not been adequately controlled in some instances. The noisiest casualties were not necessarily the most urgent! Item (4) was clearly a most valid criticism. But it was poin te d out that in a real operation the preliminary search would have been carried out well in advance of the arrival of St John Ambulance members coming from their homes or places of work all over the county. Nevertheless, St John Ambulance would have to confirm that a thorough search had really been made, or else make its own, particularly if the casualties were spread (as in this case) over a very wide area As to item (5) the delay at the outset arose because some members who had volunteered to come were sick, or failed to turn up for some other reason. Those present worked very hard indeed to clear the area as quickly as possible. In fact once the operation got into top gear , it began to move very quickly, and the last (or 94th) casualty arrived in the Emergency Hospital under 3 hours after the arrival of the first ambulance. Item (6) was a very important lesson indeed; some casualties whCJ could have been saved, might have died.

During the conference the Divisional Superintendents of the Poole Cadet Divisions ran an excellent First Aid Quiz for the cadets.

The Commissioner-in-Chief, General Sir John Younger, was the principal guest observing the exercise. At the conference he gave a most encouraging address. And in summing up the exercise, which he said had been a worthwhile one, he emphasised that many valuable lessons had been learned. In conclusion St John Ambulance Dorset is greatly indebted and extremely grateful to the Royal Navy for all the facilities provided and the magnificent setting of the scene; and also to all the organisations previously mentioned for their invaluable contributions. X.B.R.

(Photos: Bill Macey Weymouth)

At the emergency hospital. (Above) A casualty is attended by nursing members, and (right) a Nursing Officer examines a casualty before treatment c an begin. Photos : Bill Ma cey, Weymouth)

GREEN FINGERS

Four St John cadets helped at a tree planting ceremony during November which launched a campaign to replace and protect trees throughout the country, as 30 million have been lost recently through disease, draught, old age and development clearance. Some of the 80 trees presented by The Tree Council to the Queen Mother on her 80th birthday were planted in Kensington Gardens.

The first four of an avenue of tulip trees along Dial Row were planted by Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Gloucester and her two children. Princess Margaret was unable to be present, due to 'flu, so her tree was planted by Nursing Cadet Cindy Pegley, of Essex, and a member of the Girl Guides.

Youth organisation teams then planted young oak and lime trees near the bandstand in the Gardens - our cadet team planting a chestnut. (See photo).

THE SMALL AD

In 1956 Broadwater Combined Division, Herts, was desperate for a nursing officer, so they advertised for one in the local paper. Little did they realise the 'bargain' that the advertisement would produce. both for themselves and for the Brigade in general.

Now, 24 years later, County Nursing Officer Mrs Amy Snowdon SRN - for it was she who answered that plea - has retired, and her many friends and colleagues on County and Area staff said 'farewell' to her at a training convention at Hatfield on November 16.

Amy, who is nursing officer at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, Welwyn, has done much to encourage members to work Tree planting in Kensington Gardens : (L to R) Robert Price and Cindy Pegley (of Essex), Kevin Thompson and Jane Staples (of Herts). See GREEN FINGERS

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN )

BY THE EDITOR

MIND BENDERS

Find the first aid word or words in the clue. The number of letters in the answer is given.

I.

WELCOME

Margaret, Grand

county presidents'

during November in local hospitals. She is well known as an examiner at national, regional and London District competitions. For the past two years she has taken a party of Brigade members to care for the handicapped at the Hertfordshire holiday home at Clacton-onSea. She has been on foreign assignments for SJA, as Lady Moyra Browne, Supt-inChief, said when she presented her with a carriage clock on behalf of County and Area staff: 'Amy helped the Pope to run his first aid post in Rome in 1977.'

County Supt Mrs Elizabeth Bilk presented Amy with a cheque and flowers, and also paid tribute to her service in a very wide field of Brigade training.

Amy Snowdon - who answered that

prayer so many years ago - will be succeeded by Mrs Betty Deadman, formerly Area Commissioner for Southern Area, Herts.

HORIZONS

I hear that members of Hampshire's Farnborough and Cove Ambulance Division were invited to visit C618 East Barnet Cadet Division during November as a result of meeting London District officers at Nottingham in September.

The Hampshire members took their ambulance to London and demonstrated its equipment to DISupt Mrs 1. Bundle andi the cadets of East Barnet. Likewise the cadets showed their visitors what a keen and active divjsion they are.

(Below left) Dr Gerard Vaughan , Minister of Health hands a £500 cheque to the winner of the national finals of the SJA/Band Aid First-Aider of th e Year competition. He is 29-years-old David Morgan, Ca communications officer of the Police Training HO at Lewes (Right) SJA Nursing Officer Mrs Jean Lover was the London Regional winner

page 10

Sgt R. L. Coleman, secretary of Farnborough Division, said how nice it was · that Nottingham could develop and broaden SJA horizons in this way, and it's hoped that the cadets of East Barnet will be VISitIng Hampshire next year for Farnborough and Cove's 50th birthday (although, says F & C members, they don't look a day over 30!)

OUR ELEMENT

I suppose it 's because we're an island and the farthest you can get from the sea is about 80 miles, or maybe it's because of our history - all that seafaring to explore distant lands - but whatever it is t here is no doubt that the British take to the water like ducks; we just can ' t keep off it.

The la test development in this field (or should I say pond?) is from SJA Northants, from where I hear that a party of cadetsthree nursing and their leaders from Kettering Cytringan Division, and four ambu lan ce and an AIM - took to the canals for a weekend in the narrowboat Abington, which is hired to youth organisations by the County Council.

During their two days of cruising our voyagers negotiated many locks, a long dark tunnel, moored up and got under way again, one fell out of her bunk, and among the many obstacles that had to be overcome with a smile was morning coffee without

Honiton's new HO, East Devon , with Lady Younger, is welcomed by D / Supt John Brown Right is the Ar ea Commissioner (also President Honiton Association) Dr Terry Glanvill

King's Lynn Division s president Frank Barton, with some of the well-wrapped-up lads and DI S Ray Sm th, with the scoop stretcher bought with funds from the local Speedwa y Supporters Club E ght members regularly cover the speedway meet ngs (40 already this season). (Photo: C J. Convine, Ely)

Meet Bristol Hartcliffe Di vis ion 's Bookham fam ily: Dad and Mum , George and Eileen , with sons Graham (17), Kevin (16), David (14) , and Derrick (13) and Paul (11) just receiving their enrolment certificates from csa John Creech Five SJA sons - phewl You certainly did well, Eileen and George ( Photo : Bristol Evening Post)

8arnsley Division's HO (right) has been completely rebuilt and refurbished over the last two years under the direction of D I S E. Harrison with the support of Area Comm R S Wilson and his successor Mr J. Ro xby Moore. The building was reopened (below) by the Mayor and Mayoress .,.

The new Commissioner-inChief, Major - Gen Sir John Younger, on a visit to SJA

sugar (somebody forgot it). Next time they want four days of, adventuring afloat. Just can't keep away from it. Just can't.

SIDNEY FORDHAM

We were deeply grieved to hear that Mr ' Sidney Fordham, OStJ, aged 72, died suddenly at his home in Eltham on November 15 after an acute coronary thrombosis. It was barely 18 months since he retired from being in charge of Review Sales at Grosvenor Crescent from 1973-79, having also retired in 1975 from the Active List "of the Brigade after 45 years' dedicated service. The fli"nera1 was held at St Peter's

had happened and found "smoke pouring from the partly demolished cottages, and an ambulance man already on the spot, who told him that there were believed to be injured persons inside and asked him to ! bring more helpers. On hearing this news, patrols collected all available first aid material and stretchers from the HQ and doubled by a short cut across fields to the scene of the incident. Here they found that two cottages at the end of a block in a narrow road- on the outskirts of the town had been seriously damaged; windows, doors and staircases had been demolished and there were heaps of rubble both inside the cottages (from which smoke was still pouring) and in their back yards. A uniformed SJAB officer was on the spot, and to him the Patrol Leaders reported as soon as their patrols arrived: he acted as 'Incident-< Officer' and allotted tasks to the various patrols, while they in turn reported to him for leave to obtain anything that they required. Two patrols were at once sent into the cottages to make a reconnaissance and report. They discovered 10

(Left) MERSEYSIDE: The keys of Ashton Combined Division's new HQ (a double fronted, six room house) are handed by DI S R. Starkey (50 years service in 1981) to Mr Kenneth Clifford Cook OBE, chairman of the SJ Council, for the official opening. New members is the Division's next target ESSEX: Basildon & Pitsea Combined Division recently received over £750-worth of equipment for their new ambulance from the Mobil Oil Co, many of whose employees live locally. (L to R) 0 0 Bert Upton and DI S Les Brightman with Dr John Cooper, refinery medical adviser and AISupt Mick Moring Church, Lee, Eltham, where both Sid and his wife were regular members of the congregation and very devoted workers for the church and in the local community, ' especially among the blind. St John was represented at the funeral by Mrs J. Goudie, SRN, (for many years VicePresident of Sid's former division) and by Mr Watkin Williams (Chairman, St John Review). We offer our deep sympathy to Mrs Fordham and her daughter in their bereavement.

THE PLASTER PINCHER

When from out Of this box you steal

the following six casualties: (1) a man with -arterial bleedin-g [rom a wound on the arm causecfby a sliver of flying glass; (2) a boy who was unconscious and had head Injuries; (3) an unconscious woman, probably (from her situation) suffering, from coal gas poisoning; (4) another boy at the bottom of the demolished stairs, with a fractured thigh; (5) a fat man, slightly dazed and shocked, who kept running round and getting in everybody's way and saying how bad he felt; (6) a man lying in the back yard, buried up to his chest in debris, still conscious, but obviously very severely injured.

'All these casualties were members of the local branch of the Casualties Union and were all properly made up and acted their parts to perfection. They also knew exactly who they were supposed to be - some were residents and others were visitors - and could (so far as their injuries permitted) answer any questions about their names, ages, addresses, relationships to each other" and so forth, and that the explosion was due to a leak of gas which was now turned off at the main.

'In a short time all patrols were fully occupied. All questions (e.g. 'Where IS the nearest telephone?' or 'Where can I get blankets?') were put to the Incident Officer, who directed operations and knew exactly what each patrol was doing. One

Plasters and dressings, How do you feel?

Is there not A pang of remorse,

Knowing the next one

To need one May be YOU "of course. from D I O V. Collins, of Halifax, a first aid officer constantly losing plasters from first aid boxes

BENDERS (ANSWERS)

Scou t _ w::!:L to telephone for an ambulance from the depot in a town two miles away. ('Wot's 'e doin'?' said one young spectator to another. 'Gawn to fetch a ambulance.' 'Betcher 'taint a real ambulance .' 'Betcher 'tis.' Betcher 'taint.'

And their mouths and eyes opened wide with amazement when a few minutes later a genuine ambulance turned the narrow corner of the street!) One patrol had meanwhile been sent off to fetch and pitch a tent to represent a hospital on a plot of grass down an adjacent lane (this was the only unrealistic detail in the whole proceedings). Other Scouts produced extra first aid material from a riverside hut staffed by the local detachment of the BRCS, and then fetched hot water bottles and blankets, and even a tray of wellsugared cups of hot tea from a neighbouring house (some of them called by mistake at houses whose occupants hadn't been warned; but here, too, they readily received every kind of help).

Another patrol put out the 'fire' so quickly and effectively that they decided not to send for the Fire Brigade. Another sent a runner to the nearby Police Station and produced a senior Officer and a Sergeant of the Special Constabulary, as well as the regular constable on the beat. The police asked the usual questions about particulars and were answered by the Scouts, who also helped

Miss Myrtle Redmond (probably the first woman DIS to spearhead an ambulance acquisition) hands the vehicle over to County Comm Christopher Petherick for the Order

DORSET

A

them to keep back the crowd which had collected and to control the traffic.

'Meanwhile first aid was being given to the casualties and they were beingmoved out onto the pavement, and a patrol acted as stretcher -bearers to load the ambulance and later unload it at the 'hospital', where a Corps Superintendent of SJAB watched the unloading and inspected the treatment that had been given. The man who had been trapped under debris was found to have internal injuries but no broken bones: he · had to be released from the debris, lifted onto a stretcher, and then carried over a 3-ft wall out of the yard into the street. The most urgent cases were rushed to 'hospital ' without waiting for the others, and the ambulance made several trips to and fro.

And all the time that this was going on, an unobtrusive figure (who was an expert at the rapid make-up of casualties) snooped around the scene of action and lit a fresh smoke canister from time to time; he also watched the Scouts at work, and when he saw one of them do anything dangerous he turned him into an additional casualty, so that before the incident was over there were three extra walking cases with minor cuts from splintered glass, and one Scout who was 'ove.-come by smoke' in the upper storey of a cottage in which the staircase had collapsed.

'When all casualties had been removed to

'hospital ' the incident was closed, equipment was returned with thanks to those who had lent it , and the Scouts went back to their HQ, where the whole incident was reviewed. Comments and criticisms were meted out - as well as a very fair measure of praise - by the Incident Officer, the SJAB Corps Superintendent, the Officer of the Special Constabulary and the casualties themselves. This was a valuable and essential part of the proceedings, and the Scouts obviously welcomed being told by the experts just what they had done right and what they had done wrong. But the most valuable thing of all was the realism of first-hand experience: none of those who saw the brilliant acting of the man with internal haemorrhage will ever forget what is meant by 'air hunger'; none of those who left the woman patient unattended on a stretcher for a few seconds, but long enough for her to totter back into the burning cottage in search of her husband, will ever do such a thing again!

'For the benefit of those who feel like trying to lay on a realistic adventure on similar lines, it is worth while mentioning that its whole success lies in very careful preparations and the leaving of nothing to chance. The first step was to pick the Incident Officer and discuss with him the lay-out of the general plan; this alone meant an evening chat by the fireside which

lasted nearly three hours. Then various aspects of the plan had to be fixed up with each and all of the following all of whom had to be bound to secrecy; the Adjutant of a battalion stationed at the local barracks, who gave permission for us to use (at our own risk) some bombed cottages which the battalion used for training in streetfighting, and also provided the smoke canisters ; the Police, who provided three uniformed members when summoned to the scene , and were most co-operative in every way; the Casualties Union , who provided the casualties and rehearsed the story and arranged the general set-up of the scene; the SlAB who prov ided an ambulance and three uniformed members whose expert comments , help and advice were alike invaluable; the BRCS, who gave facilities for the use of equipment from their hut; and the local householders, who allowed us to use the telephone and provided hot water bottles , blankets and tea.

'It only remains to add that the whole exercise provided opportunities for the practice of a good many other Scout activities besides first aid , that it did so in an atmosphere of realism which is the best possible means of gaining experience, and that it incidentally brought active , practical Scouting right in f ront of the public eye and showed it off in a favourable ligh t.'

CORNWALL In five months

Lostwithiel Division raised

£2,600 in their small town of 2,200 people to buy an ambulancel And here, D/Supt

(Photo : Cyril Bunn)

(Right) £450 from Sawtry's Feast Week is handed by Miss Barbara Powell to DIS Geoffrey Brown towards Sawtry (Cambs) Combined Division's first ambulance With them is the County Commander, Sqdn Ldr Raymond Mills (Photo GeoH Garratt Sawtry)

SJA Poole received a new £18 , 000 ambulance (right) thanks to a bequest by Miss Dorothy Von Sobbe of Branksome Park, who died in 1977. Miss Von Sobbe was a divisional oHicer of Branksome Nursing Division and a Serving Sister of the Order (Left)

donation to SJA Poole was also made by the town's football Supporters Club t reasurer , Mr L. Grant (right) to Mr J G Reid, chairman of management

ORDER

INVESTITURE

DL (Bed s) Diana Mary, M iss Dixo n (Lines) Jeanne Margaret, Mrs Mercer (Oxford) Elizabeth Lilian Madelaine, Dr Pe r kins (Sussex) Frances May Mrs Gwens, SRN (Cleveland)

May, Mrs Hodge, SRN (Somer et)

ope, The Marchioness of Zetland (N Yorks)

(Brolher)

He nry Claude Cottrell (Kent)

(Northampton)

Daniel Bell Cu nn ingham For yth (Berk s) Harry Reffold (N. Humberside)

Sir James Cheseborough Sw a ffield CBE RD DL (Kent)

Frank John Davies (Oxford)

(Staffs)

Woodward Still MB , BS , MR CGP C umbria) John Hussey Hamilton The R t Hon The Lord Swansea DL ohn Clapton MB, ChB, MRCGP (De von

Brian Edward Toye (London)

James Magee (Pais ey)

William Arthur Sh apland (Londo n)

Associate Officer (Brother)

Victor Allman, MB. ChB, MRCS, LRCP, JP (W est York s)

Officer (Sis ter Bianca C hild ViUiers, Countes s of Jersey (Jersey)

Sheila Maclean, Dr Ross (Cheshire)

Valerie, Mrs Graves, aBE Essex)

Marina Ann, Mrs Dolman (Av o n)

Elizabeth Mary, Miss Pearce (London)

Serving Brother The Rev Nicholas David J on Webb (W York s) J ohn Nangle O'Hanlon, LRCP L RCS (Warwicks)

David Helm QPM (London)

James McNamara (Berks)

Keith Harris (W. Midlands)

Richard Albert Baker (Surrey)

John Budworth (Humberside)

Brian Walter Kempton (Warwicks)

Leslie James Edward Bateman (W Midland s)

James William Soanes (Suffo k)

James Dav d Anderson , MB , BS, DRGOG, DA FFAR CS (Staffs)

Keith Siddle (S. Yorks)

Haro ld Short (No tt ing ham)

William Ian Scott Wilson, Bsc (Hants)

Lionel Herbert Abraham (Devon)

Fran k Arthur Ashe (Wilts)

Brian William Gillett (W. Midlands)

William Hul se (Staffs) Henry Towle (Notts)

Robert Leslie Atkinson (N. Yor ks) Ronald William Bishop (Devo n)

Clarence

(Cheshire)

Hilary Raymond Reynolds (Somerset )

Victor Henry Shaw (S. Yorks)

R eginald J ames Simons (Cardiff)

Ar th ur H ugh Whitehead (Notts)

Clifford J ohn Griffin (W. Midlands)

Walt e G r een (Notts)

Gordo n Bu tterworth (Lanes)

Pe ter Art hu Neal (Essex)

H aro d Tay lor (C heshire)

M chae William Desmond Mackey, BEM (London) Lewis Harold Eaton (Cheshire)

Edwa d Ro land Terrett Middx) Frederick Alan Stamford (N. Yorks) Willi am Stacey Fu rn ss, MB, ChB (Cheshire)

Are the following TRUE or FALSE?

1. The appendix is a ttached to the small intestine.

2. The trachea leads to the stomach.

3. The ear may be descr ibed in three pa r ts

4. Cert ain reproductive organs lie beh i nd the bladder _ 5. There is still 10 0/0 oxygen in the air that we breathe out.

6 Plasma is a tran sparent white fluid.

7. The arteries are the strongest of the blood vessels.

8. The heart is controlled by the autonomic system

9. The primary aim in jaw and facial injuries is to maintain respiration.

10. A fracture of the shoulder blade is a rare injury resulting from indirect force.

11. A fracture where the elbow cannot be flexed should be transported as a stretcher case.

Test your knowledge of the Manual: 3

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

(Time limit 3 mins)

and BRUCE

12. The pelvis can only be fractured by direct force. 13. A good description of compression is 'brain shaking'.

14. The life of a red corpuscle is only a few days.

15. Epilepsy may occur at any age. 16. There are three stages in a major epileptic fit.

17 The breath is odourless in insulin coma.

18. In diabetic coma, the skin is dry.

19. There are four ways that poisons may either accidentally or intentionally enter the body

20. A stitch is a painful spasm of the diaphragm.

21. The elbow is a ball and socket joint.

22 The transparent part of the eye is called the iris.

23. There are six cervical vertebrae.

24. The sternum is 'dagger' shaped.

25. The wrist is comprised of seven small carpal bones.

Answer the following:

26. This substance covers the whole of the body

27. This substance acts as an insulator for body heat.

28. Muscles move various parts of the body and are of two typesvoluntary and involuntary. True or false?

(A nswers on page 16)

PRACTICALL Y every St John Division strives to maintain its standards of training and public duties with the most up-to-date equipment it can afford - yet many of the older members can probably recall having to cope with what may now appear to be primitive facilities and transport.

But I'm sure' everyone - the young and the not-so-young - will be interested in this series of photographs taken from aimual

Looking Back

All our yesterdays and maybe memories too

by MYRA MEREDITH Avon Public Relations Officer

reports of Bristol SJA found recently among old papers at their Easton HQ. They show how St John Ambulance in Bristol carried out their duties in the early part of this century.

(Photo 1) How about this for a smartly turned out transport unit?

It is a horse-drawn ambulance of 1903. The superb horses were loaned by a Mr Cotton, a Bristol undertaker, who became a county officer, holder of the MBE and an Officer Brother of the Order.

Perhaps someone can throw a little more light on the subject of photo 2? This early motor ambulance/fire tender presumably acted in a dual role.

The two motor ambulances (photos 3 & 4) show the advances that were being made from horsedrawn transport. The latter picture shows an officer and a corporal placing an empty stretcher into the rear of the vehicle.

And not forgetting the nursing members' role over the years (photo 5). These two smartly-dressed young women are sitting outside the old Bristol casualty hospital (first

aid unit?) which was stationed on Durdham Down around the time of the First World War. Although this mobile building has long since gone, Bristol members still cover the Saturday football matches which are played on the 30 pitches of the 630 acres of downland, which is a 5-minute drive from the city centre.

(Editor: We should be very interested to hear from readers who might be able to supply further information on these photographs.)

We have had many enquiries at Brigade Headquarters about wearing sweaters. It is felt by the Dress Regulations Committee that to have arbitrary standards for sweaters and the occasions and duties on which they may be worn, may mean that hundreds of sweaters presently accepted in Counties may be outlawed, and Counties may lose their autonomy on the question of issuing dress 'Orders of the Day'.

If the County Commissioner approves, the wearing of sweaters is acceptable for appropriate public duties. This means that such occasions as scrambles, point to points, pop concerts, etc, sweaters would be appropriate, whereas for formal

Dress Regulations

SWEATERS

occasions members should be in uniform and uniformly dressed

Sweaters should be of military pattern in black, with black shoulder patches , and may be worn by all ambulance, nursing and cadet members. Ambulance personnel should wear a white shirt and nursing personnel a white polo-necked sweater underneath, so that any change of order during the day can be uniformly carried out.

Each individual unit should dress uniformly. This means , for example , t hat

It is hoped that by not laying down totally inflexible specifications and rules in Dress Regulations, uniformity within a County, Area, Corps or Division

be achieved with a minimum of

A short addition to items worn as special duty uniforms will be included in Brigade Orders, but it is emphasised that this is not a blanket amendment and will only apply in those counties who permit the wearing of sweaters.

Gerald Easton, chairman R&DR

First aid hospital, and two well posed and poised young ladies , at Bristol's Durdham Down during the First World War period

by TOM QUINN

Y orkshire's Barnsley an d Frickley joined forces

AS THE name suggests, the Barnsley and Frickley Combe Cadet Band is made up of what were originally two separate SJA bands.

The Barnsley band was formed just after the Second World War by a divisional officer Mr Savage (one hates to ask how much of a disciplinarian he was!). There first instruments were six B-flat bugles, bought secondhand from the Army, and 8-inch kettle drums, nunus snares, also from the Sally Army. Throughout the following decade the band flourished, having no problems in keeping an average strength of 40 ambulance cadets. However, in the early 1970s, numbers fell and subsequently the band joined the Frickley band to play on a number of occasions, the official amalgamatlOn coming in 1972 The band is now run on an inter-Area basis, as the two divisions are in separate SJA administrative areas.

The history of the Frickley band is not so clear , as records of its formation are either lost o r never existed, my correspondent Mr Bowmer tells me. However, the band is believed to be about 30 years old and may have had similar origins to Barnsley's band. In 1967 a sponsored swim raised money to obtain new instruments - several new drums and bugles.

Both bands had originally been 'boys only', but four years after joining nursing cadets were accepted, whIch resulted in the usual problem of uniformity < Nowadays all members wear black trousers and grey shirts.

The band committee comprises senior and past band members to advise, teach, and generally to come up with ideas for band's progress.

A lthou gh not as yet a competition band,

the B & F band hopes one day to enter a novice class Apart from this, it covers a wide range of engagements, SJA parades, galas, fetes, etc. One of its main problems at present is transport, meaning that the petrol used by officers' cars for engagements is proving costly.

The band feels that by joining the Federation of SJA Bands they will be able to share and learn skills and ideas, with the aim of improving the qualities of SJA bands as a whole, and theirs in particular, for the good name of St John.

Regulations

Here is a reminder of the regulations most relevant to SJA bands, passed in January 1980:

79 159A. Insert new BGR. '159A Fed Brigade Bands. The Federation of Brigade Bands is a consultative body which exists to foster the interests of its members. Copies of its constitutions are available on request from SJA Headquarters.'

QUESTIONS

Drums for the neWly-formed Tameside Group SJA Band, Cheshire, were dedicated by Brigade Chaplain the Rev. Nelson at the annual inspection on Sept 21 When CSO (C) J. Elliott heard that Rushden Division was acquiring new drums he arranged to buy their old instruments, with all Tameside divisions subscribing A M Harry Goddard, a former Guards' drummer, has been of great assistance servicing the drums and helping in training. After appearances at Stockport and Tameside inspections, recruitment to the band, which had been slow, has now reached 17 members. Bandmaster Sgt G J Joyce reports that while stripping the bass drum for repainting it was found to have once belonged to Banbury Division! (Photo: Greater Manchester Press Agen cy)

51 95(c). Exemption from Efficiency Requirements, Cadets. After Para (C) (iii), add new paragraph as follows: 'At the discretion of the Commissioner, Cadet members of Brigade bands may be granted exemption from a maximum of six Divisional instructional meetings pro vided they also attend at least twelve band practices, pass their annual re-exams (including where applicable PN), and attend the annual inspection of either the band or their Division.'

Let's hear from you I would be interested to hear from any other SJA bands who would be willing to be featured in this column, to share ideas, news and views with all St John bands . Unfortunately the Barnsley and Frickley Band were unable to prov ide a pho t o But if you can, please enclose a black and white photo of your band Keep the information flowing in. If t his column is to be of any value to St John bands, then we must all participate

EDITOR: Our columnist Tom Quinn is now the PRO for the Federation of St John Ambulance Brigade Bands, so please send all band news and articles for the Review to him at 28 Bath Road, Banbury, Oxon, phone Banbury 65227.

13. False. It is concussion.

CADET CHAT

by JIM

Junior pocket book

AVAILABLE about now from all Counties is the new St John Junior Pocket Book, which can be used to record the progress of St. John Junior Pocket Book

Juniors through the various stages of their 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grades. Very similar to the record books kept by members of other youth organisation s , it will be a useful s timulus to youngsters and, kept in the plastic wallet provided, will be a lasting record o f progress Counties (not Divisions) requiring supplies should contact the Chief O ffi cer Cadets at Brigade HQ.

Easy as A.B.C.

The First Aid Alphabet printed on this page was sent to me from Northern Ireland. Perhaps it could be reproduced in poster form for Divisional use, and maybe some cadets will have some more ideas of their own along similar lines?

Fund raising

It's good to hear from Jenny Phillips of Bletchley Nursing Cadet Division, whose members recently spent the whole of a Saturday washing cars in aid of Divisional funds. (See photo.) I would like to hear from other Divisions with information and pictures of their fund raising activities please. As always, Cadet Chat Badges to all contributors.

Ideas

Organising a 'Clean Up Campaign ' can be a useful way of raising money as well as being a community service project. Write to : The Keep Britain Tidy Group, Bostel House, 37 West Street, Brighton BN1 2RE for details and the booklet 'Guide to Organiser of Clean Up Campaigns'.

When preparing outdoor activities why not consider camping on some of the Forestry Commission sites which are available? You will find the address of the nearest office in the telephone directory. You may also be able to obtain the services of a speaker to talk to your Division.

The Countryside Commission also has

useful information booklets available, including 'Recreational Paths', 'Country Parks and 'The Coastal Code'. Send for them from The Countryside Commission, John Dowe r House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, Gloucester GL50 3RA.

Have you ever thought of:

Asking your cadets to think of a First Aid limerick?

Arranging for your cadets to suggest who they would like to see named in a New Year' s Honours List e.g. Sports Personalities , TV stars?

A party game which requires contestants to eat chocolate with a knife and fork? Games

Give two cadets a card on which are five or six names , then divide the rest of the cadets into two tearrl5. The- two cadets with the card have to give impressions of one of the named people and as soon a s the person is guessed then the impersonator moves on to

the names

'Litterbug ' - a t t he beginning of the evening gi ve two cade ts some counters which they must depo sit d uring the evenin g Gi ve a point for eve ry co unt er found by a cade t, t he one with the m ost points wins the game.

Applications for Sail Training courses close on January 31. Is th ere anyone in your Di vi sion aged 16 to 24 who is interested? Appl y t o Brigade H Q via County Commissioners.

Contribu tions

If you have any ideas t ha t yo u woul d like t o share with o t hers, please write to 'Jim , 57 Morgan Crescen t, They d on Bois, E pping, Essex CM16 7DU.

A stands for the arterie s the blood fr o m th em is red

B is for the brea thing , if it st ops th em we are d ead

C is for casualties we re trained t o t r eat them now

D for Direct Pressure to stop bleedin g so meh ow

E stands for electric shock turn off t he curr ent qu ick

F is for a fracture si mple or greenstic k

G GAS carbon monoxide , a dange r o us mixture true

H for severe haemorrhage wh ich can quickly turn us blue

I is for inspiration it just means breath ing in

J stands for the joints, i mmobili se t he m as you will

K is for the knowledge we gain a t all our classes

L for lifts and lungs and luck to ga n u s p asses

M stands for our Medical Aid, make the me ssage clear

N for the No-touch technique , germ s cri nge f r o m it with fear

o stands for Observation of the pat ient an d his need s P is f or poison, quick action needed t o s u cc eed

Q stands for the questions, we as k them t o our cost

R Resuscitation, no time here must be lost

S stands for shock, the symptoms we must kno w

T triangular bandage a useful one for you

U is for unconsciousness, the causes here are many

V for varicose veins with valves Have you got any?

W stands for wounds , incised or lacerated

X might mean an X-ray if patient's not exacerbated

Y stands for YOU and your service to mankind

Z is for the zeal you give to every task you find

SJA MUSIC-MAKERS

OUR IMAGE

from J. V. Hackett, SRN, OStJ

In the November Review, the correspondence on Special Duty Uniform once again highlighted the need for the Brigade to update its attitude about a more modern image if it is to attract and retain new members, in two respects viz:

1. Membership - should aim for one generic certificate incorporating both first aid and home nursing and so reduce the separation of male and female entities, in line the Sex Discrimination Act, as observed by most other orgarusatIOns.

2. Uniforms - should also aim at a unisex uniform that does not forego the black and white image of the Order, but allows for more modern and practical wear for either indoor or outdoor duties (look at the BRCS efforts to update same, for instance).

If we are to progress into 'the next 60 years', we should be willing to disengage from outmoded appearances and practices, which the public will quite happily adjust to if the service provided is the same, if not better. It would help to reduce uniform costs as well.

How about a membership survey on the above propositions?

Cardiff J. V. Hackett

RETIRED ASSOCIATION

from Mrs P. Way

I was interested to read in At Random (Sept) Mr Watkin Williams' remarks regarding the retired members' tea party and thought he would be interested to know that in this area of West Devon we have formed the St John Retired and Reserve Members Association (referred to as St John R & R).

Strangely enough the idea for this came from Australia when we read in The White Cross (the magazine for St John in Victoria, sent to one of our members), of the formation of such an Association there. It seemed such a good idea for keeping retired members in touch that in March 1974 we contacted as many as we could and called a meeting. Numbers were small at first but we now have over 30 members. We do not restrict membership strictly to those on the official retired or reserve lists but welcome any ex-members of St John. Each member is free to bring a friend to any of the meetings.

We meet once a quarter and charge a membership fee of SOp per annum to cover postage and telephone calls, raising additional funds by coffee mornings and similar activities. For the March and June meetings we try to have someone to speak on a subject of interest to St John members. In September we arrange a half day coach outing. The December meeting takes the form of a Christmas Party, when members bring something towards the refreshments and we have a right royal feast. In view of the advancing years of many of us (some are well in their 80s) we play mainly pencil and paper games, for which small prizes are given.

We all thoroughly enjoy this contact with our former colleagues and look forward eagerly to our meetings. We can thoroughly recommend the setting up of such an Association. Plymouth P. Way

CADET CAMPS

from Mrs K. McFarlane, Area Staff Officer

Having read A Divisional Member's letter on Cadet Camps (Nov Review) and the fact that he/she only mentions older staff officers and not the older divisional officers and divisional superintendents who run very efficient cadet divisions, it is surely a case of sour grapes that Anon was not camp commandant or a personal vendetta between Anon and a particular staff officer?

Are we really to believe that staff officers who are 'past it' give up a week of their family holiday and the luxury of all mod-cons to 'rough it' for a week for the glory of being camp commandant? I doubt it. As for being out of touch, a good staff officer works closely with all divisions, thus having a greater understanding of cadets in general.

I agree that there are many young officers who run very efficient divisions, and may also be good campers, but having personally seen some of their 'with it' ideas on camp, it has been beneficial to have an older person (not necessarily the camp commandant) to keep things on an even keel.

But surely the organisation and running of a camp requires TEAM WORK and forward planning should have been started long before the event, thus any difficulties and disagreements are discussed and overcome, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running on site.

Was it really necessary when there are proper procedures for dealing with genuine complaints to write anonymously to the Review? Is it because Anon was not as efficient as he/she thought, hence the sour grapes; could it be that there isn't a genuine grievance;

18

or is he/she just a trouble maker? In my book anyone who hasn't the courage to be associated in name with what they say or write is a coward at heart.

So come - on Anon, if you have anything constructive to say and your criticism is honest, just and true (remember your Code of Chivalry), stop hiding behind your pseudonym. Throwaway your white feather and come out into the open S& W Herts Kathleen McFarlane

from Vincent Smith, County Training Officer

I think that it is sad that 'A Divisional Member' of 'Any County' was not fully identified in the November Review. This tactic of hiding behind the skirts of 'Any County' can only have been published by you as a way of ensuring a good post in response!

I can only hope and assume that 'Any County' does not include my own of Buckinghamshire, not those of our neighbours Berk shire or London District. In all of these cases, the argument put forward last month is totally invalid.

I am an 'aged', past it, County Staff Officer, 33 years of age who has camped with Bucks for 17 years and who is now Deputy Commandant of our 38th successful camp of some 270 people. I know that I can quote similar examples in Berks and London District.

The whole premise that County Staff equals old age and no rapport with youngsters is totally wrong in all these cases and one of my highspots at camp is playing sport with any cadet as friends and equals on a first name basis.

We're not unique in Bucks in operating a committee system to organise our camp which brings in many young people from 18 onwards to organise the programme and daily routine. In fact, in this county we use this method as a proving ground for many people prior to Brigade appointments in the county.

So, please Mr Edit , don't 'tar us all with the same brush and have the courage of 'A Divisional Member's' convictions by exonerating those of us who feel justifiably aggrieved and hopefully not too self-righteous by naming the County concerned, which will perhaps take heed of our knowledge and success at camping.

Buckinghamshire Vincent Smith

Editor: Letters sent to the Review for publication must include the writer's name and address, but if the writer requests it a pen-name only is published. The intention of this policy is not so that the writer can express views which he would not admit to in public, but rather to protect the anonymity of others who may be identified in what he writes

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

from John A. Alderson, Divisional Superintendent

I was very interested in Questions and Answers by Roy Jackson and Bruce Coltman (Nov Review), as I have produced a booklet similar to their idea for my cadets by photo-copying hundreds of illustrations from the Manual. Each cadet is given a copy. Roy and Bruce -I think your idea is great!

Being a member of Casualties Union I have also been encouraging our cadets to study casualty make-up and over the last 18 months four of our Juniors have accompanied me when visiting divisions to talk on the subject. Three of them - James Hounslow, Dudley and Colin Hewlett - have now passed their initial test and are members of Casualties Union.

Reigate John A. Alderson

STUDENT NURSES from S. P. Apted, Corporal

As an ambulance member who is regularly involved with many of the large public duties undertaken by London District, I have often noticed how invaluable it is to have professional advice available from St John surgeons and nursing officers. This also applies to divisional training.

General Regulation No. 24(d) states that a medical student who has completed two years of clinical training may be appointed as a student surgeon. Regulation No. 61 further states that a student divisional surgeon may assist the divisional surgeon in the medical and surgical work of the division. Where no divisional surgeon has been appointed the probationary surgeon will undertake the training, but will not be recognised as an official SJA lecturer or examiner. He may assist at public duties but must not assume the responsibilities of a fully registered medical practitioner.

Would it not be practical to develop a similar arrangement for student nurses? While it is clearly understood that there is a great deal of difference in the type of training received, it would still be a great benefit to be able to recognise a student nurse from an ordinary nursing member when in St John uniform. The student nurse could, say, be a one-star officer with a coloured disc under the star, as IS the method of identification for student surgeons. Another may be to introduce a badge with bars to indicate the number of years training received.

I'd like to hear other views on this subject, especially from student nurses

London SW18 S. P. Apted

BAD PRACTICE?

from Vincent Smith, County Staff Officer

With reference to the November Review, p. 249, I am amazed that a woman who needed resuscitation was allowed to carry out her duties IS minutes later! This surely is bad practice to allow our pat ients who are that ill to 'see the show through' rather than get medical Perhaps there is more to the story, in which case can you pubhsh It and so put the record straight?

Congratulations on keeping up the quality of the Review.

Bucks Vincent Smith

Editor: The facts of the story as published were all that we recei ve d. Perhaps SJA Boston, Lincs, have something to add. Come in, Boston.

INSURANCE

from B. W. Nichols

Two points in reply to D. Symes, SRN (Nov Review).

1. From the point of view of insurance, if a professional nurse puts up an injection or intubates a patient on a Brigade duty and somethmg goes wrong and the relatives make a claim for damages - who pays? Not the Brigade or the RCN. It may be y ou. And it's no good saying claims are not made, because they are.

2 As an anaesthetic nurse who both intubates and puts up IVIs in my Job, I can assure you that the situation in the field is much to in hospital, where you have a doctor at hand. If you run mto pr?blems in the field you usually have only Mr No-One. And a lot of tIme can. be wasted in getting the patient to hospital by trying to do clever thmgs, when the simple will suffice.

Oxford Bryan W. Nichols

DISABLED HOLIDAYS

from Miss S. Y. Morriss

Earlier this year in the St John Review was published a plea for of St John to help at summer camps for handicapped chlldren.

As 1981 is The International Year of the Disabled it would be an idea if n:any more of our members volunteered to go as aides on these hohdays. are organised by many associations, for both young and old, With many types of disabilities. They involve a lot of work blft also a great deal of enjoyment can be obtained from these mexpenSlve holidays.

I suggest members who are wming to help contact the local branch of dlsableme!1t. associations, or write direct to national headquarters associatIOns such as The British Diabetic Assoc 10 Queen Anne St, London WIM OBD, and The British Crowthorne House, Bigshotte, New Wokingham Rd Wokmgham, Berks Ely

S. Y. Morriss

Greater Manchester

Four Grand Prior Awards for West Area: (L to R Philip Howcroft, Rebecca Clyne, Ann McDonough and Adele Johnson

Recently appointed County Staff Off cer ( Fin an ce) George Gr ffiths re ceives his 5th Bar to his Ser vice Medal from Commissioner Col Robert Price Well done, George!

Mr and Mrs Samue Wild who recently celebrated their Golden Wedding. Mr Wild, with 45 years St John service, was before his retirement Div Supt of Newtown New Mi ll s Div sion

NEWS from SCOTLAND

THE PRIORY of Scotland exte n ds best wishes for the New Year to all readers of the Review.

Glasgow

As a result of the publicity given to the needs of the Ophthalmic Hospital by Mr J. S. G. Blair (as reported in the December issue) Glasgow St John Association has offered to provide four ophthalmoscopes.

This is in addition to mounting a massive fund-raising effort to meet the cost of purchasing and converting new premises in Langside for the present St John Hospice for the elderly, the lease of which expires in 1983.

Mr Herbert J. Green, KStJ, who has been Chairman of the Glasgow Committee of the Order since its creation in 1961, has been recommended for a long service medal.

Central

Dr Thomas Reilly, MC, OStJ, has taken over from Mr Robert Barr, OBE, OStJ, as Chairman of the Central St John Association.

The Sir Andrew Murray Holiday Home for the Blind and Handicapped is proving its usefulness and is increasingly in demand.

Funds donated by Central Region Fire Brigade will help to install a 'hotel-type' radio in each suite.

Strathkelvin

One of the most junior branches of the St John Association of Scotland, Strathkelvin

WALES

Photo:

Council)

donated £100 to Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow, to help purchase a laser beam instrument.

Angus Members and friends of the new Angus Committee of the Order and its Association enjoyed an At Home in the beautiful setting of 'The Burn', a stately horne at Edzell, on November 6. The Prior (His Grace the Duke of Hamilton), the Chancellor, the Receiver-General, Priory Secretary, and the Lirnner were among those present.

DunbartonshUie

At a meeting of the Helensburgh branch of Dunbartonshire St John Association in Rhu on Wednesday November 26, talks were given by Mr Charles Burnett, Lirnner, and the Prior Secretary on the history, heraldry

DURING October a party of St John Cadets and members from the Gwent Health Authority Hospital's Division visited the television studios of HTV in Cardiff as part of their communications course.

The members were shown the various departments at the television centre including sound, lighting, programme planning, and cadets also had the opportunity of seeing programmes gomg out live. They also met television presenters of HTV and the West and saw the main control room.

Mr Bill McDowell showed the party around and since the visit has been appointed an auxiliary member of the Division.

and constitution of the Order of St John in Scotland. Mr A. G. Crichton, Chairman of the Dunbartonshire Committee of the Order, and Mr R. Moyes, Convenor of the Helensburgh branch, commented on the usefulness of such talks in giving members a fuller understanding of the Order and its works.

The Chancellor, Mr W. A. P. Jack, KStJ, was present at the installation of Sir Maurice Dorman as Lord Prior of the Order in the Grand Priory Church, Clerkenwell, on October 22, and reported to Priory Chapter on the impressive ceremony.

The Grand Prior has approved the appointment of Dr William Macfarlane Gray, KStJ, Receiver General of Scottish Priory, as a member of Chapter General in place of the late Col J. H. Calder MacLeod.

OVERSEAS

At the TV studiosJ unior Cadet Peter Belsten has his sights set on be ng a camerama n

RECONDITIONED AMBULANCES

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The Sir Andrew Murray Holiday Home at Strathyre for the benefit of h e bl ind and ha nd

Cora Reed, of Rogiet, Newport, a corporal and former social secretary of

BUCKS:

News from Divisions/ Centres ,

OBITUARY

majorettes were in the carnival procession

(Left) HUMBERSIDE: Mrs B. Burton presents the Arthur Burton Memorial Trophy for Endeavour, in memory of her late husband, Sgt Arthur Burton, founder of Bransholme Division, who died early in 1980, to joint winners (L to R) Cpl

MUSEUM NOTES

WHILE browsing through an antique collectors' magazine recently I noticed that a St John Ambulance Division had been selling old World War II SJA uniforms and equipment to raise money for their activities. Undoubtedly this is a good way to raise funds and Headquarters are interested in militaria in general as a means of fund-raising (see Review, September 1980, page 207), but I was wondering whether that or any other division had considered offering items to the Order Museum - for sale, not necessarily as a gift, although gifts are always welcome of course. Our St John Ambulance collection is by no means complete and we have a particular gap in items relating to World War II. It would be a great help if divisions or individuals considering offering old St John Ambulance objects for sale would contact the Museum first, to see if the items are represented in the collection. Some divisions have already done this and we are grateful to them, but this is just to make everyone aware that we are also in the market for St John memorabilia.

It is important to build up a central store of items and information relating to the history of St John Ambulance so that they are available to anyone studying the history of the movement. The Ambulance Museum at St John's Gate is not open at the moment but we are working on it and on various aspects of the collection - for example, the organisation and medals of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve. On the subject of the Sick Berth Reserve, we are particularly interested in hearing from members who have any objects, photos or recollections of this service, which was instituted in 1903 to supplement the Naval Medical facilities and was disbanded after World War II. People can contact us at the Museum, St John's Gate, St John's Lane, London EC1. Tel: 01-253 6644.Stella Dyer, Assistant Curator

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Pig's foot for a horse (7). 15 Premonition preceding epileptic fit (4). 18. Clique involved in secret intrigue (5). 21. Plant juices slowly take away one's strength (3). 22. Metabolic rate when the body is at rest (5). 24. Sense organs which do not look closed (4). 26 Ceased work and went to bed (7). 27. Expect and desire to make a springing movement east (4). 29. Unhealthy state of the Union (3). 30. Streptococcal illness produced by sa lt in a car (10). 31. Scabies (4). 32. Formerly concerning the ear from a foreign land (6). 33. Structure with important role in defence of body against infection (5.5).

Down 1. Difficulty in breathing (8). 2. Its skeleton cons i sts of three phalanges (6). 3. Deficiency of oxygen to brain and other tissues (7). 4. Fever carried by the Knights of St John? (5). 5. Weights of wool for foxes (4). 6. Is 31 Across or could be in flammation of the testes (8). 7. Bleeding into space between skull and outer layer of meninges (8). 12. Where one's early development takes place (4). 14. Sound recording for a parasitic worm (4). 16. Famous edition containing second-hand articles (4). 17. F ish beam (3). 18 This rib is a congenital deformity (8). 19 Must boil in a virulent type of food poisoning (8). 20. Left a road for fat used in cook ing and pharmacy (4). 23. Worm-like proce ss of the caecum (8). 25. Sterilised and suffering from a heat injury (7). 27. What the drug addict has in Lancashire? (3.3). 28. Main disturbance with a psychiatric condition (5). 30 Coarse tobacco for a lar ge sea- bird (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 12 (80)

Across: 1. AlLergen; 5. Asthma; 10. Gag; 11. Neck of femur; 12. Nates; 13. Lead; 14 Edam; 16 Ring.worm; 19. Lass.o; 22. Organ; 23. Oratorio; 25. Arch; 27. Stop: 29. Flu.sh; 31. Otitis media; 32. Awn; 33, Diploe; 34 Receptor. Down: l. Angina; 2. Lightning; 3 Rents; 4. Exc el; 6. Soft; 7. Humid; 8. Acromion; 9. Toxaemia; 15 Alto; 17. Ge.ne; 18. Odontoma; 20. Stimulant; 21. Coracoid; 24. Shiner; 26. Crisp; 28. Padre; 29 Frame; 30. Ti.to.

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C O VER Communication by eyes , by smiles It was at Allt -yr-Yn Hospital Newport when the visiting Commandant-in-Chief of SJA in Wales, The Duchess of Gloucester, called on the elderly patients and found Cadet Richard Harman helping on the ward What sh e asked, does he like about his duti es? A difficult question, thought Richard - but he iked them he

ALL WHO have attended investiture s and other ceremonial occasions of the Order of St John during the past 20 years will have taken great pleasure in the news that in The Q u een's New Year Honours List the OBE was awarded to Colonel Philip Catt in recognition of his services as Director of Ceremonies of t he Order for the past 15 years and an Assistant Director for several years before that. Our readers will already be aware (August 1980 Review, p , 173) that he resigned from his appointment with effect from St John's Da y last year, shortly after his 80th birthday, and it is entirely fitting that at this time Her Majesty should have been pleased to hono u r one who has for so long planned and directed the ceremonies of our Order with a dignity, devotion and expertise that must surely be second to none. But only a small proportion of those who admired , and were sometimes perhaps a little over-awed by, his immense zeal for precision in the dignified conduct of ceremonial had the opportunity to discover that behind the trappings of office there stands a deeply committed Christian of immense charm, kindness and sensitivity, who would spare no pains to help others by performing any task, no matter how humble - witness his having frequently acted as stretcher-bearer when taking parties of sick and disabled pilgrims to Lourdes - and at no matter what cost to himself.

Only recently an anonymous Ambulance from Sussex, who commutes daily to work in London, rang up to tell me a story which he felt should be more widely known, and I'm glad to take this opportunity of passing it on. Some years ago he met Col Catt at an Association gathering in Chichester, and the Colonel, seeing him standing alone , came up and talked to him for q u ite a long time, asking him about his Brigade membership and duties. One morning some month later h e boarded t h e London train and spotted Col Catt in t h e same compartment. 'He won 't remember or recognise me,' he thought. But not a bit of it! The Colone l at once greeted him warmly and, etting a ide

The site: a terraced building in central London

The incident: twenty five hostages imprisoned by five gunmen

The period: five and a half days at the beginning of May

The climax : an armed military assault watched 'live' by millions of TV viewers

.

TBE CREWS TELLTBEIB STORY

The five-and-a-half day siege of the Iranian Embassy at the beginning of May 1980 provided the media with thousands of column inches of exciting and moving material. Here is the story of the involvement of the men of the London Ambulance Service, reprinted from their magazine LONDAM.

THE FIRST call from Scotland Yard was innocuou s enough provided one wa s not the v ictim. A police con s table had been taken hos t age at the Iranian Embass y : firearms in v ol ved. No action by LAS required - information only! But that first message at 1142 on Wednesday April 30 signalled a sequence of events which culminated , five day s later, in wha t has been described as the mo s dramatic larges caLe action London ha s witne ss ed.

Some f ourteen m inute s after the initial alert Metropolitan Police Control reque s ted an ambulance. Shots had been fired. The ambulance arrived on scene within minu t es and assistant chief officer John Moss attended with mobile superintendent Stevens at 1204 to assess the situation It was soon apparent that a s tate of siege was emerging, a s approach road s were clo sed and 'no go' areas taped off. As the number of people within the Embassy (v ic ims and gunmen) wa s unknown a second ambulance was ordered, St Stephen' s hospital nominated and alerted to receive any casualties

As first occupants, LAS claimed parking s pace in Prince ss Gate for two ambulances and moved them into a cas ualt y loading position, facing Exhibition Road with the rear toward the besieged Embassy -a siting that remained constant throughout the incident. At shift -change times, crew s were ferried to and fro, leaving the positioned vehicles in situ

The long wait begins

A hysterical female relative of a hostage wa s the only pers on removed to hospital

a mbulances from ten to fifteen and , while a ll ambulanc e s taff donned their fluorescent motorway jackets, assumed the role of ambulance incident officer calling for a forward move of waiting vehicles toward the pre-arranged casualty loading point.

'Two further explosions then took place and gunmen , lat e r id e nti f ied as SAS, app e ared outside the windows and doors of the be s ieged building. F iring inten s ified, gas was u sed and the police and ambulance s aff all took s helter in a ny nook or cr a nny 'I mov e d for w ard to the edge of the former " no go " a r ea , a nd mustered four volun eer ambulance men with immediate aid s atchel s All was now read y to se ek , treat and remove ca s ual ties.'

The four volunteers It was their fir s t time at sc en e fo r the men who r es ponded to the call for volunt ee rs : John Ca in and C olin Bard e n (Wa terloo) Paul Wil k in s and R oy Shi r ley (C hel sea) a nd we let John t ake up t h e st or y : We arri

and s hot s were

'Thi s w as t he mo s t worrying tim e o f all' , said Roy, 'W e felt very apprehen s ive becau se, at tha time, we thought that all the hostag es had been s ho t.

'When t wo further ex plo s o n s we r e h eard everythin g s tart ed to buzz. A line o f poli c e ben o ver c ar s wi t h g un s t her e wa s c hao s at the fron of th e buildin g a nd we saw P C Locke at the window. The id ea wa s for the police to carr y th e s tretcher s bu t, when th e con f u sion had died down, Mr Mo ss call e d f or volunt ee rs '

We aske d P a ul a nd R oy w h y t h ey volunt eered

'W e didn t t hink a b o ut it,' t h ey agree d It see m e d li k e th e n at ur al t hin g to d o.

A ft er a ll we we r e th ere t o d o a jo b We j u st said t o M r Moss "yo u go fir st - we' ll be righ t b e hind yo u! " H a lfway a lo n g t he wa ll we m e t thi s g u y w i t h a gu n a nd h ood over hi s head a nd t hi s was a n other nasty mom ent beca u se we t h o ug h t he was a ter r or ist. H e t u rne d o u t to be an SAS m a n , h oweve r an d motio n ed us to go a h ead.'

during these initial hour s and there w as no movement within or around the imm e diat e area , although armed (SPG) p o li ce we re massing in the side streets. A s night f ell on that first day, the Ser v ice was informed t hat up to 25 hostages wer e in the Emba ssy, all of whom would require hospitaL screenin g on release. So, w ith a mobil e s uperintendent in attendance a all time s plus a minimum of tw o ambulanc es, a watch and wait rou ine was es tabLi s hed Rein f orcing vehicle s wer e outpo st ed ar ound the area.

As the day s passed, the number of ambulance s on scene fluctua t ed a s sin g le hostages were released Fi ve were remo ved up to 1256 on the sixth day - the Ban k Holiday Monda y - when three shot s w ere heard from within the Embassy Ov e r the next hours, although there were no fur t her developments from in side the building the situation outside w as one ()f mounting tension and increa sing acti v it y. Until at 1857, a report was received t hat one stretcher patient (? BID) wa s being remo ved from the Embassy steps to ambulance by police. Central 14 (Mr Gilbert) then is su ed a pre-arranged R / T code me ssage indicating impending armed a ss ault: 'Make ambulances ten.

Explosions

Everyone on scene was poised and waiting for something to happen', said Mr Moss, 'then at 1923 it did: a terrific explosion took place followed by a fu sillade of shots and screams The SAS a ssault had begun.' 'I ordered an increased requirement of

o u a t th e o t he r e n d of the block. M r M o ss d ec id ed tha th e o t her end wa s w here we s hould be, so we a ll ran up th e st ep s f r om th e b ase

t

o ur imm ediate aid sa c h el s. W e th e n r an, c rouching all th e while , a lo ng t he outs ide o f a wall until we wer e sto pped by an a rm ed man who w a s looking up into the Emba ss y. Aft e r a whil e he waved u s on, s o we continued until we were in a position from which we could help an yon e w ho needed u s .

Apprehensive

A s ked for their reaction s to the incident the Chelsea crew, Paul and Roy, both agreed that at fir s t they had little intere s t in attending and were looking f orward to a boring shift high-lighted only by trips to the canteen wagon! This proved to be so at first, so they passed the time in friendly bickering - in their normal fa s hion - until ju s before 1930 hour s when an explosion

T h e cas ua lti es were reac hed and contact m a d e with a m il itary med cal team ope rat in g f r om a la rge bl ack h orse lorry. Ambu la n ces were routed from Exhibit io n R oa d in to t he cas u a lty rece ivin g area and fro m t hi s po in on DAO Bengeyfie ld (at CAC) provided a r egu lated now of a m b ul ance t o and from the loading point a n d t h e hosp ta l whilst mobile s u perintendent Gi l bert secured the western flank to cope with any casualties from that q u arter.

W it hin 6 1 mi nu tes from the f ir s t explosio n the las t of twe n ty fo u r ca s ua lt ies left scene for hospi t al and amb u lanceman J o hn Cain s u mmed up for everyon e when he said:

'At the e n d of the day, after much reflection, we a ll decided t hat it had been a n experie n ce not to be m issed and that [he LAS is sti ll a service which is very competent a nd o n e of w hi ch Londoners s hou ld bc pro ud.'

Th roug h ou this protracted (128 hour) incide n t crews and office r s e n dured m any h o u rs of inact iv ty wit h patience and good hum our, yet remained s u ff icie n t ly alert to respo n d wi t h a lacr i ty when their ervice were req uir ed.

'A ll o u r taff at scen e were exposed to vary ing d eg r ees of pe r o n a l d a n ger b u t no ne were f o u n d wa nt ng,' sa id M r Moss.

' I mu st h owever s ngle o u t t h e fo ur a mbul a n ce m en w h o c r ossed t h e f ie ld of fire to r eac h casualti es, armed on y w ith i mm ed ia t e a id satc h e ls - at a t im e whe n ar m ed p o li ce m e n in p ro tect ive wa is t coa t s we r e sens ibl y occ up y in g s h e l tere d po s iti o ns.

Po s t scr ip t : Th e R H .A. Co mmi ttee pre se nt ed a ll four a mbul a n ce m e n w ith p erso nal le tt e r s o f comm e nd a t io n a nd ex pr essed t o h e C hi e f Off icer t h e i r appr ec i at ion of t h e dedi ca ti o n a nd effo rt s m a de b y all L A S m e n a nd wom e n in vo lve d on th e in c id e n t.

th e pe ri od of magazin e) . " ... "

A practical Nursing Day

Southern Area Essex turned

Grays HQ into a hospital for a day

IT WAS sugge st ed that in the Year of Nursing i t would be a good idea to hold a Practical Da y for members holding nursing certificates. The following situation evolved

The headquarter s at Gra ys was selected as the most suitable accommodation for the propo sed exercise , as it had available a large hall, toilet block kitchen a nd smaller lecture room. The plan was to set the large hall up as a ward comprising ten beds arranged in Florence Nightingale style. There was a central table, day area for patients and a nurses station.

A set o f documents including cardex, T.P R. charts, fluid charts, medication sheet, B P. chart and head injury chart (where appl ica ble) were prepared during the weeks preceding the ex ercise. Bottles of tablets (filled with various sweets) and bottles of medicine were prepared to m eet the various requirements of the medication sheets. Also, over a period of weeks, items required for the practical work were gathered together.

A document was drawn up and issued to each adult division reque sting names of volunteer patien ts and members wishing t o participate in the da y A dead-line date wa s given for return of forms to the Area Training Officer.

The aim of the day was to place member s in a ward situation and to work through a day's routine, all procedures to be carried out as in a real situation. Trained staff on the ward included m ys elf as ward s ister, a SRN, a senior SEN (morning onl y) and another SRN when not giving hi s lecture.

10 00 am Assemble in lecture room for coffee

Form nto working group s. Patients t o change and go to allocated beds.

Name bands fixed on to patient s' wrists.

10.30 am All to proceed to practical ward for report and details o f day's work.

11.00 am Working group A to remain in practical room.

Working g roup B to move to lectu re room.

Noon Lunch for patien ts.

Working group B to set tables for staff lunches.

12 15 pm Working group B lunch. Sister to lunch.

1.00 pm Working group B to proceed to practical ward, and receive a change over report.

1.05 pm Group A to proceed to lunch.

28

1.45 pm Group A t o assist with wa s hing up.

2.15 pm Group A to commence lectures

2.30 pm Tea and bi sc uit s for patients. Group B t o di vide and arrange tea break.

3 . 15 pm Group A tea break.

3.30 pm All member s to gather in practical ward fo r assessment of da y.

4.00 pm Di s band Members were di vi ded in to two groups, twel ve in the mornin g groups and ten in th e afternoon, thu s allowin g more member s to participate in the practical work. Two le ct urettes were given: 'Use of Ox yge n' , by our Area Train in g Officer, who is an instructor for the Essex Ambulance Service; and ' Pacemakers' , b y a Di vis ional N.O. w ho also assisted in the ward sit uation when not lecturing.

A summary of he problems over co me and less on s learned . A lthou g h t he da y was open to an y member s holding nursing certificates, only nur sing members attended the da y. It was a mammoth task collecting ten bed s from various divisions in our a rea and we were plea sed to ha ve the assistance of ambulance member s from one of our di vis ion s. Di v s ion s a ls o loaned their bedding for this occa s ion. Setting up the beds and wa rd took most of the previou s day.

Pri vacy is all important when performing procedure s suc h a s b edbath s, and obtaining screens proved t o be di f ficult. We eventually obtained one from the local sc hool of nurs ing , one from a doctor' s surger y, one from the lo ca l divi s ion and two

Lun c h time - not e n ough patients to be fed were impro vised.

Th e mornin g wo r k went well , with plenty of wo rk to b e covered a nd a dequate trained staff to guide m e mb ers. The a fterno o n work was l ess d ema ndin g and par tl y due to lack of t r ai ned s uper vis io n t h e work was of a lo wer sta nd ard.

Two inc id ents we re included in t h e afternoon t o add extra in te re s t. One p at ient , n ow in a wheelchair, had an extension of her st roke , and another patient su sta ined a blow to t he head, produ c in g brui s ing and a s mall cu t. Because ther e were not e nough patient s to be fed, lun c h time fo r pa t ents proved o be boring for h e morning g roup.

The da y turned ou t to be an inter es ting exercise. It also s h owed that , in an emergency, t he headqu a rt e r s co uld be use d; and with adequate trained staff, nu rs in g member s cou ld carr y o ut ba ic nur s in g procedure s with a rea s onab le degree of s kill.

The exercise a ls o s timula te d int eres a nd reque sts for anoth e r day. It ha s sti mul ate d ideas in the trained s t a f f part ic ipatin g, a nd if another day is organi sed impro ve me n t would be m ade from the le sso ns learned (eg, in s tead of lecture t tes, o[ h e r practical sit ua tions would be devi se d.)

The s ucce ss of t h e day was due to many peopl e giving up a lot of time to set up the whole exe r c se, and th e mid-day hot lun c h prepar ed by a member of the loca l divi s ion wa s appreciated by a ll. And finally, I h ope that memb e rs who attended will go back to their divi s ions with idea s for carrying out nur sing procedure s in a practical way. A.N.o. Mrs M Bas ker Plan of Grays' Headquarters

Ha\ing \\ith

in one of the

of

whic h had drawn up at the scene, Ir Bowen drove off to ummon the ambulance and fire ervices. It i beyond question that the driver owed hi life to the prompt and mo ga ll ant action tahen by !\ [ r Bowen at grave risk to his own pcr onal afety.

M ss Kare n Jone, of Mo reton' Harbour, 'e wfoundland, Pri o ry of Ca n a da In recognition of her ver) great gallantry and promptne in performing an act of rescue which gravely endangered her own life. At about 4.30 pm on Februar) 24 19 0 Karen (aged 12 year) was asked by her grandfather LO check on her tll'O younger brothers (aged 4 and 3 years respectively) whom he had een slidi n g near the water's edge about 50 yards from their home. As Karen neared h e SPOt s h e heard c ri es for help and fo u nd that bot h ch ildren had fallen into the harbour and were n o un der in g in deep water and urrounded by broken drift-ice. Although Karen was unable to swim, he instantly went into the water and, clinging to ice noe managed LO get both chi ldr en to the shore. One chi ld \I as by then unconsciou and the other ost con ciou ne before reaching their h ome. Bo th required treatment for hypothermia before recovering. By the immediate ac ti on ake n by this you n g gi rl with t o a disregard for he r own afe y, th e li ve of her two s mall b rothe s were save d

Mr Dea n James Hunter, of Reve ls tokc Br iti s h Co lumbia. Priory of Ca nad a In re cog ni tio n of hi s very grea t ga llaillr y when, at abo ut no o n o n D ece mb e r 18 1979, h e \Vas in a hop n ext d oo o a dwe llin g in which a fire ha d broken out on th e secon d noor. In s t a ntl y re ponding to a ca ll for he lp, Mr Hun te r was t o ld th at thre e you n g c hil dren were tr apped in a bed r oo m o n th e ame n oor a the fir e. ReaC hin g th e eco nd flo o r w h e re th e smo ke wa quite thi ck,

a\ ing her ife at considerable risk LO his own.

Mi s Je s ie Ann Foote of Burin Ba), ewfo undland , Pr ory of Ca nada n recognition of her great courage when, a! about 3.30 pm on J anuary 22 19 80, she was skating on a pond near her home and saw a 7-year-old-boy fall through the ice. Crawling nat on the ice and taking with her a hockey stick, Je ie (who was herself aged only II) approached the pot where the boy was in deep water and extended the hockey stick for him to grasp. The boy, however, again broke through th e ice, but this time close enough LO grasp Jessie' hand and she was ab e LO help him out of the water and back LO safety. The fact that so sma ll a boy o uld break through the ice only at arm's leng t h from his r.:scuer indicate the dangerou fragi li ty of the ice on \1 hich Je sie had placed herself while rescuing him a! very considerable ri h to her own afety.

Mr George cion, of Briti s h Co lumbia, Priory of Ca n ada

In recognition of hi s g re at co ura ge w h e n, on the afternoon of November 19 1979, he was driving a trllck a lon g a hi ghway near Merrit, B .C., a nd came upon the scene of an accident in which a small van had overturned and was o n fi e with the driver trapped in ide. r Nelson at once u -ed hi fire ext ingui her in an at t e mpt to s moth er the flame, but had only partially ucceeded when

NEW SECRETARY-GENERAL

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

The new Deputy Secretary-General of the Order, who is nOv\l at St John's Gate and will take over from Mr N. C. McClintock, CBE, during 1981, is Lt-Gen Sir Peter Hudson, KCB, CBE, FBIM.

Sir Peter, who enlisted in The Rifle Brigade in 1943, was commissioned in 1944 , and held regimental and command appointments in every rank until h is retirement from the Army in 1980 as Colonel Commandant, The Light Division, and Inspector General, Territorial Army.

Now living in Berkshire, ,,,ith his wife, son and two daughters, Sir Peter has played most sports (football for Cambridge University and cricket at county level), sails offshore, and took up cross-country ski-ing at 51 (he's now 57). So sta nd by, young adults, for more action on the SJ outdoor front!

Welcome, Sir Peter.

COMMANDER NORFOLK

Brigadier Peter Barclay, DSO , MC, DL, retired on Januar y I 198 I after nine years as Commander SJA, Norfolk, having previous ly been County Commissioner.

Now the posts of Commande r and County Commissioner for Norfolk are amalgamated and the previous County Commissioner, Colonel C. E. Knight, MBE, has been appointed. Col Knight, who live s at Mattishall, has been Accommodation Officer for the University of East Anglia since leaving the Army and is a Fe ll ow of the British Ins titut e of Management. Happy commandership, Colonel.

MUSEUM NOTES

As many of yo u already know, there are

winner was 73 - year -old Arthur Routledg e of Wallsend, Tyne and Tees

conducted tours of St John 's Gate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at II am and 2.30 pm. These tours begin at the museum room in St John' s Gate, go through the rooms of the Gatehouse a nd across St John's Square ro the Grand Priory Church and Norman crypt a nd terminate back in the museum. We wou ld like to suggest a few guide lin es to divisions booking tours. I f the divisional secreta r y writes or telephone s with suggeste d da tes to Miss Sarah Croser, in the Museum and Library office at St John' s Gate, St John's Lane, Clerkenwell, London EC I M 4DA (tel 01-253 6644 ext 35), s he will make a booking for the first of those dates available. Tours last I to I Yl hour s; there is no admission charge, but you will find a donations chest inside the museum. It is not neces sa ry to wear uniform for these visits

(Left ) Viscount and Viscountess Kemsley receive a retirement gift from Col Andrew Martin (left), President SJ Council for Leics, as they bow out of county SJ activities The Viscount has been the long-serving Council President, the Viscountess County Pr esident (now taken over by her daughter, the H on. Katherine Bre am). Viscount Kemsley emains on the Order's nat ona counci

AB OJ

BY THE EDITOR

but you are very welcome to do so. When a divi ional ecretary know how many people are likely to be coming on the tour they have booked, we would appreciate being given ome idea of the number so that we know if we have any places to orrer other people. Because o f the narrow passageways and sma ll room, we limit a party to 40, or , alternatively, one complete coach-load of 48. A larger party cannot all hear the guide and it become uncomfortable ror those taking the tour. The Saturday tours get booked up quite The winning pi c ture in Avon s Nurse of the Year photograph c competition is from Bris ol North and Fi lton Division and shows Sandra Haberf eld lookin g aft e a v ery sp eci a pati

at short notice, because we often have cancellations when divisions find they are called to public dutie on the day they have booked for a tour. For this sa me reason we would appreciate knowing as soon as possible if a division is going to cancel their tour, or cha nge the number of people, so t hat we can take ot her people.

STRETCHER CARRY

SJA Kenya's Nairobi City No.2 Division (A & N) is holding a spon ored stretc her carrying event this month for divisional funds. The world record, which members are determined to rna h, tands at 142 ki lometres in 42 hour s. The Division is ca ll ing for ponsor pledges of 5p a kilometre, and s asking UK members if they wi ll support them. Pledges, please, to Stretcher Carrying Record, PO Box 10792, Nairobi, Kenya.

WHEELED ANTICS!

The following is from Fred Snowdon, exDO of AERE Harwell Division Oxon now on Reserve: " George, Fred, Matey, Cocker - these were the names I was known by while doing voluntary work recently at Crabhill House Redhill, Surrey. This is one of three holida; centres for the disabled run by The Winged Fe ll owship Trust. Having read about the Trust in last July's Review I wrote offering my service. Being disabled myself, I

certificate paid off for 19 - year - old Tim Jefferies of Avon One month later he rescued an 11-year-old boy from the bottom of a Bristol swimming pool and with Mary Stillman (right) he took turns at successful resusci

(Left) Meet Gilbert Hinckley, who was appointed chairman of the St John Council for Derbyshire last June An industrialist involved with companies in Sheffiel d and Derbyshire (a company he found ed, Flogates Ltd, rec eived the Oue en's Award for Export in 1978) Mr H inckley was brought up in Derbyshire and lives at Kelstedge, near Ashover Welcome , Gilbert!

and

face at St John's GateSir Peter Hudson

pointed out that I could not lift or undertake heavy work, bu t was an expert at washing up, making tea and such. The answer came back 'Come - there is plenty you can do'. Eight weeks later I drove to Redhill and on arrival at Crabhill House was given a warm welcome, a conducted tour, and introduced to the guests and fellow helpers. Then , having made up my

whatever he may have planned to do during his journey, engaged him in the most lively and interesting conversation all the way up to London. My informant stressed that there was absolutely no trace of condescension about all this; our Director of Ceremonies was simply talking as one friend to another who shared the same interests; and he said it was an experience that he would never forget nor cease to treasure - seemingly a small matter, and yet all too rare in a society in which so few people realise that whatever dignity they may possess will very soon become threadbare if they are perpetually standing on it.

Three other members of St John have also been honoured in recognition of their outstanding service to St John Ambulance, and to these too we offer our most sincere congratulations: Mr John Hayden Jones (Secretary of the St John Council for MidGlamorgan and Chairman of the St John

M eet the girls of Kettering's Cytringen Nursing Division, three of whom caused a stir among lorry drivers on the M 1 on the ir ambulance trip to Sco tland (Nov Review, this columnl. Is this the on ly mechanically-minded nursing division with its own ambulance? W ho is the mechani c, we also wonder?

own bed and unpacked, I started work in earnest - pushing wheelchairs, washing up, laying tables, escorting guests to and from t heir rooms, feeding the helpless, writing letters and a multitude of other jobs.

The hour s were long - up at 7am, start work by 7.45 and on t he go until the last guest had gone to bed, quite often at

Council for Rhymney Valley, Prior y for Wales) has been made an MBEj while Mr Harold Spencer (County Staff Officer for Training, Derbyshire) and Mr Gwynfor Williams (Association Organiser for Gwynedd, Priory for Wales) have each received the REM.

Mr Jones, now on the Brigade Re se rve, ha s spent a lifetime in the se r v ice of St John Ambulance which he joined over 50 years ago. Apart from his devoted work for the two St John Councils already referred ro, in hi s years on the Active L'ist of the Brigade he was particularly noted for his keen participation in first aid competitions and the training of competition teams, as well as for hi s work with the Blood Transfu s ion Service. But he is a man of many parts , whose wide range of public- spi rited activities and interests - to name bu t one, he has for the past 27 years held a number of responsible post s in local governmenthas enhanced not merely the quality of life in Mid-Glamorgan but also the prestige of St John in which he is well known to be a leading light.

Mr Spencer joined the St John Ambulance Association in 1936, and three years later formed a Brigade Divi s ion in the

midnight - then a sneaky cup of coffee and a 'natter' very often into the small hours. For me the going was hard, but nevertheless this was one of the most enjoyable weeks I can remember spending. The other volunteers came from Denmark, Germany, Holland, France and Switzerland, Australia, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Wight, and s u c h was the friendly atmosphere that helper s and guests alike were on first name term s -a truly wonderful crowd.

Day trip s were arranged for ho se that wanted them , to Arundel Castle, Kew Gardens, a bird sa nctuar y, and Croydon for those who wanted to s hop. On the Wednesday evening a concert was staged by the helpers, not quite up to Palladium

MIND BENDERS ANSWERS ';}IOP'IU\f 'j;>

Rolls Royce works at Derby Being in a re serve d occupation during the war, he s pent all his available spa re time either meeting ambulance train s at Derby stat ion and transporting casualties to the Derby Royal Infirmary, or working as a nursing auxiliary in the Infirmar y it se lf. He later qualified as an Advanced Re scue In str uctor and formed many re sc ue teams which proved invaluable in the East Coast floods of 1947; and as Superintendent of the Rolls Royce Ambulance Division he trained competition teams which were winners of St John Ambulance fir s t aid competitions on s everal occasions. During the past 10 years as County Training Officer he has trained many hundreds of people in first aid and rescue work, all on a purely voluntary basis and without even claiming his travelling expenses.

Mr Gwynfor Williams has been a very active member of St John Ambulance for 28 years, during the last ten of which he has been Association Organiser for Gwynedd, an office which in the Priory for Wales is equivalent to that of County Director in English counties. Besides being Chief Control Officer of the Gwynedd Ambulance Service he is also a founder

(Left)

SJA weddings galoreis this the r es ult of combined divisions? Let's hop e so. Rushd en's N/M (Student Nurse) Julia Rich leaves church with D Supt Kenneth Robi nson, to be welcomed by a guard of hon our rom Ru shden Divi sions

s tandard, but lot of fun. Friday ni ght was party ni g ht, the end of the guests' fortni gh , start ing with a magnificent sp read , in c luding turkey with all the trimming, and followed by a wheelcha ir di co. The o nl y word I ca n find to describe the eveni n g is 'fantastic'. To ee people who can barely move, without l mb and in con tant pain, laughin g till t he tear run down their cheek is a s ight o nce een is not readily forgotten. The food durin g the week I was there was five-star all the way, the only compla in t I heard was that there was too much.

member and eader of the Llanberis Mountain Re scue Service and a very busy Association Lay In st ructor , while for good measure he erve a a Special Con tab le and is a highly respected Lay Preacher

Other members

Other member of th e St John family who, at thi s early date in Janu ary on which I am writing, ha ve so far been identified a having received New Year Honour s for serv ice s rendered p art ly or wholly in other fields are as follows: Mr John Gerrard (Deputy Commis ioner for Greater London (Prince of Wale s') Di st rict) ha s been promoted to the gra de of CRE in recognition of hi s ervice as As i tant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; Miss Doreen McCullough (formerly Area Nursing Officer for the Co unt y Down Area, Commandery of Ards) h as been made an ORE in recognition of her serv ces as Chief Nursing Officer of the DHSS in Northern Ireland, having joined St John as a Nursing Cadet and maintained her active membership continuously until the pressure of her official duties compelled her to decide, to her Own great regret and that of all who worked with her in the Bri ga de that

NORTH ANTS (again!): 0 / 0 Lynne Maber, of Kettering as a cheer - leader right) in the town's It s a Knock Out team knocked Stuart Wildman out of bachelorhood as the couple leave church between a SJ guard of honour

If you lik e people, if you don't mind hard work and lon g hours, if you have a sense of humour, then give this project a try. They are always pleased to have more help - and promise, yo u won't regret it. Thank you, Winged Felloviship Trust, for having me. I sincerely hope to see you all again in 1981.

this wa no lon ger possible; while the REM has been awarded to Mr William Ellis (Area Superintendent (A) for t he County Down Area, Commandery of Ards) for hi s se r v ice s as a Leading Ambulanceman in the Northern Ir e land Ambulance Service, and to Mrs Gwendoline Simmons fo r her serv ices to the local community in Horl ey, Surrey, which included sta un ch upport for St John Ambulance.

To all the above we offer the most si n cere congratulations and thanks of all our reader - a well a (belatedly, with apo logie s) to Mr Albert Henry Anderson (a Fellow of the Ambulance Service Institute and a very active Corporal in the South Bel fast (Wind sor) Ambulance Divi ion) who, as we have only recently been informed, received the REM la t year in The Queen's Birthday Honour for hi ervice as a Leading Ambulanceman in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

Top priority

At the Foundation Conference la t June, Major -Ge n. Peter Leuchar s (then C-in-C and Chief Commander designate) highli g hted hi five aims for the Bri ga de during the eighties; and though he mentioned it

NORTHANTS:

The author and his wife - wedding anniversary in camp

TOWARDS the end of 1979, the words Peak 80' became part of my regular voca bulary. This was the name of the Int e rnational Scout and Guide Camp which was to be h e ld for a week on the Duke of Devonshire s Park, Chatsworth Park, Derb ys hire. It sta rted on July 26 1980

It was our job in conjunction with the Red Cross, to operate a casualty station and hospital for a n es imated 7,000 resident ca mpers and 600 or so staff. This figure wo uld increa s e on the two visitors' days to 25,000 to 30,000. As it was St John's 'turn' to co-ordinate the arrangements, I found m ys elf bein g 'volunteered' to act as Administrative Officer and Organiser. 1, in turn, did the same to my Area Transport Officer, making him Equipment and Transport Officer.

During the month s that followed we had m a n y planning meetings first with the Red Cross, then with the Doctors who had been appointed, and finally with the Matron and the Cam p Organisers. We were fortunate in that t wo of the t hree doctors had done the job in 1974 , and the Matron had been to the ca m p as a Guide, so they knew what it was all about!

The main ta sks, so far as I was conce rned, prior to the camp, were to gat her the staff who would operate the nursing and first aid service s along with the 'profess ional s'; get the required transport and equipment in conjunction with the Equipment Officer; and to organise somew here to li ve for those who would be stay ing in the camp either for all or part of the week

Over the next few month s, things slowly be ga n to take shap e Staff recruitment got under way. We were fortunate in persuading so me member s of both organisations to take a week's holiday for the camp, and we were also able to persuade so me SRNs who were not members of either organisation to su pplement the st aff. Those who took their holid ays were the ones who formed the nu c le u s of the staff, and there would be tho se who could only come for an odd shift or so who would help in a most valuable way. In addition we were able to obtain the s ervices of our Deputy County Surgeon and

Field Hospital for 7500 Campers

SJA Derwent Area and the Red Cross pool resources by CLIVE DEN N IS, Area Secretary

his wife, our County Superintendent who is an SRN to come for the week. Mr Thomas is a Con s ultant at the Derb ys hire Royal Infirmary. He came as a back-up to the Doctors and to act as a s taff officer. A member of the Red Cross who is a receptionist at the sa me ho s pital also came and acted as receptionist for u s. We had a stroke of luck at the beginning of May, when we were operating a fir s aid post at a Caravan Club rally on the sa me site as 'Peak 80', to be offered a a rge towing caravan which had been recentl y renovated. This offer was taken up. We had in mind to use it as a first aid post, but eventually it became my office on the camp, as well as emergency sleeping accommodation. We al s o arranged to borrow, free of charge , a 4-berth caravan from Peter Blake Ltd of Chesterfield, and other of the st aff borrowed caravans on the s ame ba s is from Don Amott of Derby and Spondon Caravan s of Derby. The doctor s brought their own caravans and the Matron arranged to s hare with a friend who was camp trea s urer. Others arranged to bring their own tent s or hired caravans. So sleeping accommodation was fixed.

As the date of the camp drew near, the volunteer staff were notified of their duties, the equipment slowly came together, and the phone rang incessantly, either from new volunteers, and from those who found that they couldn't come after all! In the middle

home was not fa r from the camp, b eca use I had to make so me journe ys hom e to get things we had forgotten - in c luding m y wife's and my own lug gage ! Some ca mper s had arrived that day, and we were a lr eady gett in g our first pa tient s.

On the following day the main body of ca mper s a rri ved, so did C-day, and we were fully op erat iona l in c lu d in g th e arriva l of the la st of the transport.

My one bi g worry was n ot o nl y how members o f the organisation wo uld work together, but how we wo uld get on with the professionals. Few of us h ad met before, so the situat ion wa s a n unknown qua ntit y. I need n ot h ave worried, for everybody wo rk ed together a s though they had known eac h other for year s and in a mo s t wonderfu l way. The word fa nta s tic is an over u s ed word, but that the on ly way to describe t h e atmo s phere

Now for th e s tati s tic s Previou s experie n ce showed u s that we wou ld treat abo u t 10 070 of tho s e in c amp. We aw 720 patients and did about 1200 re-dres s ings

of all this I was worki n g away from h ome every other week, so w h en I got h ome at weekends there we r e piles of m essages a nd letter s for me.

On C -da y minu s 7 two of us went out to the ca mp site, which wa s h en being prepared, to find that even within a few days the ca mp was beginning to take shape.

Most important, the m a rquees had been erected for the staff to eat in. We arranged for he hospital o be erected on the fo llowing Wednesday (C-day minu s 3), under the upervision of one of t he doctors a nd a member of our Area Staff. On C-day minus 2, I began my holiday (s c!) and I began to get all the equipment to t h e s it e.

My main concern on Thursday was to ensure that the 40 beds w hi c h we wo uld need were got from the Area H ea lth Authority st ore a nd taken to the site

My ne xt job was to e n s ur e that m y own a dmini s trativ e e quipm e nt was on it s way, and by that evening things were b ei n g taken to the site.

It was our intention to have at least p art of the ho sp ita l in operation by noon o n C-day minu s 1, and, with a lot of hard work by many people, we s ucceeded. Indeed by 6pm we were almost fully operational. Much of my time that day was taken up by fetching caravans from various points in Derbyshire (two from Chesterfield, and one each from Derby and Glossop). Our Glossop Divi s ion also lent u s th e ir mobile first aid post It was a goo d thing that my

The vehicles, two St John and two R e d Cross, plu s a borrowed Land-Rover (by courtesy of Kenning s Ltd), covered over 1400 mile s, and we had over 80 different m e mber s of s taff during the week.

It is worth mentioning a few of the man y stor ies. Rumour went round camp h at we delivered three b a bie s - and had one death. If anyone knows about th ese, plea s e let u s know!

Durin g the ca mp , my wife and ce lebra te d our wedding anniversary (some celebration !), but Mr and Mrs Thoma s in s is ted that we h ad a ce leb rat ion drink. We did, fo r the la s t hal f- h ou r at a oca l pub. My wife got a bouquet fro m her Mumand

COVENTRY AT

WEST GERMAN COMPETITION

A Com m Hea th hands a etter of g oo dwi ll from the Lor d M ayo o Cove nt ry 10 he Deputy Lo rd M ayor o Kie

HAVING attended the Schle s wig-Holstein biennial fir s aid c ompetit ion in Lubeck in 1978 Coventry Area wa s again invited to s end a team to th e Johanniter - Unfa llHilfe 's 1980 competition held la s t February in Kiel.

Coventry' s Area Commi ss ioner W. D Heath and hi s team (two of whom had been on the previou s vi s it) s pent five days in West Germ a ny a s g ue s t s of JohanniterUn fal l-Hi fe, Ki e l, who took th e m on many vi s its in the ar e a.

At the one - day comp e ti ti on, which in c lud ed ambu lance driving (to everyone s delight Coven t ry's reserve, Chris Poole, fin s h ed third out of 10 drivers - his f ir s t attempt a left-hand driving), Cove n try's team finished second overall in the tcn team line-up. As guests they did not qualify for a trophy.

SJA Coventry is now hoping th a t a party from Johanniter will be visit in g t h em short y. A European get-together h ere.

Get ing o g eth er - SJA and Joh annit e m emb ers at Kie town ha

IN MARCH 1980 Derbyshire held its first residential weekend for cadet leaders, which is now to become an annual event. The fourteen NCOs who attended spent the two days discussing all aspects of St John and its activities, and also undertook some first aid tralI1lI1g exercises. Of the discussions, one idea very quickly bore fruit. [t was the need for a formal one-day county conference for cadets, organised and run by cadets

Following acceptance of the suggestion, we invi t ed two cadets from each of the four Areas represented at the weekend to jointly organise t he conference, which soon became k nown as Cad Con '80. Regular meeting s of the cadets took place at County Office, with discussions on the programme, the guest list and finally the date and venue of the conference were fixed. This was all settled by the group of cadets.

Finance was an immediate problem, for coaches would have to be hired to tran sp ort cadets from all over the county to the chosen conference hall at Matlock So the cadets returned to t heir Areas to bully Presidents into donations and press-gang adults in t o sponsoring events. They had no difficulty in getting practical support from other cadets in fund raising, which also spread the word about Cad Con '80, of course.

Interest in the project was almost immediate, w ith cadets throughout the county demanding more information before the organisers had worked out the details. And s uperintendents and other officers of cadets were quick in their efforts to obtain in vitat ions - without success.

After further meetings the organisers got more detailed information out to the divisions and, although financially covered

BY CADETS FOR CADETS

Derbyshire County conference

by the County President's Fund, now sat back to await t he response They needed 100 cadets to fill the hall.

Within two weeks nearly 180 official applications to attend were received, some with cheques and completed forms, others promlslng to send them later. The attendance figure had to be closed at 160. So on the da y, with guests, nearly 200 people squeezed into the hall for the first Derb ysh ir e County Cadet Conference -a unique event organised for cadets by cadets. The idea had become fact in eight months.

November 30 1980 at Matlock College was a day many of the delegate s will remember for a long t ime. Maybe it will be a day SJA as a whole will remember for a long time too. Time will tell. But on that day, after coffee in the college refectory, everyone assembled in the hall for a n introduction by 16-year-old Cadet Leader Cathryn Marriott, from North Area' s Glapwell N C Division, who chaired t he day 's activities with firmness , but did not ha ve to remind the invited adults that this

In the cha ir - 16 yea r·old

was a conference for cadets.

Mr David Thoma s then g ave a fa scinating talk on the work of the Derby Royal Infirm ary flying squad, concluding with a series of s lide s taken at the s cene of accidents wh ich they had attended. Only four ca det s had to lea ve the hall A discu ss ion sess ion in groups, followed by a report back in the main hall, produced question s ranging from 'How do you ee the role of St John in the year 2000 ?' to What do you see as your r o le as a Cadet s hould you be a urvivor of a nuclear attack? Th e re we re also que st ion s on recruitment and fund rai s in g. (See Cadet Chat.)

Some he ate d d eba te gave the C hief Offi ce r f or Cadets, Brigadier Fergi Semple , plenty to think about over lunch

In the afternoon we went outdoors for a search and re scue exe rc se in t he gro und s of the college, where resident s tudent s were di s m aye d to see so m a n y bodies ly ing around. The exe rci se was s upervi sed by Area Training Offi ce r Mr G. Alvi s, but it wa s planned, organised and executed by the cadets.

The da y e nd ed with a li g ht-h earte d version of th e hi story of the Order give n by two CSO Cadets, tea, and then the coac hes departed with the ca det eage rl y lo oking forward o the ne x Ca d Co n and m ee ting again in va riou s parts of the co unty during t he year. For they knew eac h other nowBill and John - Jane and Ann. They weren't ju s t Area s any more.

Re s pon se to a que s tionnair e issued at the end of the day was intere s ting. Comments ranged from: 'Great! Look forward to next year and 'More talking over que s tion s next year - to 'Th s conference was a waste of time and money '.

But then, you can t please everyone.

A.J.C.

CADET CHAT by JIM

«'\. '"

ANDREW Collington, CSO Ambulance Cadets in Derbyshire, has sent me detail s of a very interesting County Cadet Conference held last year at Matlock (See oppo site page). The most interesting fact about this co nference is that it was organised by cadets, who had complete control of the event. Interestingly enough t he res ponse for the conference was overwhelming, as indeed were reque s ts for a future event.

Part of the conference included s yndicate discussions on a v ariety of subjects of interest to cadets, including the role of St John in the year 2000, rea sons for joining and factors which influenced cadets to stay on, fund raising ideas and recruiting.

During the di sc u ss ion on recruiting it became clear that the cadets f elt there was a need to advertise the activities of St John more widely. To follow this, I have been arranging a competition in conjunction wit h the Chief Of f icer Cadets, Brig Semple, in which we shall be asking cadets to design a po s ter advertising leaflet for cadets which can be u s ed in Counties, b y Divisions, etc

Detail s of rule s, clo s ing date and the li s t of prizes, which will include some very valuable prize s indeed, will be published in t he next is s ue. Meanwhile perhap s Divisions could put their thinking caps' on in preparation.

Newsletters

I have rece i ve d a large number of newslelfers from many Areas, Counties and Di visions which I have read with interest The newslelfers vary from photocopies (no doubt made while the boss is at lunch!) to seve ral duplicated pages The contents of publications like these are always 'c hatty' in style and co ntain details of badg e subjects gained, promotions, social and man y activities.

Good spelling and grammar ar e important and the text of the reports should be fairly short to avoid being borin g and so encourage members to read the nex t issue with interest. 1 have found asking cadetsfor contributions often draws a blank - but keep trying, it may be worth it in th e end.

Simple drawings which help to break up a pag e of print can be included as do headings and using different type stylesLetraset or similar is very good for this What other things can y ou include? Try competition results, duties, league tables for sporting activities, diary dates, exmembers - where are they now?, a Divisional Who's Who, History of the Order, Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Prior's Badge news, appeals for help with fund raising, and news from Area / County level, etc

Finally, don't forget that the newsletter will probably be read by pare nts of Cadets,

s o occasionally include details of Adult Di vis ion activities, which will also be of interest to cade ts who are looking to joining the Adu lt Division. If your Division has a newsletter, I would be pleased to recei ve a copy.

Training

Books

On a r ecent vis it to my local Scout s hop a s part of regular contact I have with o t her yo u t h organisati on s I picked up copies o f two books of games which are published fo r u se with Cub Scouts. The games are obviously de sig ned with bo ys in mind , bu t m any of t hem can be adjus t ed for u se with mi xe d gr oup s, and to my mind the books are t re mendou s v alue for money at le ss than 50p each. You may find a local Scout s hop which can sell you these books - if you have problem s ask a local Scout leader who can no doubt help. The books are 100 Games for Cub Scouts by A. Davie s and 100 New Games and Ideas for Cub Scouts by the same author. Both book s are publ ished by Brown Son & Ferguson Ltd, Glasgow.

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS: 4

Answers

I. True.

2. False, warms. 3. False, numb. 4. True. 5. True. 6 True.

Talks

Games

Discussion group epo rt back

Cadet

Lea d e Cathryn Marriott

Adults - with chairman - listen

Chief Off icer for Cad e ts, Brig Semple, an invited guest

TO BE FUL LY effe c tive, the training of fir t-aiders mu s t be ba se d on a thorough und erstandi ng of how people operate in the first aid ituation.

The diagram (Fig. 1) shows the two main funct ions of the first-aider in operation. First, unless he is given explicit in st ructions by a super ior the member h as to make a decision on what actio n h e mu st take in the s ituation that he finds him se lf. Thi s decision wi ll be based on t he information avai lab le, pri n c ipall y the s ign s, symptoms and history of t h e case, and his past exper ience. On rare occasions there ma y be n othing the first-aider ca n do , bu t that is sti ll a r ational decision

Secon dl y, t h e action decided upon will a lmost certai nl y consist of carryi ng out one or more ski led proced ures , s u c h as applyin g a sling o r mouth-to-mouth artif cia l re s piration. The fu ll y competent fir s t-aider h as a large number of the se s kill s, and the curre nt Manual s pecifie s abou t 100 of varyi n g co mplexi t ies, from t ying a r eef k n ot to sp linting and liftin g a ca s ualty wit h a spina injur y. So it is n ot surprising t ha , in m y experience, it takes 4 to 5 year s of fifty evenings per yea r , or 375 t r aining hour s, to produce a highl y sk illed fir s t-aider.

So in add it ion to being a deci si on maker, the fir st -aider is a libr ary or sto re of p ractical ski ll s each being like a sho rt computer programme or a record in a juke box. One is selected and run through nons top. Very li tt e emphasis has been put, in the past, on the su bje ct of sk ill s and sk ill training in fir s t aid, whic h is surpr ising in view of ts obvious importance. This article will therefore be devoted to the nature and tra inin g of ski ll s Much of t he re sea rch on the s ubject merely co n f irm s what t he ex pe rienced training office r already takes for granted. But it is sti ll worthwhile

The background to First Aid training

TO BE HIGHLY SKILLED CAN TAKE 375 TRAINING HOURS BY G. J. RICHARDS

discussing it, if only to back up ex isti ng idea s on trai nin g A skil l is somet h i ng that ca n b e done without having to conscious ly think abo u t it. One of the most co mple x of common sk ill s is driving a car. The driver does not ha ve t o g ive any thought as to where t he clutch a nd brake pedals are ; h is foot moves out to them in correct seque nce whe n the car ha s to be s topped We learn s kill s f r o m the moment we are born. At fir s t t he baby requires intense concentrat io n in order to pu t spoon to mouth , but very s oon it is done quite a u tomat ically As we get older, the ne w ski ll s le arnt a re lar ge ly t he ear ly ones reorgan ised. Because a s ki ll ed operation is done without conscious t h ought , it follows that one can perform it a nd think of somet hin g

very different at the sa me tim e. Our car driver while on the way home may be wondering what there is for hi s eve nin g meal. In the first aid s ituation , a member may apply a figure-of-eight bandage to t he feet of a cas ualt y and be watching his face for s ig ns of pain at the sa me ti m e, which will s ignify, of co ur se, h at the bandage is ca us in g trouble. If th e fir s t -a id e r had to t h ink co nsc ious ly of app lyin g the bandage, he cou ld not at the same time be concerned with the effects of hi s action. Obv iou s ly, first a id s kill s h ave to be practised until they a re automatic. Hum ans cannot t hin k of m ore than o n e matter at anyone time Try, fo r instance, wo rkin g out 9 multiplied by 9 a nd 49 divid ed by 7 at the same moment. But yo u cou ld try multiplying 9 by 9 whi le driving a car or riding a bicycle. However please be careful.

The mor e s ki ll ed a per son is at a particular task, t he m ore h e is able to think of ot her t hin gs while performing the task. A good examp le is a poli ce driver , who in addition to driving has to keep a s harp look out for wa nt ed per s on s and s tolen vehicle s as well as li ste n t o t h e r a dio. Obviou s y t hi s abi lit y is highly desirable in the fir s t-aider in the e mer gency or competition s ituation when t h e leader may be c arr yi ng out a s ki ll ed procedure , observing his own ca s ualty and giving in s truction s to the res of the team There is much to b e don e in a li m ited time: re lative s of the cas ualtie s and well meaning member s of the publi c ma y ca use ser iou s di s traction s And la s t but not lea s t, the condit ion of the ca s ualti es ma y cau se anxiet y. In the se s itu a tion s th e re is a great deal of pre ss ur e on the leader. So emergency ski ll s, unlike t r a de s kill s, have t o be performed under con s iderable st r ess and ha ve to be practi sed until h ey ar e full y automat ic - over learnt, in fa c t.

It is important that the in s tru ct o r s hould be able to recogni se s kill for t hi s is hi s object ive in practical work. A highl y s killed performance ooks s mooth, easy a nd confident. Watch a bat s man who is t hr a s hing t he bowling. The profess ional appear s unhurried and yet gets t h e job don e in a fraction of t he time taken b y the amateur. Compare t he average DIY man with a bricklayer. The amateur ma y produce a correc t, wel l fini s hed job, but what a difference in the t im e taken! T hi s is because the expert' s performance ha s been stream lin ed, with a ll unne c e ss ar y movement s e limin ated. Thi s c an be ac hieved by practising within time li mit s

The la st imp ortant character is ti c of sk ill ed work is t h at it alway s ha s an objective, so it follows t h at a vita l part of the trainer's planning is to th in k o ut a nd define the objectives for t he practical work. It would be no exagge r ation to say that w it h o u t clear ob j ectives, n o training cou ld be 100070 successful.

In teachin g sk ill s t her e is no one infa ll ib le met hod beca use they vary so wide ly, from tying one's s ho e la ce to performing a h ea rt tran sp lant. There are, h owever , a number of points of which the in st ru cto r must be

a wa re Fir s t, a pr a cti ca l s kill mu s t b e act ually done by th e lea rn e r; it is not g ood

enou g h LO see it don e or ju s t read about i t.

As menLion ed ea rli e r , but it is wo rth repeatin g, if th e Fir s t-aid e r is to beco m e highl

e rwi thout t hinkin g, und e r g rea t s tr ess a nd swi ftl y. Sec ondl y, to be a ble to ma ke a n y pro gress in hi s tr a inin g, th e lea rn e r mu s t ha ve Fee dba c k inform a ti o n o n hi s pe r form a n ce. Th a t mi sta kes p o int ed o ut, impr ove me nt s s u ggeste d a nd p ra ise whe re it i du e. W e ca n say q uit e ca t eg or ic a l l y, n o Feedback, n o impr ove me nt '. Co n ve r e ly, so lo ng a s th e trai ne r ca n give Fee db ac k to t h e learner imp r oveme nt w ill be mainta i ned. I n

Nevv mobile unit

For Essex Combined Division

C H ELMSFO R D Ma r coni ombi n ed Divi ion, E ex, ha recently brought into service the ir fir t mobile first-aid unit. It wa de igned by D/ Supt Peter Weather. by to ful fil fou r r equi rement

I To be u ed a a dre ing tat ion at large duties, uch a gra track racing, to replace the tent and a ll the other equipment which had to be loaded, tran ported and then et up.

2. T o cater for the domestic need of me m be rs at lIch duties, \\ hich 1I ua ll y invo lves u p of tea and the wash ing-up.

3 Fo r u e a t ma ll d u t ies whe re only mi n or in juries are expected, but very occa io n a ll y somet h ing more seriou occur an d an a m b ul a nce is required.

4. To be used as a radio contro l centre whe n req uir ed

The ve hi c le is a conver ion of a large ambu la nce and, a lt hough it ha a great deal of a dd it io n al equ ipment, i is a lso equipped for u e as an a m b ul ance

Lt s d o mest ic a rr a nge me n t in clu d e a kitc he n u ni t wit h gas r ings a n d i n k, \x ith a fo ld-down work top ove r and cupboards und e r. O n e cu p board co nt ai n two ga cy lind e rs, w hi c h s up p ly h e gas wa ter heate r T wo fo ur -dr awer un it co n ta in a co m pre he n ive ra nge of fi r t a id mate ri a

To p c u p b oa rd s a r e a so fit ted.

A lso ca rri ed i a m ode l 200 re u cit a to r ,

E nt o n ox e quipm e n t, scoop s tr e tc h e r , ca rr y in g c h a ir , s tr e tc h er poles a n d canvas, an d oth e r item s Th e t r o ll ey s tr e tche r i a

Yo rk 4 e leva tin g t YI e In th e cab is a Iwoway ra dio a nd a s m a ll re mova bl e ta bl e fo r use b y the o pe rator.

Th e kitchen unit, wa te r hea ter a nd a ll t he cupbo a rd s we re pr o fess ionall y made a nd fitt ed by Moor c ra rt Ca r a va n a nd Le i ur e

Ce ntr e Hatfield P eve re l, Essex, fo r £ 690

pr ac ti ca te rm s thi s mea ns th a t in an y fir s t aid c lass or Bri ga d e tr a in i ng sess ion t he re mu s be s uff ici e nt s uitable pe rs onn e l to ob se rve th e pra ct ica l wo rk o f t he cla ss and indi cat e what is g o o d o r ba d a bou it , a nd th e n se e to it th at fa ul ts a re c orr ec ted

An yon e w ho is n ot co n vin ce d of t he import a nce o f fee db ac k s h o uld tr y pl ay in g d a rt s in th e d ark

As mu c h pr e pa ra ti o n s h o uld be g ive n to teac hin g th e pr ac ti ca l sk ill s of fir st a id as is give n to t he t heo re ti ca l work. [f a n a d va n ce d pr ece dur e, s u c h as sp lin t in g a cas u a lt y wit h a Fracture d spi ne, is a n a lysed i wi ll be see n to co nt ai n t he si m p le ski ll s of ty in g a reef knot, fo ld ing broa d a n d n arrow ba nd ages, a n d tyi ng a f igu re-of-e ig h ba nd age. Th e c lass membe r must obv

The rest of the work was a D IY job by D / Supt P Weathersby. This inc luded the remova l of part of the partition bet \\een he cab and sa loon a n d a terat io n of seats to provide

wa l k-th rough to the cab. Total cost of the conver ion and a ll the eq ui pment wa under £2,000.

AN enjoyable, very special weekend was once again held during October by Bucks nursing divisions in the delightful surroundings of Missenden Abbey, but unfortunately, after 32 continuous years, this was to be the last. For despite every effort to save it, rising costs make it impossi ble to continue this popular annual event.

The wor ds 'Missenden Abbey' immedi a tely conjure up innumerable memories to the vast maj ority of Bucks nur s ing members and officers. It is almost impo ssi ble to put into words just what this annual event has meant to those who have taken part over the years. Almo s t exclusively the brain child of Mrs Margaret Boothman, MBE, DStJ, the then County Superintendent, it started as a resident al course for the County at Stoke House, way out in the countryside of North Bucks. At hat time (1948) members sat somewhat passively listening to talks, which were always mo s t intere s ting, on a variety of s ubject s Probably the mo s active part they too k was injecting oranges with hypodermic needles!

Th e weekend's training potential was quickly rec ognised, receiving support and enco uragement f rom a well-remembered Commissioner, Major Darvel-Smith. Friendships were formed and the seeds of a new spirit of unit y were sown throughout the County. As a somewhat nervous Area Staff Officer (Cadets), I remember so well giving the vote of thanks to Miss Virginia Cunard, Chief Staff Officer Cadets, who delighted us all by being there.

After two years it was found the Stoke Hou se was too small and fortunately Buckinghamshire Education Department accept ed u s at Missenden Abbey, where we were welcomed and helped each year by wardens and s taff Residents arrived on Friday evening but the weekend really began, to include those attending daily, on Sa t urday morning. For many years we were honoured to have Major A. Urquart, Director of Ceremonies, attired in his robes as Knight of St John, carry out the opening and all will remember his dignified bearing.

Each year we enjoyed lectures from many di s tinguished people. In 1953 Sir Benjamin Rycroft s howed u s his colour film on co rn ea graft, which amazed us, a s the operation was then quite new Major White-Knox , Surgeon-in-Chief, pleased us

Farewell, Missenden

After 32 years, Bucks nursing training weekend is no more . enormously by two visits. Mr Barron gave a brilliant ta k on plastic s urgery , with slide s, cau s ing two out o f the three men who had been invited to faint - but the nur ses remained unruffled Sir Ludwig Guttman and other surgeons from Stoke Mandeville Hospital gave th e most enlightening talk s on spinal injuries and the nursin g care needed. Probably the mo st enthralling visit was from Sir Henry Verne y, in 196 7, who was the last man to have known Florence Nigh ti ngale personall y, a s s he had often visited his home Claydon Hou se in North Bucks.

The 10th anniversary of the weekend , which we felt then to be a great achievement was marked by a celebration tea part y for old and new friends. (I w ond er how man y still have their 10 yea r medals ' struck from honey pot lids).

The structure of the course was changing and becoming far more a c ti ve All tho se who know Miss Nancy Sale's capacity fo r training will appreciate that s itting and li st ening was not enough, and so a much greater part of the programme became devoted to practical fir st aid and nur si ngwith our own Mi ss Phylli s Rookby SRN being in charge of the latter for many years. The Abbey lent it self admirably to thi s type of programme and much was learnt, from getting stretchers over the 'ha-ha' wall to extricating bodies from bath s, throu g h narrow corridors and do w n stone staircases, to mention but a few of the incidents

Of course there was time to relax, although not much, but Saturday evening's 'entertainment' cannot go unrecorded. Remove the black and grey, don a fancy costume, and let no-one deny the everlasting youth of Bucks' nurses. For be warned, witches, fairies, bold knights or

v illain s will s urely take their reveng e, to say no t hing of the Terror of St Trinians!

Remember?

By the time the 21st anniversary arr ived, Mrs Boo t hman had b een s u ccee ded b y Lady Camoys as County Superjntendent, who continued to give every h e lp to Missenden. Around 80 members plus distinguished visitors mad e it he lar gest gathering ever. Fore mo st among our g u ests were the Superintendent-in-Chief, Lady B r ecknock , the Lord Lieut of Bucks, Major J Young, and the late Mrs Young.

'M sse nd e n ' contin ued to be the highlight of eac h yea r and v is its from National HQ staff were much appreciated, as were the s peaker s whose subjects never failed to st imu late their a udien ce. Of spec ia l note was the talk given b y Mr H. G. Patti so n on the St John Air Wing, a new interest fo r St John memb ers Our Silver Jubi lee in 197 3 was celebrated b y a Service of Thanksgiving in Great Missenden Parish Church on Sunday morning , where 'old friends' joined u s again.

So to 1980, when in this Year of Nursi n g we were h appy to h ave with us Miss Ro se mar y Bailey, C hie f Nursing Officer, and her ass istant Mis s Helen Gribb le (friends who had been to Missenden seve ral t i m es be fore a nd alway s s hared and appreciated it s o much .) Everyone was determin ed to put o n a brave face but it would be le ss than tr uth f u l to pretend t h at it was not tinged wit h some sadness.

A full programme consisted of the now established sessions of practical first ai d a nd nur sing. Talks included A n ae thesia, Nursing i n the Navy an d Nursing Handicapped Children. Dr Keith Ly le 's talk and slid es on t he Ophthalmic Hospita in Jerusalem s ho wed once again the invaluable work b e ing done there. Miss B a iley 's address The Way Forwa rd concluded a very s u ccessful weekend.

The experiences of he re s ident ia l weekend for a ll those w ho took part w ill remain for a lifeti me The in sp ired leader s hip of Mrs Boothman , both as County Superintendent and si nce by her attendance and help gave Bu c ks Nursing Division s something unique Seldom can there have been a gathering where more willingne ss and dedication to prepare for the Service of Mankind wa s s hown.

Monica E. White, CSt] County Staff Officer, Buckinghamshire

DRESS

from R F Strutt Area Staff Officer Training

I have alway had g r eat sy mpath y with our nursing member s regardi n g the unsuitability of the grey dress for so many of their duties, with the probab le exception of those in f ir st aid post s, mobile un i ts a nd s uch li ke.

Therefore , when reading Lesley Borzoni' s letter (Nov Re view), I had high hopes of a rea so ned and logical argument for D.O. 4649 particu larly when it was asked for in the last paragraph of the letter. However hop e spr in gs eternal and it was n ot to be, for a repl y was g iven on ly in the form of a repetition of the Order, and certa inly not a n a n swer that attempted to m otivate wi llin g acceptance of th e directive. We have progressed a little into the 20th-century in that nurses are now 'a llowed' to r oute- line, and ma le member s are 'ex p ected' to gain a nur ing cert ificate. Is it then too much to expect that an enlightened attitude be adopted and a more suitable form of dress be permi i bl e? We know that if the London Ambulance Service carried out those duties, their lad ies wou ld be wearing trousers, and in London that is the Serv ice we assist.

I wou ld most certainly resist any lowering of the high sta ndard of dress expecte d and attained at the State occasions w hi ch we attend, but a practical and rea li stic approach could su rely be made to a problem which is cau ing in creasi n g resentment.

While on the subject of dress, s hould we no t rightfu ll y expect an ' examp le to be set by Headquarters staff? I refer to the attendance at a recent conference in Guy' Ho sp it al (ha rdl y a Special Dut y) of a crown rank taff officer in a crew n eck sweate r (where is thi s in Dre ss Regulation ?) and g rey gorget patche on the white s hirt co ll ar (in direct contrave ntion of Dress Regulations). With such an example, how ca n we be expected to in sist junior ranks be properly dressed at all times when in St John uniform?

Middlesex R F. Strutt

STUDENT NURSES

from A T. Bowers SEN

In repl y to S. P. Apted (Jan Review), I h ave t h e following poin ts to make, wh ch do n ot refer to Brigade Regu lat io n s but to rea l li fe

My wife is SRN and am SEN, and we both trained at the same hospital s tarting in 1974. During our training period it s tr u e to say that we had varyi n g leve ls of r espo n s ibilit y w h e n in different areas of t he hospital. I f trai n ed h e lp was n ot on the ward the telephone wo uld bring it. W h e n trained t hi equa ll y app li ed, because nur s in g req uir e co ntinu a learn in g, eve n after m a n y yea rs of practical nur sing. I h ave worked in A&E, Light Indu stry, Geriatric and (at present) ITU areas a nd wi ll a lw ays say when t h e r e s so me hin g w hi c h needs more expert a t te n t io n As a Brigade member I would not presume to interfe re w it h treatment give n b y St John m ember unle ss I believed the method to be dangerous. As a Nur se (One Star) I have n o exec utiv e powers, ca nn ot b e Div NO in the absence of a n SRN rep lace m e nt , and us u a ll y a m u sed as an ambulance m e mb er w hen on a duty.

To e levate or r ecog ni se th e stu d e n t or pupil nur se mor e would be a very bad thin g in view of the a lr ea dy limited rec o g ni t ion of other Healt h pr ofessiona ls, who may only wear their b adge on uni form, as

you s hould ha ve observed in Dre ss R egs, and who can offer equa ll y s uitable in st ru c tion a nd assistance in their own fie ds. Northampton A. T. Bowers

BAD PRACTICE from Mrs K R Mann, Divisional Secretary

In repl y to CSO Vincent Smith (Jan Review), I am so rr y if you were mi s led about the in cide

NEWS from SCOTLAND

ON THURSDAY November 6 1980 the Prior of Scotland, His Grace the Duk e of Hamilton and Brandon , paid a visit to the St John's Ambu lance A ir Wing operating from Dundee Airport.

The A i r Wing is manned entirely by vo lu nteers and the p il ots in t he s cheme are all St John's auxi liaries who, with the recent establishment o f the St John organisation in Ang u s, have now become members of the St John Association of Scot land

The Prior , himself a former RAF pilot, was invited to visit the A ir Wing to meet the members and took the opportu nit y to make a short non-operational flight in one of the Cessna aircraft made available to the Wing b y the Tayside Flying Club. The Ambu lance Air Wing was first set up in 1973 to provide high speed delivery of urgent medical ne cessit ie s such as transp lant kidneys, cell tissue and rare types of blood in emergency situations. The branch was awarded this year's Howard Trophy by Grand Priory for their services.

The Prior thereafter attended the 'At Home' run by the new Angus Committee of the Order and its Association at Edzell on November 6.

WALES

TO MARK the Year of Nursing 1980 , the Lady Presiden t, the Hon Mrs N. D. Fisher Hock, CStJ, TO, DL, entertained the nursing members of Carmarthe n shire at her beautiful house, Plas Llan st ephan.

Despite poor weather beforehand, and so me infuriating delays on the jo urne y of the large bus which had been arranged b y Mrs B. M. James, County Staff Officer, to pick up a good half of the guests, the sun came out on our arrival and lit up the magnificent view from the house, where many lo vely an d historic treasures were seen. Not least was the Lady President's own handwork and she brought out exquisite china c up s and sauce r s to

The Prior of S cotland at the controls of a Cessna aircraft of the Air Wing's Dund ee Branch with Mr Sandy Middleton, Group Contr oiler (left) and Captain Ted Girdler. ( Pho to: D C. Thom as & Co Ltd Dundee)

Lord Ballantrae

In thanksgiving for the life of Bernard Ferguson, Lord Ballantrae, one of the mo st di st ingui shed Knights of the Order of St John, an impressive serv ice was held in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, on Friday December 19 1980. The Priory of Scotland was represented at the service by the Prior (His Grace the Duke of Hamilton), the Chancellor (Mr W. A. P. Jack), the Earl and Countess of Mar and Kellie, Mr F. C. B. Black, KStJ, Dr W. Macfar lane Gray, KStJ, Mr J. A. Montgomerie, KStJ, Mr

William Gordon, CStJ, Mr G. R. Reekie, CSt]. Dr r. B. Tait, CSt], Brigadier J. Balharrie , OStJ the Rev N. 1V1. Bowman, OStJ.

Ophthalmic Hospital

Local A sociations are already responding with interest to ugge tion incorporated in the recent report by Mr John S. G. Blair, OBE, on the Eye Ho pital in Jeru alem.

Gla gow has undertaken to provide funds sufficien t to buy four practitioners' ophthalmo sc opes, costing £250 each.

for C lw yd Major D J. Griffith. (See photo )

80-year-old John Lewi s, who s s till an active memb e r of the Brigade, although off c ia lly retired, joined in 1927 a nd h as given fifty t hree years of de vo ted duty - a record that few can equal.

An employee of the Great Western Railwa y, J o hn received the GWR Gold Medal for 15 years First Aid efficiency in 19 39, receiving th e last bar for 40 years in 1964, a nd th e BR London Midlands Re g ion 's ce rtificate in re cog nition of 41 years active membership in 1965.

A founder m e mber of Wrexham SJAB, John reca ll s being on 2 0 hour s contin u o u s duty at h e Gresford Co lliery disaster in 1934, being tra ined in first aid for Air Raid casua lties in 1937 which s h ows SJA

The Duchess of Gloucester who is Commandant -i n-Chief 'ALES of SJA in Wales, with Cpls Jeremy Br ight and Linda Campbell when she visited Gwent Hea th Aut hori ty H ospitals Divis io n during her tour of SJA Wales in the autumn (Photo: South Wales Argus)

entertain her SJA guests.

During the visit the President of Counci l Lt Co l W. K. Buckley, CStJ, very vivid ly told everyone the extraordinary story of the Priory Sword.

The Commissioner for Dyfed, Dr C ledwyn Thomas the District Commissioner , Dr Ambrose Morgan and Mr Edgar Morgan, wit h their wives, were a mong those who enjoyed the memorable visit.

A wealth of se rvice

At a ce lebrat ion party recently held in Wrexham, John Vaughan Lewis, County Staff Officer, was presented with hi s 55th cert ifi cate of re-examination, together with an in scr ib ed tankard, by the Co mmi ss ioner

25 peop le, inc luding new members of SJA, rec ei ve d thei r first aid certificates after an eightweek cou rse in Cardiff from Dr J. Parry, SJA

Commander , Wal es. The course was organ sed by S. Glamorg an County Organ iser, Mrs R. Davies. (Photo: S. Wales Echo)

KENYA:

by

( Below ST LUCIA Red Cross blankets being collected for hurricane v ctims from the St John HQ, Castries last August

News from Divisions / Centres

The AMBU Simulator with volume and compress ion meters f or correct monitoring of performance during train ing In CP R tech n iques and assessment at examinatio n.

(5). 10

artist describes himself when not in good health? (3.6). I I. Twice execute an old bird (4). 12 Talented a nd so und of limb (4). 13. Beer for t h e brave? (5). 16. How the brow appears when o n e frowns (7).

17. P upi l in a s tunted form (7) 19. P syc hologi cal complex featuring an abnormal attachment to one's moth er (7).21. O ld p h ysicians with worms (7).22. Greek glory (5).24. Branches of a rt eries and nerves in pyramids (4).25. Verru ca (4).28 In co ntinen ce occ urrin g during the nig h t (9). 30 Taken a s food (5) 31. Editor gets around men to remove the error s (5). 32 . C haracteri sed by intermittent , s udden muscu lar contra ct ions (9).

Down

I Di et p resc r ibed i n in flammatory conditions of th e inte s tin a l trac t (5). 2. Unab le to see arms to ge ther across the c hest with eyes b andaged (I I ) 3 Modified epidermis u se d by carpe nt er (4).

4 Having rou nded protuberances (7) 5 Is s ubject ed to pain or d istress (7). 6. Si lk for denta l hygiene (5). 7. A half of II Across ma kes a great fu ss (3).8. Take it, s ir, for inflamm a tion of the cor n ea (9). 14 Ki nd as t h e patient undergoing ca rdia c surgery? (4-7 ) 15. Leg movement denoting relation s hip re s ulting from marria ge (4) 16. Deformity ca u sed by a b low on a joint of the low e r limb? (5-4).

18. Iri s, c il iary body, a n d choroid (4). 20. Leap s for water su pp lie s (7) 2 1. A ll ma le di sorder in thin p late of bone (7) 23. Noi se of boug ie (5) 26. Medici n e for a type o f mu sc le spasm (5) 27 Microorga n is m present at s tart of german mea sle s (4) 29 Hint for billiard pl aye rs (3).

SOLUT I ON TO CROS SWORD No 1(81)

A c ross: 3. Ha m. ate b one; 8. Typi fy; 9. D s.c; 10. Epiglottis; 11. H o d ; 13. Fo u r; 14 Trotter; 15. Aura; 18 Ca bal; 21. Sap; 22. Basa l; 24 Eye; 26. Ret ired; 27. Hope; 29. III; 30. Scarlatina; 31. It c h; 32. Ex o t ic; 33. Lymp h g land

Dow n: I D ysp n oea; 2. F inger; 3. Hypoxia; 4 Malta; 5. Tods; 6 Orc hi t s; 7. E pidur a l; 12. Womb; 14. Tape; 16. U s .ed; 17. Ray; 18 Ce rvi ca l; 19. Botu lism; 20. L.a.rd; 23 Appendix; 25 Sca lded ; 27. H o t- pot ; 28. Ma ni. a; 30. S h ag

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ST JOHN :REVIEW

London says: T hanks M'am! p 50

Questions and Answers: 5 p.54

T Keith Lyle

Around

At

Round

The

How

Readers

News

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THE REVIEW AND YOU

THIS YEAR the St John Review is 54 years old -a fine record, I'm sure you'll agree, for our organisation's magazine. During that period it has

as a communication link between hundreds of thousands of members, the headquarters of the Foundations, and the Order. It has been a service that has tied us together, and so far as I know it has never made a profit. That was never the intention. If it d id make a profit, the profit would be p loughed back to make it a better magazine for everyone. The cost of its production and distribution has been paid for in the main by the readers (everyone is charged, including headquarters departments and St John's Gate), and the limited advertising it attracts. The Order, it s proprietor, pays for its annual loss

Its annual losses have gone from £6000 to £8000 in the late 1960s (I took over the editorship in 1970 to reduce the loss and to make it more readable) to £4000, and then at best £600 in 1977. Annual losses then increased again to £2400, andwe've just learned - to £4750 in 1980.

Of course we all know the reasons for the increased losses - inflation and recession. The first sends up costs, the second means fewer buyers It is impossible to cut further the production costs of this type of magazine. I should point out that for every subscription (£6 a year), 17p of the SOp we receive is now spent in distributing the copy by post, leaving us 33p to produce the magazine. We receive 31p for a copy sold through a newsagent. Here, I'd like to say thank you to all those County Secretaries who have been so helpful in making the distribution of Reviews to Divisions such a successful scheme.

Last summer, in a drive to reduce production costs, we transferred printing to a method which is most cost effective with a print order of 10,000 copies or more a month. We can now produce anot h er 3000 copies for the cost of materials only. But we have to sell those extra copies And if we could sell them our 1980 deficit would be virtually wiped out. That is the only way to keep our magazine in production. But that, of course, hinges on whether enough readers - and the membership of St John in general - want the Review to continue publication.

So it's up to you If every two members who buy the magazine can persuade (and persuade quickly) one more person to subscribe to it, then the future of YOUR magazine is secure.

Please don't say - when the Review is no more, after more than 50 years of serving our organisation - IF YOU HAD ONLY TOLD US

The Editor

February Review

Some copies of the February issue were incorrectly trimmed to overall size, but the contents were not affected. Replacement copies can be obtained by writing to Review Sales at Headquarters

LONDON says: Thanks M' aR1!

ON FRIDAY, December 12 1980, the following announcement appeared in the Court Circular:

For the first time, the Queen opens a SJA headquarters

BUCKINGHAM PALACE December 11. The Queen, as Sovereign Head of the Order of St John, this afternoon opened Edwina Mountbatten HoLlse, the new Headquarters of St John Ambulance, Greater London (Commander, Colonel H. A. Lewis) at 63 York Street, WI, where Her Majesty was received by the Lord Mayor of Westminster (Councillor Donald du Pare-Braham). Lady Mountbatten. The building has been excellently converted for the purpose and Her Majesty is so pleased you have such a fine new Headquarters.

And in the morning of the same day the Chairman of the St John Council for Greater London, Group Captain Gordon Pirie, received by special post a letter from The Queen's Private Secretary, Sir Philip Moore, which said: The Programme was admirably devised to enable The Queen to see a great deal of the activities of the St John Ambulance and also to meet many of your personnel You will have seen for yourself how interested The Queen was in her tour and she has asked me to say that she was greatly impressed by everything. The St John Ambulance really did stage a splendid presentation for their Patron. The Queen wished me to thank you, Mr McClintock, Colonel Lewis and Mr Fenton, as well as the many others responsible for a very well planned and efficiently executed programme for her visit. Her Majesty is very conscious that a great deal of work must have gone into the organisation and she is very grateful to you all - some of the volunteers were most realistic in their demonstrations

When The Queen returned to Buckingham Palace this evening, Her Majesty commanded me to write to you to say how much she had enjoyed her visit to the new Headquarters of St John Ambulance, Greater London. Her Majesty was particularly pleased to open Edwina Mountbatten House and to be able to take part in this tribute to the late Her Majesty also much appreciated the gift of a First Aid Box which will occupy a special place in her Rolls-Royce.

THURSDAY December 11 1980 will be long remembered by many members, Associations and Brigade, of St John Ambulance, Greater London.

Preparations for the Queen's visit had been taking place over many weeks at Edwina Mountbatten House, which will act as the nerve centre for both Association and Brigade activities for the whole of Greater London. The house had been the former site of St Mary-Ie-Bone Western National School, and had been used as such from 1824 until it was gutted by incendiary bombs during the Second World War.

However, the 1980 generation of St Mary's Primary School children, now housed in a building round the corner in Enford Street, were very much in evidence on Thursday afternoon. Several hundred of them, clutching Union Jacks, plus many bystanders, were on the pavement opposite Edwina Mountbatten House waving and

cheering wildly from about 2 30pm onwards. The noise level increased noticeably when the Grand Prior, the Duke of Gloucester, arrived and, having a little time to spare before the Queen's arrival, went over to say hello to the delighted children

At 3pm precisely the Queen's car drew up to the west door of the building and with equal precision the Royal Standard was broken at the masthead above the Headquarters by Area Sergeant Major L. Goodrum. Her Majesty, looking pleased at the youthful welcoming party, alighted to be greeted first in accordance with custom by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the Member of Parliament for Marylebone, the Chief Executive, City of Westminster, and their ladies. When these formalities were over, the Grand Prior presented to Her Majesty the Chairman of St John Council for London, Group Captain Gordon Pirie,

whose personal endeavours and wise u se of resource s have moved St John Ambulance in the space of just over 20 years from two rooms in the City to its former HQ in the West End, a nd finally to Edwina Mountbatten House

The Royal Part y then moved to the west staircase where th e C hair man in dicated where the plaque, about to be un ve iled by Her Majes ty, would eventually be mounted . The party then went to the first floor, where he Chairman drew Her Majesty's attention to another plaque in green Cumberland sto ne in sc ri bed with the following words in gold:

EDWINA MOUNTBAITEN HO USE THE COUNC I L OF THE ORDER OF ST JOHN FOR LONDON GRA TEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES

GENE RO US GIFTS TOWARDS THE ACQUISITION, RESTORATIO N AND ENDOWMENT OF THE PREMISES FROM MANY DONORS AMONG WHOM IN ADDITION TO THE GREATER LONDON COUNCIL WERE PRINCIPALLY THE BE RNARD SUN LEY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION BARN EIT S HINE ES Q December 1980 Recon s truction b y MYTON LIMITED

The Grand Prior then prese nted to Her Majesty the new Lord Prior and Lady Dorman, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and the Secretary General and the Director of Ceremonies of the Order.

Finally, the Royal Party moved into the Assembly Hall, passing a Guard of Honour made up of Ambulance and Nursing Member s of the Brigade, and towards the dias where the Lord Prior presented the Chief President, the Chief Commander, the Director-General, the Commissioner-inChief and the Superintendent-in-Chief.

An ar t ist' s impression of the new headqua rters

The formal opening of Edwina Mountbatten House was about to begin and the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr Edward Carpenter, came forward to invite Her Majesty to mount the dais accompanied by the Grand Prior and

the Countess Mountbatten, whose presence as the eldest daughter of Edwina, Lady Mountbatten, a former Superintendent-inChief was especia ll y welcome. Her Majesty then pulled ba ck a c loth to revea l, on its temporary mounting, a p laque in green Cumberland s late also inscribed in gold, with the words :

EDWINA MO TBATTE HOUSE HEADQUARTERS

ST JOHN AMBULA CE GREATER LONDON OPE l ED BY H ER MAJESTY THE QUEEN 11TH DECEMBER 1980

After which the Dean offered up a prayer of dedication he Chairman made a short spee c h of thanks and a Nursing Cadet, Sergeant Heather Burgess, presented a bouqu et.

The time had now come for Her Majesty to meet those who had been intimately concerned with the planning, financing, purchase and re construction of the new Headquarter s. Firstly, the C h airman prese nted tho se members of the Counci directly involved:

The Rt Honourabl e Chairman of th e Greater London Co un cil an d Vice President of the Council, Mr Bernard Brook -Partridge; the Vice-Chairman of Co un ci a nd Commander St John Ambulance, Greater London, Colonel H exe ll Lewis; and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of t he Appeal Committee, Mrs Leonard Pearl and Mr John Ba m ford. Next were presente d the prin c ip a l ben efactors: he Lead er and the Director General o f th e Great er Lo ndon Cou ncil, Sir Horace Cutler and S ir J ames Swaffie ld the C hairman an d a trustee of th e Bernard Sun ey C harit ab le Foundation, Mr W A. S h ap land and Sir Percy Rugg; and Messr Barn ett S hin e and Dav id Hyman Then came partners of the Architects (Kn g ht Frank & Rutley), Messrs B. W Conlinued over/eaf

waving to the crow ds , arrives in York Street with Gp Capt Gordon Pirie chairman of the SJ Council for London; and the Duke of Gloucester with the Lord Mayor of Westminster. (Above right) The Queen, with the Duke of Gloucester, the Grand Prior , officially opens Edwina Mountbatten Hous e

After the opening ce remony , Her majesty was presente d with a bouquet by Cade t Sergean Heather Burgess

Before the unveiling ceremony the Lord Pr ior

Sir Mauric e Dorman (Ieh), presents senior officers of national HQ

Ha tcher and W. F A nd erson. And fin all y r epresentative s of t he builders (Myto n L td): he Deputy M anag ng Direct o , Mr D. M. Roge rs; the Senio Desig ner, Mr A. A Sheridan; and the Proj ect Manager, Mr D 1 Cashin; a Gange r, Mr D Tasse l; and an Apprentice Car pe nter Mr V. Sweeney.

The presentation completed, the Commander then reported to Her Majesty that the new Headquarters building was ready for inspection. On the second floor and in the courtyard the Commissioner would demonstrate the first aid work carried out in Greater London by Brigade certificated and uniformed personnel, while on the ground floor the Director would demonstrate the teaching of first aid and the examination and certification of candidates The Commander also drew Her Majesty's attention to the moveable par t itions in the Assembly Hall which enabled it to be divided into four large class rooms, as might be required by the Association (normally by day) or the Brigade.

The Commander then conducted the Queen to the west staircase and presented the Commissioner Greater London (Prince of Wales's) District, Mr Derek Fenton, who showed Her Majesty to the second floor where he presented the District Superintendent, Miss Mary Neville-Kaye; the Di strict Secretary, Mr s Eileen Jolly; and 52

the District Training Officer, Mr V. Phillips Her Majesty was shown a very varied programme which included cadets being instructed in casualty make-up and competition work. A photo-montage e x hibi t ion, which attracted Royal comment, showed the extremes of public duties in London - from ceremonials, such as Trooping the Colour, to the treatment of casualties at demonstrations such as in Southall and Lewisham. One photograph of a casualty showed a young man with a dart stuck between his nose and his right eye.

A display of resuscitation equipment and photographs of the St J obn Aeromedical Service brought many questions from Her Majesty, who was next shown wall charts and first aid books , both in Arabic and Chinese, together with many publications available from the Supplies Department. Then followed an exhibition of the activities of the Cadets and Nursing in the Home, which included aids available to the disabled

Her Majesty was very interested in everything she saw and everyone she met, from an officer who had just completed 50 years voluntary service to a cadet who had obtained his Duke of Edinburgh Silver

Award. As a final memen t o from the Brigade, District Staff Officer Miss Doreen Sainsbury presented he Queen with a Fi rst Aid box which will occupy a special p ace in Her Majesty's Roll s- Royce

The Commissioner then escorted the Queen to the courtyard where he pre se nted the Deputy Commissioner , Mr John Gerrard, who invited Her Majesty to make an outdoor inspection of Brigade ve hicles and boats. These included a large mobile first aid unit; an ambulance fitted out with intensive care equipment for cardiac arrest; a vehicle used as a combined control centre on public duties between St John, the Metropolitan Police and the London Ambulance Service ; an Aeromedical Service ambulance; and, finally, Brigade volunteers from the Thames Tideway Rescue Division.

The Queen, unhurried and intensely interested, spoke to everybody she pos s ibly could before the timetable indicated a return indoors. The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner took leave of Her Majesty, and the Commander presented the General Manager, St John Ambulance Association, Greater London, Group Captain John Mason The Commander explained to Her Majesty that in addition to

hi s role of running t h e Associatio n in the absence (as at present) of a Director, Group Ca p tain Mason had also been mainly responsible for organising the move into the new Headquarters and for the detailed execution of much of the planning for Her Maj esty' s visit. The General Manager escorted the Queen into the building where he presented the Association Secretary, Mrs An ne -Mary Holland; the Development Manager, Mr Norman Green; and the Chief Instructor, Mr 'Stan' Aylott. Her Majesty was then shown the extent of coverage offered by A ss ociation Ce ntre s in the Capital , and given an indication of current legislation which employers are required to meet , as well as a com prehen s ive pictorial di s play o f instruction taking place in the modern, s paciou s well-equipped Trai ning Ce ntre on the first floor. Sadly, Mr 'Te d Aldington, of Casualties Union who gives a mo s t realistic performance each week to those attendin g First A id at Work courses, was ill and could not be presented. Next, a demonstration o f resuscitation was given by the Chief Instructor, who showed how a suitably instrumented Re s u s cianne responded with lights and print-out when the proper f irst aid tec hnique was applied. Her Majesty was most interested in all the

( Left) Before eaving, Her Ma jes ty signed the visitors' book and a photograph of herself wh ic h will hang in the Council Chamber. Right is the Heraldic Artist of the Order, Mr D - Collings Rig ht) The Grand Prior, the D uke of Gloucester, gleefully signs as a visi or too

training aids on display and in the explanation given b y a se nior instructor Mrs Jean Higgs, on infant resuscitation and the demonstration of the internal workings of ' Bab y' Ann.

The Queen's inspection of the building having been completed, the Commander invited H e r Majesty and His Ro yal Highness to enter the Council Chamber where t he Chairman of Council presented the Heraldic Artist of the Order, Mr D. Collings, and invited Her Majesty to sign the Visitors' Book and to autograph a photograph of the Sovereign which, when framed, will hang in the Council Chamber.

His Royal Highne ss also signed t he Visitors' Book and the Ro yal Part y t hen returned , at 4pm , to the Assembly Hall for tea . In the Assembly Hall the very first event was for the Lord Mayor to pre s ent to the Queen the Lord Mayor of Oslo, Mr Albert Nordengen, and his Lad y Every year, No rway makes a seasonal gift of a Christmas tree to this country which s tand s in Trafalgar Square and usuall y necessita t es a lighting-up operation performed by a Norwegian dignitary So it was a happy coincidence that the opening of Edwina Mountbatten House was at the sa me time as the visit of Mr Albert Nordengen

Du ring tea the Queen was informed that a video film had been made of her visit and Her Majesty inquired whether she might be able to see it and perhaps, at some later date could other St John members see the fi lm ? Her majest y was told that this would be s o; that the film is being cut and edited and short ly a final version will be sent to Buckingham Palace St John members might have to wait a little longer, but ultimately it was hoped that copies of this film would be available from Greater London Headquarter s. The Queen concluded her isit with the n ow celebrated Royal 'walkabout'. Moving between Association and Bri gade ranks, she met a fair cross -section of St John people in the time available. Even though this visit la sted only one-and-a-half hours, for the many people invol ved in organising the programme and for all the St John representatives pre se n t, it had been a memorable day. Members of St John throughout Greater London were indeed grateful to the Sovereign Head of the Order for the honour she had bestowed in opening the new Headquarte rs - and from Her Majesty's many question, miles and laughter it was obvious that she too had t hor oughly enjoyed the occasion. Thanks for calling, M'am.

ic Nursing

(Left) D strict Commissioner Derek Fe nton right)

Commissioner John Gerrard to Her Ma esty before inspecting the outdoor displays of Br gade vehicles and boats (right) of the Thames Tideway Rescue

1. The dressing itself must be (a) free if possible and act as a (b) restricting the entry of bacteria which could cause (c) of the wound.

2. A non-adherent dressing on removal will not (a) ............ or (b) the (c) tissues which repair the wound.

3. The prepared sterile dressing consists of layers of (a) covered by a pad of (b)

4. Adhesive dressings consist of a pad of (a) gauze with an adhesive backing which allows (b) ...........• to (c)

through it if perforated.

5. Unless bandages are applied they are useless.

6. If a bandage is applied too (a) to a limb it may (b) the part or impede the (c) of the blood.

7. If a bandage is applied a (a) tinge of the finger or toe nail (b) may be a danger sign.

8. Bandage the hand with the palm held

9. Stand in front of the casualty when bandaging an (a) or (b)

10. Asphyxia is a condition where there is commonly a lack of (a) in the (b)

11. Asphyxia is one of the most common causes of

12. Signs and symptoms of asphyxia: Breathing - The rate, depth and difficulty (a) at first, later may become (b) ........... . with (c) at the mouth, finally (d)

13. Signs and symptoms of asphyxia: Congestion - of the head and neck, face, lips and

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE MANUAL: 5

Questions and Answers

14. Signs and symptoms of asphyxia: Consciousness - is gradually (a) (b) may occur.

15. Emergency Resuscitation: The vital needs are airway open to (a) air to reach the (b)

16. Emergency Resuscitation: The vital needs are breathing: (a) to allow sufficient oxygen to enter the lungs and pass into the (b)

17. Emergency Resuscitation: The vital needs are circulation: Sufficient to carry the (a) enriched (b) to the (c) of the body.

18. It is essential for the brain to be continuously supplied with blood.

19. If the brain is totally deprived of (a) for more than about (b) minutes it is likely to be permanently damaged.

20. The most important single factor in any form of respiratory resuscitation is the with which the first few inflations can be given.

A series by ROY JACKSON and BRUCE

COLTMAN, of the

Northumbria Police Centre

21. The most effective method of artificial respiration is mouth to mouth (mouth to nose) and this method can be used by almost all (a) groups and in almost all circumstances. Except:

(1) When there is severe injury to the (b) and

(2) When the casualty is pinned in the (c) position.

(3) If (d) interferes with respiratory resuscitation.

22. Vomiting usually occurs when (d) is re-established and (b) is returning.

23. Complete the missing measurements of parts of this table applicable to the roller bandage.

Part

MR KEITH LYLE, who retired as Hospitaller of the Order at the end of ast year and ha s been s ucceeded by his former Deputy, Sir Stephen Miller, KCYO, MD, FRCS, ha s been very active ly involved with the work of our Ophthalmic Ho s pital for the pa s t 21 years - as Deputy Hospitaller from 1960-69 and as Ho sp italler from 1969 -80. A man of tremendou s vitality, whose s pare, upri g ht figure and a lert mind belie hi s 77 years, he ha s devoted a vast amount of both hi s profe ssio nal and hi s spare time to the work of the Ho s pital, and it s no exaggeration to say that it ha s been very largely due to him and to our former Lord Prior (Lord Caccia) that it ha s sa fely weathered the past decade of political upheaval and financia l crisis. By hi s regular and freq uent visits to Jerusalem, hi s unfailin g su pport of the Ward e n , Matron and s taf f, and hi s per so nal intere st in their well-being and that of the patient s, he ha s great ly co n tribu ted to preserving and e nhan c in g the s plendid tr a dition of Service to Mankind that the Ho s pital ha s estab li s hed s in ce it foundation in 1882 And that is wit hout counting all that he ha s done behind the sce ne s for its welfare throug hout his year as Ho sp italler

For good measure, he ha s also for many years been a very actively supportive President of t he Henley-on-Thames Ambulance Division He was made a CSt] in 1956, promoted to KStJ in 1960, and to Bailiff Grand Cross in 1980. He is also a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

In all hi s work for St John and the Hospital he ha s received tremendous help and s upport from hi s wife, Mrs Jane Lyle, who is a Dame of the Order, a member of Chapter General, and P resi dent of the Henley-on-Thames Nursing Division

Apart from St John, hi s most important work has been as Consultant in Ophthalmology to the RAF, a po st which he ha s held for more than 30 years, involvi ng him in the chairmanship of the Vision Sub-committee and as a member of the Flying Personnel Re searc h Committee and the Armed Services Consultant Advisory Board. Hi s special interests have been in medical education, in which he has

Hospitaller of the Order

T.

KEITH LYLE,

CBE. MA MD MChir FRCP. FRCS

Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John

held several important appointments, and in the study of orthoptics and the treatment and cure of 'strabismus' (squint) - both in young children (his waiting room is be st rewn with fasci nating toys for toddlers!) and in the elderly whose eye muscles have become incorrigibly 'lazy' with advancing years, and hi s seemingly miraculous surgical skill in correcting this defect has attained international renown.

One wonders how anyone living so full and busy a life of se rvice [0 others can find time for lei s ure pur s uit s, and what these may be. When recently asked this question he replied:

'My main non-medical pursuit is gardening. There is something ve ry sa ti s fying in planting seeds and seeing a good crop of vegetables coming up, providing one ha s taken the precaution of defending them from birds, slugs, insects, etc. And when available I enjoy riding and occasional rennis, as well as swimming and s urfing at our Cornish bungalow. Ski-ing used to be an annual event in Switzerland - in fact, I first met my wife at Wengenbut now we confine our activities on skis to Lang-Laufing.

'Having a family of three daughters (two

of them married) and one son , weekends are often booked up with visits and other family activities.

'Vis iting countries overseas, often when in vite d to lecture at medical meetings or attend a medical conference, is another enjoyment of ours. Early in 1979 we were at a European medical meeting in Athens, followed by a week's holiday in Crete -a s uperb place for swimming and also stu d yi ng archaeology. La st year we had a meeting of the Internarional Society of Eye Surgeons in Kenya to attend. Invitations to give lectures, often in the USA, are much appreciated and sometimes serve an additional purpose of talking to members of the American Sociery of rhe Order of Sr John.

'To some people, work is a mental stimulus; [0 others it is a dull and boring labour. It all depends on your job and on the way you handle it.'

Our former Hospitaller has certainly given us a splendid example of how to handle one's job so that it becomes not me rely a mental stimulus but an incentive to the compassionate service of others, and we wish him and Mrs L y e many years of happy activity in their so-called retirement.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE 1981

Let's hear about your schemes!

THE Chief Commander invites readers to produce schemes concerned with helping disabled people for introduction in their own Division, Area or County.

Please send your scheme as soon as possible to Mrs Christine Best, Staff Officer to the Supt-in-Chief, St John Ambulance HQ, 1 Grosvenor Crescent, London SWIX 7EF.

£10 will be awarded to each scheme selected for publication in the St John Review during 1981.

24. Removal of an obstruction from (a) (b)

What is this type of bandage?

( Mr Keith Lyle retires

The new HospitallerSir Stephen Miller

SJA DAY

I hear that Brands Hatch racing circuit gave a big 'T hanks during December to the Kent Division (Farningham) which lays on first aid cover for all their motor racing events. The race meeting on December 7 was officially designated St John Ambulance Race Day by the circuit company.

In addition to the programme of eight races there were other 'off-track' activities to entertain the crowds. Before racing began there was a 'free-wheel' contest, when raci ng cars were pu s hed by two people for a certain distance down Paddock Hill to see how far they would free-wheel on their own. The idea proved so popular that soon all so rts of other vehicles were lining up for the contest - towing trucks, course cars and then the Division's new Ford Transi t ambulance (see photo) The winner was American Peter Argetsinger. During the race programme Divisional members were introduced to the crowd and then presented garlands to the winners. And later at the prize giving in the course bar, members presented the pri z e money. One winner decided to donate his money to the Di v isio n' s funds - and then all the other winners followed suit. There was a lucky programme draw, also in aid of the Division , with prizes which included a return flight London to Miami from Laker Airways, a champagne dinner for two at a London di sco.

The course model car shop gave two racing car models (o ne made up, the other in kit form) as prizes, but the circuit's resident commentator and M.e. at the prize-gIVIng decided they should be auctioned for St John, with a minimum of £10 bids. The two models raised £190.

Farningham's Div l Supt Len Berry's pockets were overflowing with dona t ions.

WHAT'S GOING ON INTHEWORLD OF ST JOHN PUSH!

All too often SJA finds itself in the limelight only when there is a bad accident or a disaster. But the British Racing and Sports Car Club and Brands Hatch Circuit Ltd remember those incidents and set aside a day to say 'Thanks, Fellows '. A day which everyone enjoys - and help s the SJA lads and lasses. Thank you, Brands Hatch.

RIVER RESCUE

Congratulation s to J 8-year-old A I M Barry

Monaghan, of York Centra l Division, on hi s award of the Ro ya l Hum a n e Society's testimonial on parchment for avi n g an un consc iou s man from the Ri ver Ou e in York.

Mr John Cadbury , 65, overbalanced on ome railing s a nd fell 20 ft into the river, striking hi s head on the way. A I M Monaghan climbed over the railing s a nd jumped into the 10 ft deep river, to s upport the un co n s c iou s man until a lifebuoy attached to a rope was thrown to him, a nd hey were towed to the ban k

MORE MEMBERS

MEET MARK

Faced with a decline in adult member s hip and a growing demand for public dutiesthey top J ,800 hour s each year - Man s field Borough (Notts) Division decided [0 stage an exhibition in the Mansfield shopping precinct for a week.

Du ring the s ix days, 238 people a ked for further information about St John and th e division , including 99 young people want in g to join the cadets Of the 103 women w ho filled in a questionnaire, 53 requested firstaid classes and 48 wanted to join the nursing division.

The exhibition was officially launched by a visit from the Mansfield District Counci l Chairman, C lIr John White.

Members of other lo ca l divisions h e lp ed man the di s play and visitors from outside

Meet Ambulance Cadet Mark Neale of Co Antrim's Ba llymoney Cadet Division rel axing in the Egyptian Room of London's Mansion Hou se with his mother and father He was in London to collect his Certificate of Commendation of the Caxton Young C tizens Awards from the Lord Mayor The awards were established in 1979, in memory of Ros s McWhirter of the Guinness Bo ok of Records, who was shot by IRA terror sts in 1975, to encourage, acknowledge and reward acts of good c tizenship bravery and lead e rship

On the evening of June 28 1980, Mark , h is three brothers and a friend were returning home when they came c ro ss the resu lt of a roa d acc id ent. A woman - distraught. face badly cut and soon it was obvious he skull was fractured; her two young ch ildr en - a boy with facial injuries which la ter needed 48 stitc hes; a nd the father dead Four people in the other car were sem i-co nscio u s Mark the only one of the group w th first -aid knowledge, ran to a nearby farmhouse for help obtaining sheets to rip -up as bandages and wood o use as a splint. 35 minutes la te two ambulances arrived. Coleraine Hosp ita reported that they assumed the casualties had been treated by a do cto r or nurse It was Mark's first real -life first aid situation.

AB OJ

BY THE EDITOR

the town were put in touch with their neare st division, including 12 from Derby s h i re SOON THERE!

Read e rs will recall the di sas trous fire at a house in S.E. London where - at a birthday party - twelve black teenager s died, including the young lady for whom the party had been arranged.

Alas, the fatalities were not the whole s tory Of the 50 people attending the party, 30 were taken to he nearby Greenwich Di st rict Ho pital for treatment.

Being Sunday, t h e hospital was s hort of staff, but one of the ward siste rs, Miss H. Wheeldon, who is also a local Divi sio nal Nur s ing Officer arranged for extra nur si n g help from St John personnel. 30 members were expected, but 54 turned up offering a s si s tance, so me late enough to relieve those who arrived first. Every aspect of nursing help was required , even helping to deal wit h the relatives of t he injured

All the member were made very welcome at the ho pital, and many received particular praise - including one new re c ruit who had received her uniform only that week!

270 hour s of nur sing duty were given by the e prompt volunteer, which raised the que s tion of whether there shou ld be a n emergency ca ll- out procedure for other ho pital in London. The subject is to be di s cussed at London District HQ w.H.

MARATHON DUTY

London Di s trict is planning in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service, the First Aid Cover for the London Marathon on March 29.

Thi is the first mass mara t hon to be held on the streets of London and s hould involve s ome 7,500 male runners. If the casualty rate of the annual New York marathon is anythi n g to go by, St John will hav e a busy time.

It s expected that there will be around 30 mobile units covering the 26 miles , with 400 / 500 per onnel, including man y doctors and nur sing officers. As is now the normal

Two members of Cumbria s Ulverston

Division, Julie Tyson

practice on major London duties, the Home Counties will be providing a number of the mobile units.

HENDON SYMPO

The ninth annual Police Symposium, which has become a red letter event in the London St John calendar, took place at Hendon Police College on January 17

The theme t his year was the 'River Thames', and apart from many senior officers from National Headquarters, there were 250 St John officers primarily from London, together with representatives from six counties, three of which border the River Thame s. 100 members of the Special Constabulary were also present. Talks were given on various aspects of the River including the Thames River Police, which began in 1798; the St John Tideway Division; the London Fire Brigade; and by Dr Mike Dart, the Director of Scientific Services, Thames Water Authority, who described himself as 'the man who passes all the water drunk in London!'

Following an excellent meal, a vivid and enlightening talk was given by Superintendent David Williams of the Metropolital Police on the contingency plans for Thames Tidal Flooding. Until 1982, when the Tidal Barrier now being N / M Julie Wright, of Bloxwich Quad Division, won the West Midlands Nursing competition in November to receive the cup for the Year of Nursing from Mr J. A. Jordon MD,MRCOG

(Left) As the Year of Nursing 1980 drew to a close. Hereford and Worcester looked back at what they'd achieved in that field; nursing competitions, special nursing lectures, and Nurs ng in the Home had been launched. Then in December there was a Church Service at Worcester Cathedral which was attended by the Suptin-Chief, Lady Moyra Brewne (right) with Lady Beauchamp, and County Commissioner Ian Macpherson.

constructed at Woolwich at a cost of £480 million pounds will be completed, the flooding remains a likely ha za rd. This was followed by a talk on the function of the Port of London Authority . Mr John Gerrard (Assistant Commissioner) and hi s Staff Officer, Chief Superintendent Mrs. Greta Drinkwater, arranged and organised the very successful day.

PROJECT KITS

We receive frequent requests at the Library and Museum for information on the history of the Order of St J o hn and its two foundations - St John Ambulance and the Jerusalem Ophthalmic hospital. Many of these requests are from students doing projects at schoo l or college, and we se nd out from St John's Gate project kits costing £1.50, including postage and packing. These kits comprise a se lection of leaflets of narrative and pictures on the related histories, a photocopy of the St John Ambulance Centenary booklet and The Order of St John (a short history) booklet. Anyone in terested in purchasing one of these envelopes of information should send a £ 1.50 cheque or postal order, made ou t to the Order of St John to Miss Sarah Croser,

Grand Prior Badge Cadet Leader Alun Gardener, of Bedgrove Combined Cadet Division, is the first cadet in Bu c kinghamshire to receive the 1,OOO- hour certificate. Apart from helping at old peoples homes hospitals and first aid duties, he has visited Mrs Algrove (with him in photo) every week for 4 years loo ks after her garden and has redecorated inside the house

the Museum and Library Off ce, St John's Gate, St John Lane, C lerkenwell, London ECIM 4DA (tel 0 1-253 6644 ext. 35).

SJ HISTORY SOCIETY

There will be an inaugural public meeting on April 9 at St John' Gate at 7 pm to discuss the formation of a St John Hi s tory Society to promote intere st in and the tudy of all a s pect of the hi tory of the Order of St John. Would those who are interested please get in touch with Dr E. C. Daw s on, 109 Crofton Road , Orpington, Kent , or the Curator, Library and Museum, St John Gate, St John' s Lane, Clerkenwe ll , London ECIM 4DA.

TREBLE TWENTY

Dart s, thank to TV, are ce rtainly making a come-back. From Derby s hire , I hear that with money raised by record breaking darts player s from the Britannia Inn, Tupton, in their 24-hour s ponsored match, together

with other gifts and donations, two ambulances and a mobile first-aid unit were recently presented to SJA Derwent Area at Chesterfield.

At the dedication of the vehicles, at a s hort ceremony outside the Britannia Inn, were the Co unt y Comm ss ioner David Jenkin s, Area Comm issio n er Peter Greaves, a nd the Rev. Robert Stone. Mr Jenkins told the gat hering: 'Today's event is a wonderful example of the s uppor we re ce ive from the genera l public in Derbyshire.

SLEUTH

Malcolm Durbin, a cadet officer of Fernhill Division, Mid-Glamorgan, was on hi s way to a public duty at Aberdare Park motorcyele races when his own motorbike broke down. H e left it concea led behind a watchman's hut, where he thought it wou ld be safe, and thumbed a lift the 12 miles to Aberdare, where he wa on duty for eight hours.

He returned the next day to pick up his bike to find it was mis s ing. Understandably, Malcolm was incen sed and he et about so me detective work

Following the y re track s, he found his bike at a nearby hou se.

Malcolm and his motorbike are together again. The man who 'found' it was heavily fined in the Magistrate 's court.

HEADQUARTERS WEDDING

Read ers wi ll be delighted to hear that Chief Staff Officer Tom Fazan and hi s assi s tant, Miss Ivy North, were married in January After the regular HQ board meeting on January 21 staff drank a toast (0 the bride and groom, and the C-in-C handed them a pre ent from HQ staff.

Bes t wishe , Tom and Ivy!

MOUNTED DIVISIONS

I hear from SJA Derb ys hire that their Northern Area' Mounted Divi s ion, shown on the January Review front cover is not the only mounted division as tated in the

JUMP!

said

cover's caption. There are two Derwent Area' was the first, Northern Area's the second. And what's more their work has been so successfu that soon there will be a third Derbyshire mounted division - in the Peak Area.

Just can't keep track of all these development s in the world of SJ.

TO ALL LAY INSTRUCTORS FIRST AID AT WORK

IT IS hoped that the Health & Safety (First Aid) Regula tions will be ratified by the Government during 1981 and come into force a year later t here are three important aspects to consider. Firstly, the new legislation will increase the number of people to be trained in first aid and the share that must be gained by St John Ambulance is estimated to be an increase of several thousands per year. Secondly, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) will approve organisations wishing to teach first aid, thus the number of our competitors will increase Lastly, the HSE will monitor training and may revoke the certificates of organisations who are not up to standard. It is therefore very important that St John Ambulance is judged as an organisation with consistently high standards. We are the market leaders in first aid training and to help maintain this position a new course is being designed for commerce and industry - the 'First Aid at Work' Teaching Package. Leading educationalists advised that the best way to design such a package was to use the expertise of our own instructors - this we are doing. Counties and Special Centres nominated instructors who wanted to help and had the time available, then we had to reduce the number of volunteers to a size [hat we could co-ordinate. This was not easy as all the volunteers were of such a high standard that it was almost impossible to produce a batting order; however, it was done and we now have a tearn of ten. Two of the most important design criteria are SIMPLICITY and EASE OF USE by instructors; the package should make your job easier and be enjoyable to use. Re st assured that it will not require you [0 act like a clockwork mouse; the very opposite ",,rill be the case Your own choice of words and personality will remain the essential qualities that make our courses successful and popular. We are going to arrange some short seminars, probably on a regional basis, for those who will be involved in the teaching of First Aid at Work. We will present to you the approach to training that we are using and will have the opportunity to listen to your views. We hope to start in April and look forward to meeting and talking with you.

S. H. Glenny, Training Manager Associarion

I PROMISED you some more ideas this month about Brigade recruitment, our top priority in 1981, so I'll pick up the with the reminder that it's a matter In whICh our Association and Brigade branches must work absolutely hand in glove, not least because an Association certificate is the passport to Brigade membership. I to make the main part of what follows poslt.lve rather than negative, but I must fIrst dispose of a few sadly common mistakes in the tactics of our training which together provide the best recipe that I know for getting rid of potentially keen members So here is a list , to which you could no doubt add others, of what I regard as probably the ten most important donf's':

1. Don't wait to decide on the evening's training programme till you see. how turn up. You might get away wIth that Just once but it' s much more likely to be a flop, and fewer will turn up next time.

2. Don't spend a long time chatting or even di s cus s ing important St John business, leaving recruits, recently promoted cadets and other new members 'out in the cold' with nothing to do. Start on time, finish on time, and try to ensure that every minute is usefully filled for everyone. You can always have a break half way through (with a 'cuppa' if possible) for notices , a:ranging duties and then general conversatIOn; but keep it to a strict time limit.

3. Don't tell prospective recruits that as the next Association course held locally doe s n't start till September they can't attend meetings till then. In six months' time their keenne s s may well have evaporated. Let them come and start learning something now.

4. Don't try to impress beginners by making all that we do sound very difficult. That's generally an unconscious attempt to boost our own 'ego', and few things can be more off-putting.

5. Don't spend too long talking, or even demonstrating, while giving instruction. Let your trainee s s pend most of time doing. Watch what they do , bnefly and tactfully correcting any mistakes as they occur.

6. Don't let beginners always act as patients , and s till less as onlookers. Acti.ng as a patient can be a superb way of assessmg good or bad handling and treatment of patients, in both first aid and nursing, but it's better done by the 'old hands'. Let the new ones do the work.

7. Don't always work indoors and in an art ficial or 'textbook' setting. Introduce realism right from the start.

8. Don't restrain the enthusiasm of excadets and other young recruits. Let them have a hand in planning the programme and trying out their ideas.

9. Don't allow weeks to elapse before award s , certificates and badges are presented. Let members quickly enjoy receiving what they've spent many months and much hard work in earning.

10. Don't forget that though we sometimes have to deal with some pretty grim situations in real life, that needn't prevent our training activities from being enjoyable and sometimes even lighthearted; and that members who don't enjoy what they're doing won't remain members for long

AT RANDOM

by Watkin W. Williams

Positive side

Now let's turn from the negative to the positive side, which i s much more important and will take a little lon g er to consider.

1. When helping on A ss ociation courses, make your trainees feel genuinel y welcom e; give them a chance to find ou t what th e Brigade is and what it does; try o make them feel that they want to do it too , because they've enjoyed the course and want to go on working with people like you!

2. When new members join, find out (if you don ' know alread y) why they j oined and what the y hope to do as member s, a nd then give them the fullest possible chance o f doing it. And give a s peciall y warm welcome to recently promoted ex-cadet s.

3 Arrange a really well planned divisional programme for some time ahead , and give each member a duplicated cop y You may have to change or modify it la t er ; but if you haven't got a plan, you haven t even got s omething to modi fy, and the result will be chaos.

4. Let your pro g ramme in volve members in a little listening, a little looking, and a lot of doing. A s instructors mo s t of u s err on the side of talking and demon s tratIng too much, and leaving too little time f or practice.

5. Practical work should be carefully watched, and mi s takes tactfull y explain e d and corrected at the time; this kind o f 'feed back' is vi tal.

6. Work in fairly small group s , s o that all can hear, all can see, and - most important - all can practi s e Several group s can work simultaneously at different subject s, changing over at, say, 20 or 30 minute intervals

7 Give members the earliest po ss ible chance to take part in public, nur s in g , welfare and other duties Pair them, at first, with more experienced member s but let them really DO what they are capable of doing. Many members are lost through being Quite unnecessarily held back from doing the very things that they joined St John to do.

8 Give a share of re s ponsibility and leader s hip to as many as possible, and be ready to accept that share when it is offered to you It will often mean doing a bit of

homework beforehand, but it's all part of experience and it works wonders! And if you're in charge of the division, make sure that you have a full complement of officers and NCOs and that you make full use of their help

9. Always try to encourage others and never to discourage them A little prai s e is a wonderful incentive to deserving more!

10. Make your practical training a s realistic as possible in every way. That will often mean getting out of your HQ into places where the need for fir s t aid and nursing can be reali s tically simulated and where those most in need are mo s t likely to be found - whether out of do o rs in both town and c ou n try or ina 11 s orts 0 f o t her buildings including the home s of our member s and f riend s. And rem e mb e r th a t realism includes treating your pati e n ts a s individual people rather t han a s 'ca s es' o f thi s or that illne ss or injur y

11 Try to e n s ure that a t the end of ea c h training s ess ion e ver yone g oes home f ee ling that t hey' ve enjo yed it, tha t th

12. If members at te nd irr eg ularl y or o p c oming alt og eth e r , tr y t o find out t h e reason in s tead of ju s t 'writin g th e m o ff '. They may be going through di ffi c ul t o r bu sy t ime s in oth e r ways, and n ee d yo ur help and support. If e ve r y one mak es th e m feel that the y are s till memb e r s o f th e famil y ' who wi ll rece i ve a wa rm we lc o m e when they return to re g ular a c ti vi ty, th e re's a good chan ce h a t the y' ll co m e ba c k t o receive it.

13. Make your HQ a ' h o m e fr o m h o m e' with lot s of wo rth- w hile ac ti v it ies g oin g o n at other time s beside s your we ekl y train n g evening; and be s ur e t o in c lud e o cca s ion s to whi c h memb e rs ma y brIn g a friend.

14 Our be s t re c ru itin g a g e nt s a r e happ y and well s ati s fi e d m e mb e rs w h o wa nt as man y other s a s po ssi bl e to s h a r e th e ir happine ss and s ati s faction. Are y ou on e of th es e? If s o , be infect i o u s' and s pr ea d h e St John 'bu g' a s widel y a s y ou ca n in 19 8 1.

Often forgotten

All the se s u gg e s t on s ma y s trike y ou a s terribly obviou s and ba s ic, y e t how s adl y often the y are f or g otten or ig nor e d 1 believe we need to go back from time to time to s tudying th es e ba s ic principl es from which we' v e uncon s ciou s ly s tray e d And as one who fir s t gained an A ss ocia t ion F A certificate 55 years ago and has been involved in helping with fir s t aid training ever s ince (though it wa s n't till 13 year s later that I joined the Brigade, of which I've now been on the 'retired li s t' for 3 ye ar s) I'm ab s olutely c onvinced that if we all , at every level of age and experience, pur s u e the cour s e s ugge s ted above, then we s hall be taking the mo s t important s tep in putting Brigade recruitment (which the Chief Commander described la s year a s our top priority for 1981) back onto a s ound and successful footing - to our own great enjoyment, with honour and credit t o the Order and it s St John Ambulance Foundation, and with immen se benefit to those suffering member s of the community to whose s ervice we are committed.

Bucks' Cadets

Variety and interest were the essence of this county's year

The expedition's floating base Eye of the Wind, a 150 ton brigantine

In the December 1980 Review we left Claire a Kolonodale, in the Sulawesi province of Indonesia , where 15 expedition members and herself (as the only female) set up a base camp to explore the area. She was about to leave in a party to climb and map Mount Tambusisi

-ON FEB 3 1980 the official radio signal from Camp Ranu to HQ Operation Drake in London reads:

Mt Tambusisi climbed by Operation Drake team The 7946ft mountain was scaled yesterday by a joint Br ti sh / Indonesian team led by Sgt Phil Maye, 26, a Royal Engineer surveyor from Army Apprentices School, Chepstow, With him were two Indonesian Young Explorers, Claire Bertschinger, SRN, from Bishops Stortford , Cpl Kelvin Cunningham, Royal Signals. The original party included two Indonesian guides and a British ornithologist who dropped out through exhaustion. The guides also dropped out through malaria Tambusisi rises with alpine steepness from sea level and outrivals many a European climb. For the last 2100ft the climbers had to hack their way almost vertically through thick rain forest, ironically short of water due to the steepne ss of the gradient and lack of streams. The mountain is believed to have been climbed only once before in the 1920s by a Dutch surveyor. The climb was most important to the expedition in order to establish a control point for the mapping of 2000 square kilometres of the Morowali area of Sulawesi Central Province. Here the Operation Drake team, in co-operation with the Indonesian Institute of Science and the World Wildlife Fund, are carrying out a multidiscipline scientific survey which it is hoped will lead to the establishment of a National Park. Major Derek Jackson, the Operation Expedition leader, said 'I am delighted that not only has Tambusisi been climbed enabling us to produce a first class map, but the climbing team represented every facet of the expedition.'

It all began on January 29 I'd been up half the night before with someone who was sick. We were due to leave at midday and I

Round the World

prayed that I had not caught the same bug because up there who knows what might happen? Apart from Phil Maye (Army surveyor), Kelvin Cunningham (Army signaller), Bill Timmis (ornithologist) and myself , we had in the party two Indonesian Young Explorers, Norman Edwin and Markus Othniel Mamahet , and an Indonesian soldier Wustam. Also two local guides, Hama , an old man over 70 who had climbed the mountain when he was 15 with two Dutch surveyors, and Mindan, about 40. We set off in the inflatable down river to Watambojoli and then acro ss the sea (estuary) and into a mangrove swamp where we took the wrong turning three times before we found the right way up-stream to the village where we were to stay the night in the headman's hut with the rest of his family. That night we were bitten by mosquitoes and s lept badly. We set off at first light next day after breakfast, acro ss the grassy plain towards Tambusisi. It was very muddy going, up to my knees sometimes, and it was getting hot and my feet were sodden by the time we entered the forest 1 Y2 hours later and started to climb. It was tough going and steep, and we needed many stops, but by midday we suddenly came into a clearing with a fast running clear mountain stream. Here we stopped for lunch of soup, biscuits and tea, and made our scheduled midday radio call to Ranu Camp. We had a refreshing dip in the stream before crossing to another large clearing the other side. Here the grass was lush and green - well above my waistand suddenly some way in front of us we saw someone running It was a woman of the Wananese tribe carrying two 9 feet long blowpipes which they use with poisoned darts for hunting Hama, our guide, called to her in Wana and went to talk with her. He told us that the Wana dislike white people, especially those in green jungle uniform, because in the 1950s they were attacked by the Dutch soldiers and many of them were killed. He said it was dangerous to go through the Wana country to Tambusisi as the Wana could easily shoot us with the poison darts. He was very scared and said we should offer them cigarettes.

Our only smoker immediately got out his precious store to offer them - but the Wana woman had va ni shed. It was getting very hot with t he s un blazing down on us from straig ht overhead. When we reached the next ridge we saw some more Wana running away from a small hut. Hama went to parley with them and after a whi le they cautiously returned to the hut and we went to meet them. It was a woman with two children and I noticed that one of them had a large infected area on his neck. He also had some bad sca rs around his neck as though he had been attacked and bitten by something. They told me that the infected area had been like that for two years and they had put mud and palm leaves on it to try to heal it. I cleaned it up with antiseptic and told them to wash it every day with soap and water (they had soap) and keep it clean. We had to move on, hoping that our goodwill towards this family would be heard by other Wana in the forest and that they would leave us alone. We were st ill climbing steadily and by mid-afternoon we arrived at another stream. We made another scheduled radio call and decided to stay the night there to have a good re st and replenish our water supply, as the next day we were told we would not find any water till evening. We s lung our hammock s in the trees and made a fire and cooked our meal of dehydrated goulash and went to bed early. It had been very hard going so fa r and I was pleased that no one was making allowances for me being a female. I carry my pack of 30lbs which includes my own rations, the medical pack and part of the radio accessories. I've kept it as light as possible with only a cotton sleeping bag and a cotton track suit as change of clothing. That night it was very cold and it rained a little.

Next morning, January 31, we set off early climbing laboriously through the forest. Bill Timmins is having a lot of trouble with cramp in one leg despite me giving him extra salt. By 1O.30am he decides that he can't continue and will return to last night's campsite to await our return. It is not safe for him to go on his own, he could

get lo st or be confronted by the Wana, and so the Indonesian so ld ier, Wustam, goes with him So now we are only seven and we continue on our way. We are going down a slight incline when Kelvin behind me exclaims 'Oh no! Are we supposed to go up there!' I look up and see a practically vertical forest-covered slope in front of me. There is a sma ll trail to follow. The thorns on the hanging rattan tear our clothes and draw blood. Up and up we climb, our heart s thumping away boom! boom! boom ! We are soaked in sweat and gasping for breath with our mouths quite dry. We stop for a rest and I take our pulses. Mine is 138 beats a minute! The others are even higher! We ration out the water and carry on - not so steep now, thank goodness. By 1500hrs we arrive at another stream and are now at 440ft and decide to camp the night here. The Indonesians find a small old Wana hut and the other three of us make a ba s ha 7ft x 6 ft x 2ft high from 2 army ground sheets. We have a lo vely cool wash in the mountain st ream s and remove the leeches from our bodie s wit h a lighted cigarette a nd rin se our sweaty trousers and shorts. They won't dry by tomorrow but at least they'll be a bit fre s her. The evening meal include s fern tips - very tasty and nutritiou s. A fair night 's sleep, and we're up again at sunrise and off again after breakfast; we'll make the summit today for sure. We leave as much kit as we can and take only bare necessities and full water bottle s - we'll find no streams today, says Hama. The going is steep and the terrain very rough and we're soon sweating away in the sultry tropical heat. There is no trail to follow now, and we have to blaze our way, going in the right direction as near as possible I have to drag myself over enormous fallen tree trunks and huge rocks and someone suggests that I should have asked for an

During her travels Claire Iher e showing th e flag) always sought out the children, to attend their ills, to laugh with them Now back home, Claire is a sister in the Accident Emergen cy Dept at Leeds General Infirmary and has been elected a Fellow of the Roya Geographical Society

issue of longer legs! Upwards and always upwards we climb and now we're in the rain forest where everything is covered in moss. It's hot and humid and we cut down vines to drain the water from them to preserve our precious fresh water supply. Now Hama is not feeling well and has a fever; he is very breathless and decides he cannot cont inue. He'll wait for us at the last camp - so now we are six Up and up we climb through the forest and sudde nl y through the ree tops we see her - Mt Tambusisitowering above us. Don 't look, Claire; ju s t make your mind a blank, put your head down and go on climbing! The second guide decides to give up and go down to join Hama - so now we are five The undergrowth gets thicker and thicker - the sort of vegetation we 'v e never seen before. Great roots of trees with creepers intertwined amongst them and all covered in a deep soaking layer of moss often one foot or more deep. We crawl over the huge roots and try to jump the gaps. I step on a mound of moss and drop into an invisible hole below. I grab at the vines and luckily my rucksack jams, and I'm up to my waist in the moss with my legs dangling unseen below me! I m dragged out and continue the clambering climb through this wierd, eerie forest in the sweltering heat; it's like a scene out of Doctor Who. We stop for a breather and a rationed drink from our water bottles. We see some beautiful orchids and a lpine type flower and pick a few and press them carefully in my bible to show the artist back at Ranu who is painting all the Indonesian flowers she can

find as a record. It 's getting late and we don't seem to be getting any nearer the top; every time we reach a summit there's another one up ahead of us. My mind says go! go! go! though my leg s say no! no! no! as we scramble and hack our way ever upwards. We' ve got to make our radio call at 16.30hr s - in 15 minute s' time - and we find a s mall clearing. We throw our packs to the ground and collapse exhausted. We'll have to continue tomorrow a the night comes down suddenly at 6pm. We've only two pint s of wate r left between us and we' ll need more than that for tomorrow. Already we've been drinking water from giant flycatching pitcher plant s; it's bitter but it 's wet! It clouds over as we hurriedly put our basha together and set up a rain trap. A quick meal of dehydrated stew and we pray for rain as we crawl into our shelter. The wind comes up and it gets colder and colder and s uddenl y it starts to rain - our prayers have been an wered. We huddle together to keep warm in our sweaty clothes and wait for the morning to arrive. Feb 3, 1980. I must have slept because I wake just before sunrise at 5.S0am and we find that we've collected enough water to fill three water bottles (6 pints in all). We re all feeling fresher and our thirst has been quenched, and we climb the last fe w hundred feet through the forest in 1 Y2 hours to finally reach our goal. The view is breathtaking and I stand and gaze around drinking it all in. It 's like being on rop of the world and it all seems worth it now we have arrived. We can ee Watambojoli, from where we started, and the east and west coasts of Sulawesi. I quote my poem again 'Oh I have slipped the surly bonds of earth' etc, and it feels good, rea lly good to be here at last! Had I known at the s tart what was in for I don't think I could have faced it - but here I am and I've proved to

SJA's CLAIRE BERTSCHINGER, nurse with Operation Drake, is the first woman to climb Indonesia's Mount Tambusisi

myself that where there's a will there surely is a way. And now I'm the first woman ever to have climbed Mt Tambusisi!

We check our altimeter, set up the survey flag and take a few photos. We find two old wine bottles with notes inside them - no doubt left by the Dutch party many years ago. The notes have disintegrated and we can't read them, but we put our own inside and leave them there. No more for us to do now so we pick up our packs and scramble down the mountain side the way we d

All levels have been subjected to my Lady of the Lamp role

AMONG MY many and varied duties as a teacher - bus, assembly, dinner, late, playground, pantomime rehearsa.ls, badminton, chess club and actual teachmg -I minister to the dead and dying of the school. All the various levels of the school have been subjected to my 'La dy of the Lamp' role, from the lowest first-year pupil to the highest personage in the place - the caretaker.

I know that I'm the man in charge of medical matters, for I have a special room for the purpose. And I know it's a special room because it says 'Medical Room' on the door and it often has one or two prostrate bodies in it for good measure. It also often has a number of pupils drying out wet clothes, sorting band music, counting money and other nefarious activities of a non-medical nature. You see it is situated next door to a non-medical Headmaster's office.

Kids are great. They suffer, however, from all sorts of parents and teaching staff. Let me elaborate.

I am often in exuberant flow to a group of agog (or asleep) '0' level economics pupils, all eager to note my every ?f wisdom on the Balance of Payments defIcIt, when, after a feeble obligatory knock, in staggers a wounded hero of the educatIOn process. He (or she) has arrived at the instruction of a panic-stricken teacher who has applied the 'law' that rather-thepatient-vomit-on-his-floor-than-mine. A swift 'laying on of hands' and reassurance that biology, or Maths or P .E. lasts for only a further x-minutes and that the feeling of nausea will pass with the time, usually does the trick. Away he (or she) staggers to add a touch of white-approaching-green to my colleague's classroom.

Then there are the staff who get strangely

come, to make the last water hole before nightfall. It starts to rain, great big raindrops pouring down and we get soaked. We start to run, jump and slide on the now slippery slope of the forest, grabbing at trees and creepers to stop ourselves flying head first down the slope. We reach the camp in three hours (it took nine hours to come up) to find plenty of water to drink and bathe in, before we settle for the night. Hama is there and still sick, and when we set off again the next morning in our wet

and smelly clothes, he decides to come down slowly at his own pace accompanied by the other guide. We set off at a cracking pace downhill, and pick up Bill and the Indonesian soldier at lunchtime. Then on past the Wana hut (but my little patient is n't at hom e) and down to the grassy plains and reach Watambojoli by mid-afternoon - tired, wet and aching but happy - very, very happy!

Printed by cou rtesy of Nursing Times

The school's Medical Man

Kids are great. But they suffer from all sorts of parents and teachers says A. J. COLLINGTON

(CSO(A /C) Derbyshire)

over-excited when a pupil suffers an epileptic fit while the teacher is expounding the theory of splitting the atom. Or when insulin overdose sets in while the diabetic pupil is kept in over the dinner hour to complete homework

The Headmaster creates the odd case via the use of that horrible device used against poor defenceless, brainless yobs - the cane. I'm oft summoned to 'The Presence' to revive some unfortun ate who has just received six of the Boss's best - and promptly fainted. Extra interest is provided when the persecuted one decides to vandalise the furniture with his head on the way down. Four stitches were the consequence last time, plus Headmaster with a temporary hypertension and a severe case of impending angry parent.

The P .E. department is always a good source of supply for the first-aider in need of practice and variety of injury. Such as the lad who did a beautiful double somersault in mid-air, worthy of Nellie Kim, while practising the long-jump. He could not move for a good ten minute s afterwards.

'Sod's Law' applies here. Pulled from the cocoon of warmth of my room (and also attired for s uch warmth, remember) I da s h down two flights of stairs and issue in-

str ucti o n s on the move to t he P. E-clad pupils sent to rais e the alarm - fetch stretcher, fetch blanket s, clear the medical room of money counters, warn the Secretary to prepare for incoming wounded Uust like M.A.S.H.). I arrive, breathless, at the edge of a quagmire (which only resembles a football pitch because there are people playing on it) and, always on the far side, lies the injured. The sight of 'Sir' arriving with his metaphorical blue light flashing and siren wailing has often provided much light relief for the P .E. staff and colleagues watching from windows and still cocooned in the warmth of their classrooms.

And what of the kids themselves?

Psychology is a chapter we might well add to our manuals, as this skill is paramount in dealing with the hyperchondriacs, lesso n dodgers and the really hurt in the schoo l situation Some incidents are spectacu lar, some funny and some just pitiful.

The school has a Prefect system. These characters - pillars of society - look after their charges like mother hens. On this particular da y they 'rescued' a first-year pupil (11 + ) from a ditch where he la y in a drunken stupor. It transpired that his love had forsaken him for another. On arrival at school he stood, and fell, in the centre of a very muddy rugby pitch, hurling abuse at everyone. He displayed a very wide vocabulary.

He used words about the Headmaster the

like of which we had never heard. The salutory sight of hi s mother (a big lady) who had been summoned to our aid from her place of employ, with consequent loss of earnings, proved to have a most sobering effect.

Always my first question to a suspectsorry, casualty - is 'What is your next lesson?' Depending on the answer, treatment is given.

Like the girl who complained of an injured arm (on route to biology). She said it could not be moved without extreme pain Prodding the wounded appendage resulted in anguished cries for mercy and grotesque grimace s . I looked sympathetic and asked to compare righ t with left. The injured arm suffered no pain while it quickly rolled up the opposite sleeve Biology was not missed.

Isn't concussion a marvellou s thing? There he was, one of our le ss intelligent pupils, sitting with a vacant smile when I arrived (running yet again) at the Head's office.

'He's been hit on the head,' sai d the Boss

'W hat with?' said 1, still breathless.

'C ricket ball or a bat,' said the Boss.

'W her e?' said I to the lad.

I dash and issue instructions on he move

There followed a tirade of totally unintelligible drivel rather as you might expect from a Martian.

'That's what he sai d to me,' sai d the Bo ss. 'Do you think he is being in sole nt? Shall 1 ca ne him?'

Concussion was diagno sed and the rescued fro m further assault. swif tly casualty physical

Every Monday morning I ha ve a queue of injured propped up, sat down, weeping or bleeding outside the staff room These kids all have an assortment of injuries or conditions sustained over the weekend.

'Mu m says yo u can look at this', Dad says why are my glands swo llen?', 'It's been hurting since Friday night, Sir, but you had gone home', etc, etc.

One lad in particular who likes to visit is a tiny character fro m a large family who obviously give him little attention. The other day, after a school rugby match I had watched, I asked this lad: 'Who is the best rugby player in the sc hool, lad?'

HOW TO RAISE £50,000

,

SJA NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, determined to get their divisions more mobile, made ] 980 their 'Year of the Ambulance' appeal. And now, with member s sti ll showi ng so much enthusiasm for the project, the appeal has been extended into 198] Hard work and ingenuity during ]980 produced over £50,000 for t he appeal, with which divisions have bought four new ambulances, one nearly-new 4-wheel drive ambulance, and three good secondhan d vehicles.

A Pytchley Wednesday with HRH The Pr ince of Wa les. Signed 20ins by 13 Y. in s proofs are still available for pur c hase

'Mr X (the head of P .E .), Sir.'

'Who is the best footballer in the schoo l, lad?'

'Mr Y (second in P .E. dept), Sir.'

'What am I best at, lad?' 'Medical, Sir.

I could continue. My case book speaks volumes of mainly humorous (or is it humerus?) encounters with kids. Casualties Union would be proud of them.

I'm often summoned to revive some unfortunate who has just received six of the Boss 's best

Corby Divi sio n, for example, who have now taken delivery of their new ve hicle, started their appeal with an approach to clubs and organisations in the area. They followed this by setting up a workshop at their Divi sional Headquarters, where, according to Div. Supt. Jim Freer, who instigated the scheme, they made anything they thought could sell 'from teddy bears to toa s t racks'. Produc ts were so ld by members to friends and relatives and by the division on a market charity stall. Another good money-raiser was the sale of calendars, which produced the staggering sum of £2,500.

SJ Lords Leap

Thrapston Division , also using ingenuity, followed a television programme which showed members of the House of Lords competing in a sponsored Leap Frog on 'Leap Day' in St James Park. Forty members of the Division, from the age of 8 upwards, were sponsored for a period of ten minutes' leaping. Incidentally, members of the House of Lords who achieved 100 leaps in ten minutes were awarded a certificate; many Thrapston members

managed 200 leaps!

With the additional help of money raised by carol s inging , a Christmas bazaar, Punch and Pie Party, and generous donations from local companies and organisations, the target was reached and the division has taken delivery of its new ambulance.

Rou g h terrain

In Northamptonshire we have an everincreasing demand for first aid cover at outdoor events such as race meetings, horse trials, gymkhanas, point to point meeti ngs , etc, and in order to meet this demand efficiently we badly needed a four-wheel drive vehicle capable of negotiating rough terrain. Wellingborough Division have, through their efforts, managed to purchase such a vehicle. The money was raised from the sale of a limited edition of signed proofs of a painting by Hampshire artist, John King. The painting, 'A Pytchley Wednesday with H.R.H The Prince of Wales', shows the Pytchley hounds running towards Welton, in Northamptonshire. The Huntsman, Peter Jones, is followed b y the

Prin ce of Wales. The painting is considered to be one of John King's finest works. A limited number of these valuable signed proofs, produced b y Fores Gallery of London, are still available at £70 each. For f urther details please contact 1r James Mackaness, County Commissioner for Northamptonshire, St John Ambulance, The Priory, Little Billing , orthampton New ambulances were also purchased by Kingsthorpe Division from a generous donation by the Kingsthorpe Manor Trust, and by Daventry Di vision by monie raised from a sponsored walk and generous gifts from local companies , including £2,000 from Cummins Diesel and £5,000 from British T i mken 's Nene Foundation.

Kettering' s Cytringen Nursing Division, Brackle y Combined Di vision and Towcester Combined Division have all purchased good secondhand ve hicles as a result of their individual efforts.

For N orthamptonshire' s ] 600 Brigade members , 1980 meant attending public duties and then putting in a lot of hard work at fund raising They succeeded at both.

Illustrations by JACK

OUR IMAGE

from P. Dew, Ambulance Member

Further to the letter Our Image (Jan Review) from Mr J. V. Hackett, I must say how much I agree with his comments on 'outmoded appearances and practices'. My experience with new or potential members is that those keenest on the uniform and formal side of St John are not always good first-aiders, while the be st first-aiders are often the least keen on the idea of wearing a uniform which they regard as outmoded and old fashioned. I think that the Scouts a few years ago were faced with more and more criticism of the uniform and a declining membership. They reversed those trends by introducing long trousers. In the St John case, a start could be made by scrapping black tights for the nursing and white g love s for the ambulance members. Going further, if anoraks are s ui ta ble for cadets why not let adult members wear something simi la r? It would at least be practical and lead to fewer instances of members being mistaken for policemen, traffic wardens, security guards or railmen! London District P. Dew

RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

from John Springer, Divisional Superintendent

I was very inte re sted in our friend David Gee's letter (Oct Review) on this subject. The short answer to his question is: he cannot find out ,"vhat he can buy.

He applies through 'channe ls' for permission to buy. That is: his need s are pontificated upon by people who hardly know his unit exists, what it does, whe n and under what conditions. Once this hurdle s over, all other information passes through the same 'channels', slow ly and incomplete.

Thi s Division is, I believe, the only one in Yorkshire using Brigade radio. We were ne ver told that Mountain Rescue use the same frequency. We found out. We were never told that what sound like Civil Engineer ing firms were on or near the frequency. We were treating them as illegal CB type irresponsibles. We were never told that TWO fre quencies are now available.

We are often asked by other Brigade units for information on use of radio equipment w i thin the Brigade. Because of the lack of DIRECT dissemination of importa nt information on technical matters to us, much of the information I have been pa ss ing has been misleading and inaccurate.

Where are our communications?

Dearne Valley Division, Huddersfield John Springer Headquarters Radio Communications Officer A. F. Bareham writes: The matters which D / S J. Springer raises have been answered to him either directly or through his Commissioner and I believe he s hould be in possession of all the necessary information. However, for the benefit of the Brigade (in UK) at large, some comment may be u seful.

D / S D. Gee's letter (October Review): a detailed reply has been published in the Review dated December 1980.

Channels of Communication: These are a fundamental part of Brigade organisation and it is not proper for me to comment on their operation in any particular County or Di strict.

Radio Communications in Yorkshire: Dearne Valley Division is not the only unit in Yorkshire u sing radio communications equipment on the Brigade frequencies, as is suggested.

Channel Sharing: In general, all frequencies used for Private Mobile Radio purposes in UK are on a shared basis; the Home Office regard details of channel sha ring and frequency allocation s as confidential information and hence I am not in a position to publish this information. It must also be appreciated that the composition of the li s t of licences sha ring a particular channel is not constant. On the rare occasions when local difficulties have arisen, these have been settled amicably once the problem has been passed to this Headquarter s. I am concerned that a Brigade unit should have behaved as D/S J. Springer suggests, 'We were treating them a s CB type irrespons ibles' Such attitudes lead to confrontation and to the detriment of the good name of the Brigade. The keynote mu s t be 'cooperation not confrontation'.

Second Frequency: Initially a second frequency was made available for use in locations where the traffic loading on the fir s t channel was abnormally high, leading to various operational problems; later the Home Office agreed to the extension of the

facility to cover UK and the second c hannel wa made available to units who were experiencing particular difficultie s. So far as D ea rn e Valley are concerned, the channe l loading in their area of ope ration is not abnormal and the equipment the y have is not su itabl e for multi-channel operation.

Information regarding Radio Communications: There s h ou ld be no need for D / S J. Springer to pa ss 'mis eading a nd inac c urate information to an y Brigade unit ; he s hould refer them to General Regulation s Appendix U or their County HQ ( so me Co unti es h ave a Radio Communications Staff Offi ce r who is in a po iti on to an s wer fir s t line enquiries on m y behalf)

ID CARDS

from V. J Bergin Ambulance Member

It is some weeks now since read a letter f rom an ex-cadet m em ber (Oct 80 Review) who asked if it would be po ss ible for some form of up-dated ID card to be issued by St John to s how one's pass in first aid/nursing

My Divi s ion (Eastern Combined, Humber si de) uses a n Id ent it y Card which includes the holder 's photograph full name , co lour of eyes and hair, rank and date of joining. It al so states: 'This is to certify that the above named s the holder o f a cu rrent St John Ambulance First Aid and Initial Nur sing Certificate, h aving passed the required examinations following an INTENSIVE F IRST AID and INITIAL NURSING COURSE, and that he / s h e is a curre nt member of the Eas t ern Combined Divi sion. (The Dat e.) Valid only when carrying Di v. s tamp and se rial number.'

I feel that this request by the ex-cadet is in keeping with a larg e number of members' feelings in giving St J oh n Ambulance a Modern Image', a point talked over by man y perso nnel at Nottingham '80, including t he Commissioner-in-Chief from t he platform

would draw your attention to the wording at the bottom of the card, which I think ex presse s the hard work and effort of the card holder who must pass both exams before issue The la y-out of t he other information is also of importance, and asks for per so nal detai ls of one's own identify, without intruding too much into one's personal life (ie age)

Since iss uing this card we find people more willing to accep t the holder as a QUALIFIED first aid / nursing member once they have seen the card And as has been said, the image is more in keeping with the 80s - something we are all concerned about a s we are losing so many young members each year.

Hull

THANKS HEADQUARTERS

from T Lane, Divisional Officer

V. J. Bergin

May I through the St John Review thank a member of Headquarters staff, Mrs Victoria Beevor, Administrative Officer (Cadets), for the help and advice given to a member of my division, Mis s Miranda Vowles, which enabled her to gain the Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award in January 8I?

I would also recommend the scheme to cadet divisions which have members who have been granted their Grand Prior's badge and would like to follow a new intere s within the Brigade and with their

division There is no need to join s pecial units, which tend to take younger adult member s away from their divisions, to enter the sc heme

Full detail s of the D of E Award sc heme can be obtained from Mr s Beevor at Bri ga de HQ.

Tilbury, Essex T. Lane INSURANCE

from David Symes

am obliged to Mr Nichols (Jan Review) for his comments on my e tter. I would, how eve r, like to clarify two points.

Insurance: A s I understand it the Brigade in s urance quite properly cover s onl y conventional first aid procedures. However, provided the nurse is a member, the R.C.N. does provide insurance cover in the following c ircum s tance s: (l) The nur se mu st provide a certificate of competence s igned by an acceptable authority (eg In my case, in t ubation and infu s ion by a Con s ultant Anaestheti s t. Defibraillation b y a Consultant Physician). (2) Thi s certificate mu st b e presented in s uch a way as to be acceptable to the R.C.N. le gal branch In t h e e c ircum s tance s insurance cover will b e provi ded

Time wasting: The whole point of advanced training is to enable the practitioner to de c ide not only how but also when and where. In other words, to decide when and under which circumstances more e lab ora t e procedures are required and when more ba s ic pro ce dure s will s uffi ce. Th e correct care for the co rrect situation can the n be in st iga ted Thi s complies well with the modern concept of st abili s ing the patient's co ndition prior to transport.

Wrexham

YEAR OF THE DISABLED from D. L. Keech, County Secretary

David Symes

The Association and Brigade in Warwickshire were given a pa v ilion at the Nat ional Agricultural Centre a few yea rs ago and each y ear during t he Ro ya l Show an exhibition is mounted to publi cise the work of St John.

As 198 1 is t h e In te rnational Year of Di sa bled Per s on s we propo se to make this our theme a nd we are appealing fo r good quality phot o grap h s ( ha lf plate minimum s ize) s howing St John activities helping the disabled. If any reader s ha ve ph otog raph s w hich they th ink wou ld be s uit ab le, please sen d them to The County Secretar y, Sl John Ambulance, 16 Old Square, Warwick, CV34 4RA, to reach him by June 19 1981. Great ca r e wi ll be taken of he photographs and t h ey will be returned after the Show, which is from 6-9 Jul y. Warwick D L. Keech

HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY

from N C McClintock, Secretary·General

Many members of St J o hn who have v is ited Mal ta in the past twenty years and more, will have bee n mad e welcome there and taken on p erso nall y conducted tours of the island , as I have been myself, by Mr Ca r o l Sa lib a. I think they will be delighted to learn that Mr Saliba celeb rat ed his 90th bir t hday on December 16 la s t. He is in excellent h ea rt and is sti ll on duty every da y at St John Headquarters I think you w ill wish to join with me in sending him our congratulations and ve r y be st wishes. If anyone has lived up to the stan dard s of t he eight beati t ude s it is Carol Saliba. We honour him and lo ve him for it, and hope that he will live to enjoy good heal t h fo r many years to come.

St John 's Gale N. C. McClintock

DOWN UNDER

from Mrs H Darr, Nursing Member

On a recent visit to Austra lia I visited the St John HQ in Adelaide and was later given a very warm welcome at the city's Salisbur y Elizabeth Nur sing Divi sion.

I was very impre sse d by the role that St John plays in South Australia, where in the metropolitan areas they run the ambu lance se rvic es, bo h emergency and tran s port of out-patients. The Divi s ion s co ver a great variety of duties (1 counted 50 different ones), nursing nembers do full-time hospital duties at weekend s and public holidays, and members have three different uniform s: duty, ho s pital and outdoor events (white tunic and black slacks). The total cost of the three uniform s is about £100.

What a fine, active organ isation St John is in Australia! Soulhsea H. Darr

Merseyside

Christine Hetherington Liscard Junior Cadet Officer, leaves church as Mrs John Fenna

NEWS frol11 SCOTLAND

LENNOXLOVE HOUSE (photo) is the home of His Grace the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, Prior of the Order of St John in Scotland. The easliest part of the building is the tower (to the left) dating from the 14th or early 15th - century. Until the 18th-century, Lennoxlove was known as Lethington Tower. It was then renamed in memory of the Duchess of Lennox ('La Belle Stewart'). The house contains the celebrated Hamilton Place collection of portraits, furniture and porcelain. It is one of the places to visit when touring Scotland The gardens are open from April to September, and the House from May to September, from 2 to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. There are no parking problems.

Ski Rescue Service

January to April is the busy season for ski rescuers and the Glenshee Ski Rescue Service, which is supported by the Order of

and physiotherapists who give their service s voluntarily The Venture Scouts, trained by Dr Mackenzie, are active in the rescue work. The Order provided the serv ice with a Snowtrik -a motorised vehicle wi t h

track s for use in snow. During t he 1980 sea son a total of 506 casualties were treated. In addition they took part in ten searches along with the Braemar Moun t ain Re cue teams. A service is al s o pro v ided each year at the Open Golf Champion s hip s , along with the Red Cro ss and St Andrews Ambulance A ss ociation.

'And how long have you been in St John ?' Dr Price , Chief Commissioner for Wales stops for a chat with

Prompt action rewarded

TWO ambulance cadets have received the Chief Commi ssioner for Wales' citation on parchment for the prominent part played when they attended a seriou s road accident on November 29 1980. Sergeant Neil Madden, 15, and Cadet Alyn Jones, 13 are members of the Gwent Health Au t hority Ho s pital s Divi s ion.

They were returning from an autumn fair with the Brigade, when they wer e s topped by a pedestrian who led them to the s cene of the accident. While waiting for the emergency services, the boy s helped to immobilise fractur

, g et fir s t aid equipment from the Divi s ion' s ambulance and

s ualty and by s tander s. After re ading a report about the accident, the Chief Commi ss ioner for Wale

Kersting)

News from Divisions / Centres

DERB Y SHIRE : The County Cadet Qu z was again won by Dronfi

REVIEW CROSSWORD No 3(81) by A. A. Potter

Across 1. Micro-organisms livin g only in the absence of oxygen (8). 5 Bath taken to induce p er spiration (6). 10. Oppo sable digit (5). 11. Applied to wounds in vo lving lo ss o f tissue (4.5). 12. Beat- up with a hammer?

(4). 13 Additional sign (4). 14 Give la vish praise (5). 17. Upset of blood chemistry due to diabe tes, vomiting, or starvation (8). 19.

Holidays preceding funeral in Ireland (5). 21. Keen sense for disease runnin g a rapid, severe course (5). 22. On many it become s a poisonous me tal (8). 24. Prevent hesitati on in V.A.T. muddle (5). 26. Fever indu ce d b y drug- taking? (4). 28. Recess in church (4). 30. Drug on which one is likely to become dependen t (9). 32. Essential acid s formed by dige stion of proteins (5). 33. Set back about 10 reversed principles (6). 34 Between articles thi s produces an antih is tamine drug (8)

Down

1 Allergic condition characterised by bronchial spasm and expiratory dy spnoea (6). 2 Chinese technique for relief of pain and induction of anaesthesia ( 11) 3. Fortieth anniversary stone (4). 4. Metabolic rate when at complete rest (5). 6. Primitive plants produced by a gale (5). 7. Female germ cell s from Czechoslovakia (3). 8. Without compassion (8). 9 The deciduous dentition (5.3). 15. Conscientious in relief of su ffering? (6.5). 16. Disinclined to work (4). 18. Bone in acid shop (8). 19. Non-commissioned officer and doctor in uteru s (4). 20. Waterfall ca u s in g poor vision (8) 23. Hard drug for which woman of valour lo ses the final point (6). 25 Implied when it follows a poor act (5). 27. Env iou s with a sickly-hued complexion (5). 29. Impetuous eruption (4). 31. Span ish title for a university professor (3).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 2(81)

Across: 1. Babinski's; 6. Flank; 9 Ac.in.i; 10. Off-colour; 11. Dodo; 12. Able; 13. Stout; 16. Knotted; 17. Student; 19. Oedipus; 21. Leeches; 22 Kudos; 24. Rami; 25. Wart; 28. Nocturna l ; 30. Eaten; 31. E.men.d; 32. Spasmodic.

Down: 1. Bland; 2. Blind-folded; 3. Nail. 4. Knobbed: 55. Suffers : 6. Floss; 7. A.do; 8. Keratitis; 14. Open-hearted; 15. Step; 16. Knockknee; 18. Uvea; 20 Springs; 21. Lamella; 23. Sound; 26. Tonic; 27. Germ; 29. Cue.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

Its

ST JOHN REVIEW

London

Greater

Sail

Swimming

Cadet

Questions

Around and About, by the Editor p.80

Cadet Chat, by Jim p 84

London Association training to expand p.85

Come to Lourdes p.86

First Aid in psychiatric emergencies p.86

Order Investiture , Feb 12 p.BB

SJA Music Makers p.89

Readers ' Views p 90

Training ain't what it used t'be p.91

Wales p92

Police competitions p 93

News from Divisions / Centres p.94

EDITOR I AL and ADVERTISEMEN TS

Ed,tf'd and producpd for thp Ordpr of St John by Driscoll PrOductions, Wood Cottagp High Corner Butipy Nr Woodbridgp Suffolk IP12 3QF Advf'rtising ratps on rpqupst Phonf': Orford ISTD 039451 548 Editor Frank Driscoll

A FEW days ago I was in the Holy Land, on the last lap of a holiday pilgrimage which was the most inspiring fu lfilment of three lifelong wishes. First and foremost was the wish to visit the land where Jesus lived on earth and which ha s for all Christians the most sacred associations with the gospel story - not forgetting too its Old Testament associations which we share with Jews and Moslems. Secondly, to visit the city where my mother was born in 1869 while her parents were living in Jerusalem - her father, Charles Warren, then a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, having been seconded to the Palestine Exploration Fund to complete an ordnance s urve y of Pale stine, explore the water sources of Jerusalem and make the first excavation of the foundations of King Solomon's Temple since the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70. And thirdly, to visit places made famous by the Knighrs Hospitaller of St John in the earliest da s of our Order, as well as the work whereby for the pa t 99 years the Hospitaller tradition of the Order has been so splendidly maintained in the field of ophthalmic medicine and surgery.

Many readers will of course have already been to the Holy Land - some of them on one of the memorable tours led by George Woodhill in the 60' and early 70's

and

that

experience

I hope that

account of my personal reaction s may revlve happy memories for some of you and inspire other to hare that experience at a much earlier age than I did. I must first pay tribute to the really splendid organisation of

and not lea t for the special facilities that they provided for St John member -

for those of LIS who, like myself, were unable to attend one of the tours specially earmarked for our

and including

contribution to the fund of our

party of 17, of whom

LONDON

'I HAVE ne ver seen a St John Ambulance member in red before.' - How do yo u carry out first aid in a boat?' - I 've heard about the Air Wing, but not boat s.'

These are just some of the comments from o t her SJA members when London District's Tidewa y division arrive with their boats for a public duty. Tideway members, incidentall y, affectionately refer to other members a s land crabs.

Why did St John in London tak e to t h e water? What is the Division's function?

And when did all this 'messi ng about in SJA boats ' start? For the Tidewa y D iv ision is believed to be the first exclu s ive y marine division within St John Ambulance. There are other divi si ons which operate boats of course - and they've been doing s o for longer than Tidewa y ha s - but they al so operate ambulance s and mobile first aid units. Tidewa y just operates boat s and the means to transport the m. It all began in 1975, when HRH The Prince of Wales remarked to the then Brigade C-in-C, Major-Gen Desmond Gordon, that St John Ambulance s hould operate on the River Thames in readiness for the Queen 's Silver Jubilee river celebrations in 1977. The suggestion was passed on and eventually reached Div / Supt Eric Willis, an ex-RN officer with many contacts in the boating world, who was a s ked to form a new waterborne division. Col D. D. Roth sc hild, who has close contacts with the rowing world, was appointed Divisional President. At first the membership came from experienced boating men, enrolled as auxiliarie s, a s coxswain s , and crews of St John volunteers who were keen to get afloat.

SJA's MOBILE BOAT DIVISION

by

GEOFF FRANCIS, Div Secretary

After taking part in t he Jubilee river celebrations, the Divi s ion proceeded to coastal activitie s, its boats covering suc h events as the Weymouth Sailing Fortnight, the round the Isle of Wight yacht race, he World Fireball Championships o ff Ha yling I s land together with duties on the tideway sectio n of the Thame s. Today mo st duties are on the Thames where there is a growing demand for the Division 's service s.

After the initial push to get the Di v ision waterborne, the training of St John members a s coxswains began as qualified volunteers came forward. They have to be holders of the Amateur Swimming Association's personal survival certificate, and to have attended a power boat course at the National Sailing Centre at Cowes. Toda y crews train for one whole day a month.

Members are seconded

Most of the member s are seconded to the Tideway Division and still carry out normal duties and training with their own divi si on , together with their first aid and nur si ng reexams. One of t he prime objects of the Division is to help bridge the gap between cadet and adult division s by offering member s activities with more zest and excitement.

Careful consideration had to be given to the type of boat tha would best se rve th e Division's duties and the water conditions they would operate in. This would include coming alongside fragile racing 'eights', ac-

ting a s a fender 10 a racing stake boat, having s hallow draft, and be in g able to operate in two-metre high waves. The t ype of boat that fulfi ll ed these cr iteria was the inflatab le The number of boats to be operated wa s determined by how man y could be carried on o n e trailer, which was three. But with the addition of a second trailer, and the use of a member' s car to tow it, the Division can now aunc h four boats. To tran s port the 20hp outboard engines, petrol tank s, ancillary boat equipment, and to tow the trailer, a long w h ee lba se Ford Transit van is used. The vehicle al s o doubles as a crew changing-room and control un it for the boats. It is not fitted with two-to ne horns or blue warni ng li g ht s as a police esco rt wou ld be obtained in an emergency.

The Division is ava il ab le to pro v ide boat s for flood duties throug hout the country and is also on the Greater London Council' flood relief plan So far in its s hort life it has been called out only once on flood duty - to Molesey, S urre y, in December 1979

Co-operation between the Divi s ion and other SJA counties and divisions which operate boats is excellent, with the pooling of information, experience and s haring of duties.

Each boat (co s t about £2,000) carries a 22-litre petrol tank, anchor, various ropes and line s, fire ext ingui s her, air pump, and a first aid kit. A pair of oars, for use in s hallow water or in the event of engine failure, is also part of the standard equipment. The mo st common cause of engine failure is the propeller being fouled by plastic bag s or nylon rope. Lightweight, easily-detachable ma s t s carry the boat's navigation lights and radio aerial for the St

John radio network. Radio equipment gives St John boats the edge on other safety craft, a they can save time by calling an ambulance to a riverside rendezvo u s in an emergency , and al 0 keep in co n stant touch with each other and the ba e vehicle. But the restricted height of their aerials means tran s mission range i limited, and due to the noise of the engine when underway earphone are neces ary. Power for the navigation light s comes direct from the e ngine, so no ba t terie are carried.

In surance of the boats inclu des los s of engine overboard, but excludes taking cadets out on the water. For operating boats on the River Thames above Teddington Lock a lic ence is required from the Thames Water Authority, whose by-laws have to be observed; below Teddington the Porr of London Authority's by - law s are enforced. The ot h er stat utory body on the river is the Thames Divi s ion of the Metropolitan Police. There is always the c lo sest co-operation between these authorities and SJA's Tideway Division for all its duties.

First aid cases afloat can be different from those experienced on shore. For instance, a man from a s inking 'eight' was hit by the bows of another 'eight'; treating bli ste rs that cover the palm of the hand after rowing 10 kilometre s; trying to keep patient s warm after pulling them from very cold water; most patients taken from water

J. Morum).

are s u ffering from shock, so they have to be got ashore as quickly as possible for treatm ent in a first aid post or ambulance.

A waterman 's knowledge of the area of operation is essential: shallows to be avoided; the run of tide and effect of prevailing wi nd ; where it is possible to land a patient; a nd access points for an ambulance Also long hour s afloat in a s mall boat on a windy stretch of river - often with very litt le happening - can be very cold. The crews wear red (for ease of identification) waterproof sui usually with wet-suits underneath.

One duty is a 24-hour sailing race on orth

London's Welsh Harp, when crews are afloat throughout the night. Over the suit each crew member wears a buoyancy aid wh ich carries the St John badge, and a red waterproof cap also with badge. T-shirts, with the waterman's badge on their fronts, is summer rig when prepar i ng the boats

The demand for SJA services afloat i increasing as more and more people are taking to boating, which i Britain' s fastest growi n g pastime More trained members , boats and equip ment , waterborne divisions, and central organisation are needed for [his new branch of service given by St John Ambulance. A service which hould attract many younger members.

Greater London Presidents

A CONFERENCE of Greater London President s, held on November 29, was notable for not only being the first ever gathering of this sort held by Greater London, but also because it was the first major function held in London's new headquarters.

The Deputy Dis trict Pre ident, John Bamford, presided in the unavoidable absence of the President , the Lord Napier and Ettrick, and was s upported by the two Vice Presidents, the Prince s Helena Moutafian and Eric Stitcher. All the senior officers of St John London were present, as well as nearly seventy President s and Vice Presidents from all over the Capital.

The day's discussions centred on a paper 'The Role of the President '. The morning e ion wa introduced by Mr whose first theme - that Pre idents mu t playa more active and purpo seful rolewas strong ly supported by delegate though there as some onfu ion a [0 where the initiative la It \Va lear [hat although Presidents were not content to be merely fund rai er , there wa a widespread acceptance that in olvement in the Finan ial affairs of a St John unit wa often a mo [ important aspect of a Pre idem' dutie. Another major theme wa the ne d fo r unification of the St John 'family'. Thi meant not onl clo er working between

Association and Brigade but also between Adults and Cadets, Areas and Divisions, and - not least - between Presidents and their Sr John colleagues.

Delegates agreed with the view expressed in the paper that provision of permanent headquarters in each London Borough was a top priority. There were going to be difficulties in achieving this target: not only would it be expensive, but suitable sites or buildings were not easily found. It was, however, hoped that District would help either by grant or loan when needed. It was important that maximum use should be made of such headquarters buildings and sharing by Areas and Divisions, with possible daytime use by Association centres, was recommended. Apart from spreading the financial load, this would be a positive step towards unification.

Many other aspects of the President's role were discussed, including the provision of expert or specialist advice, eg, on building plans and design, insurance, investments, etc. Presidents should also assist with public relations and publicity, and in any other way which would further the aims and interests of St John.

The Commander, Colonel Hexell Lewis, and the Commissioner, Derek Fenton, addressed the conference on general Associa-

tion and Brigade developments, and during the lunch interval delegates were shown over one of the latest SJ A ambulances (a practical example of the results of fund raising). Princess Helena spoke of her plans to become closely involved with the Nursing Divisions.

The afternoon session was initiated by an address by Eric Stitcher, who developed further points in the paper 'The Role of the President'

Selection of Presidents

Mr Stitcher's first concern was with the methods of selection of Presidents, which he thought should be more rigorous. He also discussed ways in which they could become closely involved in the various St John activities and not be mere figureheads. He doubted the wisdom of appointing Presidents simply on the test of their standing in a local community. (It was, however, interestingly revealed that three of the audience were former mayors, whose interest in St John was stimulated during their year in office).

Mr Stitcher was troubled about the falling off in cadet recruitment and even more so, with the very small proportion of cadets who go on to become - and remain

- members of the adult divisions of the Brigade. He advocated much closer ties and working relationships between Cadet and Adult divisions as a possible remedy. Cadet training occupied much valuable adult time, and we should ensure that the use of this resource was cost effective and not wasted. Presidents could do more to stimulate the interest of cadets, for example, by encouraging participation in Outward Bound or similar courses, by exchange visits with St John counterparts in other countries, by helping in the formation and development of parents' associations, and so on.

Both morning and afternoon essions provoked lively controversy and brought out some interesting facts and comments, such as the revelation that one President's first aid training had proved of practical value on a North Sea oil rig; and the stro ng objection by another delega te to the militarised aspect of the Brigade (a point countered, incidentally, by another member, who spoke of the need for firm discipline in the so rt of operations that the Brigade were con tantl y having to carry out)

Altogether it was a timulating day, which by general consent delegates would like to see repeat ed in 1982.

Sailing

- In Winter!

'THANK YOU, St John.' This wa heard frequently at th e Queen Mary Sai ling Club, Ashford, Middle sex, on Saturday January 10 - the day of the club's 8t h annual 'Bloody Mary' race. This is a pursuit type race, the s low est boat starting fir and working up through the different types of craft to the fastest, which tart last. This IS-mile race, which usually la t about 2 Vz hour s, always coincides with the London Boat Show, which bring many vis itor s to the club. This year entrants came from as far afield as Devon, Wales, York hire and Tyneside.

Weybridge Divi sio n has operated their safety boat, a 13ft Dell Quay Dory, s in ce 1977 and for the la st 2 VI years ha s covered nearly all of the larger sa iling events at the club. Queen Mary Re se rvoir, the large st man-made re servo ir in Southern England.

Weyb ridge Division's rescue dory comes to the aid of a ditched helmsman - with Ray Pennock at the helm and N M Tin a Parker ready to the hapless winter sai lor aboard. His capsized boat, in the background, is kept afloat by buoyancy aids and will be towed ashore ater.

is I V2 sq miles in area and thi s race is sa iled over a M-shaped course. With over 250 entries for this year's race, it wa s decided to also man the club' two rescue boats, the idea being to have two boat s afloat while one crew would be able to have a 20 minute break ashore. But we all know what happened s to the best laid plans!

The day dawned unny but co ld (3 0C) with the wind northerl y, force 2-3, and a forecast for s hower s later in the afternoon and the wind in creasing.

Th e race s tarted at pm, but within 15 minute the wind had increa sed dramatically with some boats capsizing before they reached the s tartin g line.

An urgent call was received from the committee boat asking for the third St John crew to go out to a s is!. It was to remain out with the other two boats until the end of the race.

Weather worsened

The weather teadily became wor e, with the wind gusting up 10 force 6-7, "vith intermittent snow, hail and driving rain showers, and generally making things rather unpleasant for both competitor and safety crews. Boa ts lost their ai l ma t were broken, rudders were lo s t and one boat s seams opened. A \\ ell a s many boat s capsizing, throwing their crews inlO the icy water, one mall boat cap s i7ed and cartwheeled end-over-end for 10-15 metre s !

The Ihree St John crews were kept extremely bu y - pulling crew from the water helping to ri g h t cap s ized boats, and towing disabled boat to hore before racing back to attend to others.

By the end of the race of the 262 boats that s tarted, only 55 fini hed. And the on ly injury wa one of the 300 s pectators who fell and di located his shoulder.

At 4 pm , a the light wa s failing s ix very co ld and wet St John member tumbled ashore, where cups of hot coffee were thru s t into their numb hands. Thi had been the busiest and co ld est duty the members h ad ever known.

A week la ter a letter arrived from the Sailing Club:

'The weather \Vas windy and, am sure, it was the high level of competence and the very hard work of rhe rescue boat crews which ensured the safe ty and wellbeing of all th e competitors. In this connection the club is particularly g rateful to you and your organisation for providing a boat and no less than three boat crews. Without your aid we would nor have been able cope in rhe prevailing conditions and mighr have had 10 abandon the race. '

Ray Pennock , Transport Officer

Let's hear

of your SJA boating activities (Above) As the wind

Photos : Tim More , Camberley

Ray and Tina re urn for a capsized boat.

vvith the Handicapped

DURING 1980 the Review published a twopart article 'Swimming With The Handicapped' based on experience s from the Platypus Club of Ha field in Hertfordshire. The leading que s tion asked at the beginnin g of Part I was Goin g swimming this s ummer? - But what if you were handicapped cou ld you still take that refreshing dip?'

As thi s is the International Year of Disabled People it is perhap s fi ttin g to answer that question by demon s tratin g t h at the handicapped can take to the water and find as much pleasure and s uc cess as th eir ab le-bodied peers.

In genera l it was f ound in th e pa s t, and indeed in so me cases today tha l the main barrier to the participation of the handicapped in sw imming activities was not their disabilities but the st ructural de s g n of the pool. In most cases, prior to the Chronically Sick and Di s abled Person s Act of 1970, pool s were not constructed with the handicapp e d in mind; howe ve r by din t of application and inventiv e ne s these manmade barrier s were overcome and a large number o f pools in the UK now run sw imming sess ion s for h e handicapped.

The achievement of the Pl atyp u s' sw immer s in 1980 wo uld , I think. provide an excellent indication of th e great u se to which the handicapped put the m a ll amount of water time t hat made avai la bl e to them, approximately (wo hour s pe r week. F g. 1 illu s trates the tota l number of aw ard s ga in ed by the Club's members and also the two m ain area s of endeavour. Hidden in these f igure are the achievement s of a c Ia s of e ight pup il , w ho se age s ra n ged betw ee n 12 and 75 and "vho se record is depicted in F ig. 2. Th e class

F g. 2. Skill awar ds gained by one class in 1980 Fig 3 I m throwing you a rop e preparing for a throw of 30 feet)

contained both physica lly and mentally handicapped who at the be g inning had a varying ran ge of water sk ill a biliti es. From the first a camaraderie ex is ted amongst the class members (du e, [ am told, to s uffering under a hard ta s kmaster!) where e nc o ur ageme nt a nd expe ri e n ces were freely inter c han ge d. Thus th e pupils taught themselves a great deal through exp loration of both their own mo ve m en t capacit ies and th e p h ys ical properties of th e water.

The object of thi s class wa s to a tt e mpt a numb er of award, se ec ed to prov ide an in creas in g degree of diffi c ul ty, and it will be seen ( refer to F ig. 2) that the award s gaine d range from tho se promoting initial conf id ence in the wate r (AST Red Badge) to th ose awards ( R LSS R e cue Ski ll s) where the pupil i capab e of sav ing a h uma n life Some of the class m embe r s are s hown in act o n (F g. 3 to 5), during one of t h e li fe av in g te t The ran s ition from the ga ining of "vater co nfiden ce to acquiring the s kill s of rescue took on ly twe lve mon h s, truly a record of which to be proud and one that wi ll tand any com pari on.

A I M D an Litt/e, C hief I nstructor Plat ypus C lu b

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE MANUAL : 6

Questions and Answers

by ROY JACKSON and BRUCE COL TMAN

1. ho c k a (a) re ulling r o m the Ie e nin g of Ihe (b) of the vi l a l fun c li o n s of Ihe bod} a ri s in g from a la c k of (c) upply.

2. Wo und s of Ih e s calp cause (a) and (b) bleeding.

3. Do not pre inl o or probe a sca lp wo und Ihere ma y be a n

4 In a g un hOi wound th e ex it is than Ih e e nlr y.

5. Bleeding from th e palm of Ih e hand may b e s evere as severa l a re in vo lved

6 If the injured, Ihe cas ualt y rna) co u g h up bright red frolh) blood.

7 (a) injuries are caused by an explo ion . T he casualty ma y be b) a nd in a Iremulou s s tale

H e will ha ve (c) in the chest with r es ll ess n ess Rlu e n ess of the (d) and ma y be pre se nt. Fro lh y blood stai n ed putum m ay be (e) Breathing m ay be dif f icult. There m ay be no g n of (f) or of (g)

8. WOUllds of the abdominal wall. Place the cas ualty so thai the wound doe s not (a) If no (b) protrud e, apply a dressing 10 the wo und a nd bandage (c) in place

9. Crush In ju ri es. This s II condition in which it s of g reat importance to prevent acute (II) failure which is likely to occur if the ca:ualty h a been trapped by II h eavy we ight for an (b) or more.

Warwickshire

Cadet scheRle for Disabled

THE Brigade in Warwickshire has been pre s ented with a che qu e for £250 b y Warwick Di s tri ct Cou n c il fro m the fund s of the Queen' s Jubile e T ru st in the Council's c h arge. A s you w ill know h is money mu s be u s ed by Youth Organi sa tion s, not o n them e lves but for o m e projec for the benefit o f o ther s 19 8 1 is the Un ited

Na t ion s' International Year of Di sa bled

People and [ have received a letter from St John H eadq u arters in London encouragi n g u s to think of and to ta ke part in sc heme s t o g ve ca r e, intere s t and he l p to the di sable d , both young and old.

I want Cadet Divi sio n s to take part in a Warwi cks hire project to give happine ss and interest to those li vi ng near to them who, becau se of illn ess or handicap, are co nfined to their home s day b y da y, week b y week. Becau se of their disabilities they cannot e n joy t h e ir ga rden s, the y look thro u gh their w ind ow and wish that birds would co me n ea rer to them or even make their nests and feed their young where they can be watched.

I h ave detailed working plans describing how to make:

I Wooden rai s ed trough s which can be u ed as raised ga rd en bed s. The se can be p ante d and tended I,.v ithout be ndin g - eve n when si tting in a chair.

2. Wooden bird table.

3 Wooden nesting boxes for robin and tits.

Ambu lance Cadet and ur ing Cadets

10 C ru s h injury involves (a) (muscle and s kin) and s ometimes bones are (b)

II A brui se (a) ble e ding beneath Ihe s kin Thi s s u s uall y acco mpanied by pain ( b) and (c)

12. Co ld applications include: (a) (b)

13. Acute heart attacks res ult from a reduction in the (a) s uppl y to the (b) of the h ea rt. T h e r e are two varieties: (c) (Severe p a in in the chest); (d) of a coronary artery in the wall of the hear!. In bOlh varielie th e casualty uffers everely from (e)

14. Fainting follow s a temporary in a d e qu a t e s upply of (a) 10 th e ( b)

15. Bleeding may occur (a) or (b) and may vary from trivial to s evere or (c)

16. There are two methods of applying pre s ure to s top a wound from bleedin g These are (a) pre ss ure and (b) pre ss ure.

Di vis ion s wi ll I hop e, join force s for this project. Combi n ed Divi sio n s a r e r eady made for it.

Many ambulance cadets will have stu died ca rp e ntr y o r woo dwork at sc hool, though nur s ing cadets ma y be just as c apable

There is no r eason whatever why your fathers or mother s sho uldn't help at home provided yo u don't s it wa tc hing t he telly wh il e they do so. Your Di v is ional Superintendent w ill help , J am s ure

The major ro le of t he nur s ing cadets wi ll mo st likely be to mak e contact wit h the County Social Services Department , the Community Nu r

Superintendent when you go scrounging

Plea se do re m ember that this is something to take part in, nor for 1981 only. It should be a continu in g effort which fit in well with (he aim of St John. It is po ible that what you do will help with your proficiency ubject work or toward you r Special Service Sh ield.

17. Bleeding remain concealed in the fo llo wi ng ca e s : Fracture of the (a) of the s kull or cerebral bleedin g. Bleeding into the s ue a socia ted with b) Ble ed ing from the spleen. liver o r other o r ga n int o the (c)

18 Internal bleeding ma y become vis ibl e in the following "a ys: F r om the tomach when blood (a) Thi blood could be bright red but will r e emble ( b) if it h as remained in th e s t o ma ch for so me time. From the upp er bowel when partl y digested blood pa ed in the motion s , giving th em a (c) appearance F om the (d) when blood escaping into the urine ma y mak e it s moky or red in appearance.

19 Treatment for bleeding from the palm of he h a nd (a) pre s u re o b) the (c) if po s ible

20. S melling sa lt s may be u eful in Irealing a (a) but (b) before li se.

Answers Oil page 88. c 19

(Below) Fig. 5. Don panic - grab the stick.

JUMP FOR UNIT

Aldershot Combined Division's mobile fi r st aid unit , which went into commi s ion la st October, got a helping hand from Miss Susan Knott, who raised £254 on a sponsored parachute jump with the famous parachute team, the Red Devils. Susan is now working on other ideas to raise funds for the Division. (see photo).

The unit which s a converted Bedford ambulance, is the re su lt of much work by the members and Area Commiss oner J. Townclear a'1d ASO G. Bates.

FIRST AID FOR

Under new regulation s to be in troduced by the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain later this year I hear that all newly qualified pharmacists will be required to obtain a knowledge of the principles of first a id as part of their fore-registratio n training.

[n preparation for this, pre-registration pharmacy tudents emp loyed by Oxford Regional Health Authority recentl y attended a St. John Emergency Aid course run by their Acting Regional Pharmaceutical Officer , ASO Ian Simpson, assisted by NM Debbie Wilmott of West Oxford Division who is a fore -r egistration pharmacy student with Boot s the chemi s t.

During the 1981-82 academic yea r fir st aid will be included in the sy llabu for a series of study da ys to be arranged by the Pharmaceutical Society at their L a mbeth headq uarter s.

SKITTISH

From The Young Soldier, the Salvation Army's children's new s paper of February 14: What do yo u call a young cat that joined the St John Ambulance Brigade?A first-aid ki t

MUSEUM NOTES

Kate Arnold- Fo rster , Museum A ss tant, writes:

I was intere sted to see the article and fascinating collection of early photograph s of ambulances belonging to the Bri sto l St

1890s STYLE

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

AB HI

BY THE EDITOR

Younger, presented Brigade In structors Certificates to Divisional Officers Michael Mukote of Salisbury and Jarret S ibanda of Bulawayo. The se certificate, which were only introduced to the Brigade in January thi s year, were the fir st to be gained by overseas officers. The two officer s from Zimbabwe s ucce ssf ully pa sse d a Methods of In s truction co ur se run by Brigade Headquarter s for the County of Essex in January while they were undergoing a twoweek tr a inin g period in thi s country.

DEBORAH

Furl ey ambulance wagon of the 18905. A few years earlier, Si r John Fur le y consi dered horse ambulance carriages 'subordinate to stretc her s'. See MUSEUM NOTES .... '"

John Ambulance in January's Review. They admirably illu s trate various important s tage s in the development of ambu lan ce transport.

The idea of an ambula n ce service, li ke that of first aid, developed in war time and was only subsequent ly adapted to meet civilian requirement s. The term ambu lance, as first c oined by Napoleon's army 'h6pital ambulant' -a moving ho spital, was originally intended to imply not only medical transport but a practica l extension of hospital care. Neverthele ss, the fir s t forms of ambulance used by the St John Ambulance A ssoc iation and other

organisations were often litlle more t han elaborate hand-held stre tch ers and cart Even in 1883 Sir John Furley, who was responsible for th e ba ic design of hor edrawn ambulance used by Bristol and man y s imilar early St J o hn Ambulance hor se- drawn ambulances, co n s idered that the s ubjec t of hor se ambulance carriages is in m y humble opinion quite ubordinate t o the more impo rtant one of s tr etc h ers'.

Susan Knott visits Aldershot Combined Divisi on's mobile fir st aid uni t to which she contributed with a sponsored parachute jump See JUMP FOR UNIT.

Widespread recognition, at lea r in thi country, of the need to provide purposedesigned hor se am bulanc e carr ia ges, properly eq uipped [0 admini rer fir t aid, came only at the beginning of thi s ce ntur y Similarly, the a dopti o n of mot o ri se d ambulances was comparatively ow. Both photographs 2 and 3 of the ea rl y motor ambulance s out s ide the Bri s tol Station s h ow co n vers ion s of model 'T' Ford, while other de s igns for ear y m ot orised a mbul ances were often electrically powered. Although by the end of rhe fir t decade of this century a number of ambulance corps and divi s ion s reported the acquisition of motori se d ambu lances, they were c lear y regarded as a novelty and st ill u sed in conjunction with hor se drawn and manual ambu lance transport. Thro u ghout the period of the Great War a series of articles publi s hed in 'First Aid' (a predece sso r of t h e St John 'Review') out lin e a variety of procedure that cou ld be used to convert all forms of motorised vehicles into ambu ance transport. It was only after the war that motor ambulances, manu factured a nd co nverted by specia li st coach-makers generally replaced horse drawn ambu ances.

FIRST

The Commissioner-in-Chief, Sir John

Most nights Deborah Butler, 14 (photo right), of D erbys hire 's Alfreton Quad Division, goe round to a lo ca aged per s on s home to h e lp and vi it the residents. But s he arrived re cen tl y to get some VIP treatment from the cou nt y's Dir ector of Socia Service .John Jillings, who handed her the St John Special Service Certificate for 1,000 hour of community ervice.

Deborah the fir 1 Derbyshire cadet to gain the 1,000 hours certificate, wa also s li ghtly ta ken back when s h e wa co n gratulated by Col Peter Hilton, the Lord Lieutenant and Derbyshire St John Commander, who wa al 0 wailing for her.

D ebo rah who's also prett y photogenic, n'( he ? - ce rtainly come from a St John fami ly. Dad, Stan, i a divi ion al officer; mum, Janet, is a

Div Supt and Serving Sister; s iste r Sharon

cadet; g randad , Francis Parsons is

nt and Serving

54

rvice; and uncle John Par sons is a Bla ckpoo staff sargeant and Serving Broth er with 50 yea r s' ervice. Phe w! - Six of them wi th a total of 14 7 years to SJ.

Incid e ntall y, during 19 80 Derbyshire cadets ga ined 27 special service shields and 21 se rvice s tar s, which represents 9600 hours serv ic e

GREAT SUPPORT

Northern Ireland 's SJA Londonderry Area had a half-page advertisement in the Bel fast Telegraph appealing for £8,600 to buy an ambulance. The adverti ing appeal was mad e possible by 28 L ondo nd erry companies whose names a lso appeared. Great s uppor t. 1 trust Londonderry has got that much needed ambulance by now.

TO THE MANOR BORN - IN JERSEY

An unu sua l fund-raising event turned the clock back 400 years at St Ouen's Manor Jersey, last De cember, when over 100 people, man y wearing period co tumes, samp led the delights of an Elizabethan evening organised by SJA Jer ey' Appeals Committee.

Among the gue ts were the Bai lif f and hi s wife, Sir Frank and Lady Ereaut, and Lord and Lad y .Je r ey. Sir Frank is chairman of the island' Council of the Order of St John and Lady Jer ey is the County Pre id en!.

Strolling min stre s, serving wenches, festive decoration, and a je ter - h ey all help ed to c r eate an authentic atmosphere in the uperb se ttin g of the manor And with "Ye Grande Fea te' the ticket s a t £ 12.50 were va lu e for money

The E li za bethan evening was the idea of the Committee's chairman, Mrs Margaret Boothman, who aid

Mrs M argare Boot hman (left) with Mrs Jenny Mul le n - Elizabeth a n style

Bailiff of Jersey S ir Frank Ereaut and Lady Jersey

afterwards: 'We h ad enormou suppo rt from all sort of peorle, but I ,vould like to aya pe ial thank yo u to Ir and Mr Philip 1\lalet d arteret fo r letting u u e the manor.'

The C-in-C presents the first new instructors certificates to overseas officers.

CADET CHAT by

JIM

, Brigade Cadet Camp - Bexhill on Sea

DETAILS of the camp, which is always very popular, were published in the January Brigade Circular. Dates this year are from Saturday July 18 to August 29. Applications shou ld be sent to Miss W. WilEs 179 Hazelbank Road, London SE6

I LU, as soon as possible. Suitably qualified instructors for adventure activities and to fill various other positions are required and applications to assist with these should be sent to the Chief Officer Cadets, St John Ambulance HQ 1 Grosvenor Crescent, London, SWIX 7EF, giving details of dates available, qualifications and type of duties they would like to undertake.

Can I come in?

This is the title of a short leaflet, prepared by the Grea t er London Standing Conference of Voluntary Youth Organisations and PHAB, which provides information on involving disabled young people in Youth Clubs and Organisations. Copies are available from London Voluntary Service Council, 68 Chalton Street, London NW 1 lJR

Programme Ideas

Why not ry some of t hese for talks:

- The Salvation Army - contact at 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, E C.4, for details of local units.

- Local universities can often provide speakers from s ome of the many varied st ud ent societies that they run Write to the Students Union for details.

- - Try the Toy Libraries Association, Seabrook House, Wyllyotts Manor, Drakes Lane , Potter s Bar, Herts, who may be able to suggest a speaker on their work

- The work of the Renal Transplant Unit of a major hospital may prove interesting, especially if linked with a talk on the Air Wing. Contact Mr H Drummond, c / o St John Air Wing Control, St Margaret's Hospital, Epping, Es s ex, for details of a speake r - Talk s on t he misuse of drugs can prove useful. Contact Release, 1 Elgin Avenue, London W.9 for details.

Poster competition

As announced in the January Review, a special competition has been organised with cash prizes for the best, most original recruiting po s ter or leaflet produced by Cadet s. Th e judges of the competition will be lookin g for eye catching, interesting posters or leaflets that will eventually be produced p rofe ss ionally and made available to divisions and counties throughout the country for recruiting. The re are two age groups fo r the competition, with cash prizes for the be s t three entries in each group.

Here are the rules of the competition

1. Posters or leaflets designed /0 recruir Cadets, using up to three colours, with space for information fo be inserted or overprinted by local divisions, counties or Headquarters.

I

2. There will be fwo age groups, namely lJ-14 years and 15-18 ages being those af 1 June 1981

3 Entries should be sen 1 to 'Jim ', 57 Morgan Crescent, Theydon Bois, Epping, Essex to arrive nol later than Aug 31 1981. All enlries must have the name, address, age and a certificate provided by the Divisional Superintendent stating that the entry is the unaided work of the entrant, written on the reverse.

4. Judge s for the competilion will be Brigadier R. F. Semple (Chief Officer Cadets), Mrs V. Beevor (Administralive Officer Cadets) and 'Jim'.

5 Pri zes for this competition will be as follows in each group: 1st place£12, 2nd place - £8, 3rd place - £5,

Competitions

I. Speak up

Kent & Sussex Courier! and all ent rants )'v ill receil'e a new Cadet Chat badge.

6. No enIries will be rerurned. LET'S HAVE A R E ALLY BUMPER ENTRY FOR THIS COMPETITION. RESULTS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE REVIEW AND TH E OVERALL WINNER WILL BE PRODUCED AS A POSTER / LEAFLET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Contributions

This column ca n only ur vive w ith h e lp from YOU, the reader. Your id ea fo r making cadet training intere s tin g and fun are urgen t ly n ee ded My thank s o the ve ry few who have written in so far a nd I loo k forward to hearing from mor e of you. Please write to Jim 57 M o rg a n C re ccnt, Theydon Boi s, Eppin g, Essex, CM 16 7DU.

The competition training season is well upon us, so thought thi s checklist or things to remember ror team m emb ers, se nt to me by a rrom So uthsea and Milton, would help y ou to ga in tho e ext a point s.

2 Tell judge everything yo u see

3. Remember he po ssi bility of a medi ca l condition

4. Alway s lo ok at prop s and s tagin g. S. Don't fu ss or worry.

6. I f th e re s any time eft over - r echeck everyt hing.

7 Don't be embarrassed to loo se n tight clothing.

8. Keep things tidy a nd effi cient.

9. When doing team te s s alway s li s ten to the team leader never argue, don't talk to the judge unless you are s uppo sed to, and whe n giving s ugge s tions do not et the j udge( s) hear you.

10 Make s ure bandage s are not too tight and that they are t idy

II. Alway s car ry some safe t y pin s.

12 If wearing a beret u se it for padding

13. Tie hair back if long , it hinders vision, ca n irritate casualty, and look s untid y.

14. Do not eat any t hing or chew any c hewin g gum , e tc, during a competition.

ALL who are associated with St John know of the Director General' s de s ir e to improve the general s tandard of fir s t aid tra inin gwhether it be on inlen s ive, occupational or re - qualifi ca tion courses as well a s on tho se covering nur s ing and hygiene.

Wh e n thi s up-ratin g of sta ndard s co upled to the ge neral t eac hin g of fir st aid to meet the requirement s of c urr e nt legislation, it s c lear that it ha s all become quite a s izeabl e bu s ine ss. The Association for Greater London t her e fore re ga rd s it se f as fortunate that it no w ha s a purp ose- built, s plendidl y equipped a nd we ll furni hed Trainin g Ce ntre in which o hold co ur ses in the newly o p e ne d He a dquart ers in Edwi na Mountbatt e n H o u e. In thi H eadq uart er Centre th ere are facilities for up t o 100 ca ndid a e at a tim e to receive in s tru c ti on from a very well quali Fie d a nd hi g hl y expe ri e n ced team , wi th well-known S t a n Aylott a s the C hi ef In t ru c tor Th e co nt e nt of th e co ur ses and the leve of expcrtise of th e in tru ctional taff h ave n ot o nl y m e t t h e need of m a n y m ajor n a tion al organi at ion but a so been prai ed by th em and a h ost of sma lle r co mm e r cia l and indu s t r a l co mpani es in Grealer London. I f a n d II h en the propo ed c rit eria at prese nt embod ied in th e H ea lth and SaFety Exec uti ve Cons ult at ve D ocu m ent become law, thi cou ld grea tl y affec t the fir s t aid teaching pr ogramme throug h out the countr y a nd a new training package i awaited

London Association training to expand

fro m S t John Nat ional H ead qu arte rs (see M a r c h Rev iew, page 59). Th e essentia l need a all time s s to ha ve good in str uctor s who a re well ve rsed in fir s t a id a nd the modern t ec hni q u es of co mmuni cat in g their knowledge to tudent s drawn from all walks of li fe.

In Greate r L o nd o n s u c h a team i now gat he rin g under J ohn Ma so n who, as the General Manager of the A ssoc iation in Greater London , is respon s ible to the D i re clo r for all tr a in ing ca rried out whether a t H eadq uart ers or in the five Area s of the Cap it a l , wh ic h cover orne 800 s quare mile s. Th is is n o mean ta s k, e pecially when v iewed again t the pre se nt aim of acquiring a soon a s

I S. Do not give a drink b eca u se an opera ti o n ma y be necessa r y.

16 Tr y t o remember a ll the s ma ll , less importan t thing, marks may be ga in ed and other tea ms may nOt bo th er.

17. Don't s tud y th e fir t a id b oo k whil e waitin g to do the tes t , no thin g ca n b e learn t in s uch a s hon im e a nd yo u may get confused abou t so mething

18. Mak e ur e you r uni fo rm lo o ks n ea t, tidy c lean and co mfortable Th e s mart efficient effect ca n he p. Don 't we a r make-up!

19 If you a re ne rvo u s , don letth e peo ple in your te a m kn ow bec au se yo u co uld s tan them worrying. Talk to th e m a nd kee p oc cupi ed and you will soo n Overcome it.

20. Don't worry if you don t win, it s how s yo u mu s t work a little harder to reach a standard accepted by ud ges a nd a very highly re s pe c ted reputation with th e gene ral public, who you are rea ll y tr a ining for.

Greater Manchester

Come to Lourdes

Helping the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

to look after sick pilgrims

FOR the pa s t three yea rs a sma ll contingent of members of St John Ambulance ha s been to Lourdes in France to assist the Sovereign Military Order of Malta vvith looking af ter th e s ick pilgrims taken by the Order to the Shrine of Our Lady.

At the outset it is importanr to try to exp lain a little about bo th Lourdes and a lso the Sovereign Military Order , since both may be something of a mys tery to many people. To try a nd tell the whole hi s tory of Lourde s in a few s horr sente nces is impossible but, in outline, the followin g is the s tory.

Lourde s is now quite a arge town , but with a s mall and almo s t mediaeval centre, hi g h up in the foothills of the Pyrenee s and s urrounded by s nowcapped mountains. In 1858 a sma ll g irl , Bern ade tte Soublrous, the daughter of very poor parents, went one day with her brother a nd siste r to gather firewood near a rubbish dump at the side of the river. It wa in a cave at the rubbish dump tha t St Bernadette, as we now know her, sa"v the apparition of a beautiful lady who, after a number of appearances on different day s revealed her se lf as The Imm acu lat e Conception', and in s tructed her to tell the parish priest what s he had seen She also sa id that Bernadette was to dig in the earth at the spot a nd hat the water which welled up in the hole s hould be drunk and washed in. After having a terrible time convincing the priest and then the bi s hop , to say nothing of the chief of police, that s he was not lying, Bernade tt e wa s able to persuade a number of people to go in procession to t he cave and to drink the water in the spri ng . One of those who went wa s a per s on who had been blinded by getti ng chip s of s tone in his eye s and hi s was the first c ur e at the shr ine From these s mall beginnings has grow n the wonder that is Lourdes today - a large town revolving round the activities of the pilgrim s visi tin g the Grotto where Our Lady appeared.

In 1958, Lourde s ce ntenary year, there were four million pilgrim s who came to pray at the Grotto and to drink the water.

Va s t numbers of the s ick from eve ry race, colour and creed come every year to seek the comfort of prayer and the s trength to li ve with their affl ict ion s. Every yea r a few people are cured a nd a very few of the se cures, after rigorou s independent med ical exa mination , a re d ecla red miraculou s'.

Fo r everyone so ca lled 'miracle' c ure there are countless sick pilgrim s who come to Lourdes full of hope and who go home as ill as the y were when t hey arrived but, s trangely enoug h , all those who return home sti ll sick appear to have gained a g reat

inner peace and s tr e ngth from their pilgrimage. It is easy to imagine that s o many sick pilgrim require a lot of looking after and this i where the hale and heart y me mber of each pilgrimage fit in.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta i just one of th e many organisation [hat run s pilgrimages to Lourdes and it s helpers come from many co untrie s Thi s enormou s gathering of member s and friends of the Order each year makes for a very jolly party and a lthough the work is hard there is plenty of time for partie s and meeting with our counterparrs from other couI1lrie.

Rat her lik e Chaucer' pilgrim s go in g to Canterbury, the pilgrim of the Order treat it as their annual holiday.

The British conti ngent of the Order' pilgrimage u u a ll y fli es out to Tarbe (about twelve mil es from Lourdes) and s pends a week in France. On arrival the s ick pilgrim s are tran s ferred [0 one of the three ho sp itals in the town The se hospital are more lik e ho s pices, s ince although they have full facilitie s for the sick, they are not used for treating illness. The other pilgrim s are hou se d in hotel s in the town. The helpers are split up into team s to work in the ho s pital, the laundry and sewi ng room or in the baths; to run th e ward s and help th e pilgrims with dre ss ing , washing, feeding etc; to load and unload trains at t he tation and aircraft at Tarbes; and to take the s ick to the variou s re li g iou s ceremon es and out on trips. The work is hard but enjoyab le and immen se y rewarding. The Ho spi talite de Notre Dame de Lourdes - t he French organi sation which run s Lourdes - relie s ve ry much for the organisation of t he place

First Aid • In

for the week of the Malta pilgrimage on the Briti s h contingent, and all those who come on he pilgrimage mu s t be prepared to be punctual for duties and work under the direction of the Chefs d'equipe - the Frenchmen who run the ceremonies, proce ss ion s, bathing, etc. There a re ma s e and proces ion s every day [0 which all pilgrims of whatever creed are most welcome , but none of the ceremonie are compul sory. Very often non-C a tholic fe e l the y want to join in and no one could be more pleased t han the Catholic member of the pilgrimage if the y do. One o ne occa s ion a British priest in a clerical co llar , but not wi th our pilgrimage, wa s asked if he would mind saying the Ro sary with a blind lady whom we had brought ,;vith u H e appeared delighted to do so a nd it wa s on ly afterward it was di sc overed th at he wa a Pr es byterian Minister who went our every year to Lourde s [0 work among the pilgrim s. In 19 80 Dr Wren, Commissioner Lancashire (and a Knight of the overeign lilit ary Order of rvla lta) was the S 10M Execu ti ve Offic r of the Briti h contingent. Deputy Commi io ner George Crossley took cha rge of the Brigade party and li s Lillian Riley, Dr Phillip, Mr Bil s borou g h and Mr Cowburn made up the Lanca s trian g roup. The full cost of a return trip, inclu ive of a ir fare, food, hotel, bu e , etc, wa £ 170 in 1980 . The French hot e l and food were very good. Drink wa extra of cour e, but the local wine wa good and prelly cheap. So ir you feel th at a trip to Lourde 'A ith t John would uit you in April / Ma y 198 1 get in touch with Alan McKay at St John Ambulance HQ , 1 Gro venor Crescent, London SW I . tron g, willing and c heerful people are alway welcome to help look after the sick pi grim but dre in S[ John uniform. 'Woolly, pully and lack s' a nd waterproof garments are all11o a IllU l. It rains in the so uth or France - but it is warm. George Crossley, Deputy COli/III. Lanes.

Psychiatric Emergencies

LAST yea r 's in cident in the Midland s, when a la rge number of yo un gsters succum bed to what was la te r thou gh t t o hav e been ma ss h ys teria , mak es it quite clear that our co ll eag ues in that part of the world were under s tandably not full y prepared fo r s uc h an emergency.

Hy s teria is a condition which ca n and does s timulate practically any physical condition without exception; it must not be laughed off or pooh-poohed nor rega rd ed as nau g htine ss, and it ca n be very ser ious. One of the characteristics of hy ste ria is that

is a hidden motivation, of which he or she is not fully aware. If one assume s that the behaviour in hy s teria is somewhat motivated, one can then see such thing s as fanaticism in a completely new light and perhap s regard it as a form of 'controlled' ma ss hyste ria. However the se deliberation s are outside the sco pe of fir s t aid, although it is use ful to understand the me cha ni s m and causation. First aid treatment is of the essence and can only ex ist in iso lati o n of the hysteric and firm, kind handling. Even the expert ca nnot alway s make an immediat e diagno is of hysteria a nd ha s to observe the affected person for so me considerable time. In the layman 's view hy s teri a is often mistaken for histrionic behaviour and vice versa. The former is a c lini ca co ndition requIrIng ser iou s attention, the latter is frequently a behaviour disorder requi rin g a different approach.

In a si tu ation in which a first-aider might find him self, s uch as a pop conce rt or other mass demon s trations, he is often confronted with a behaviour disorder expre s ing hysteria. As mentioned above it is, however, not up to the first-aider, however experienced, to make a diagno s is of hysteria, but he is alway to s u s pect and assume a phy sical illness, or condition, and act according ly. If he is confronted with hi trionic behaviour , kind and patient handling, as mentioned above, is indi ca ted and very often the be s t result s can be achieved by iso lating the 'ca ualty' and then by ignoring him or her.

Dr G. C. Heller Lond on Eastern Area Surgeon

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS: 6

Answers

I a Condilion. b. AClivilie c. Blo od.

2 a. evere. b. la rming.

3. Underlying FraclUre.

4. Larger.

5. Blood Ve se l

6. Lung.

7. a Bla injurie. b Apprehensive. c. Pain, d. Lip e Coughed up. f. Brui si ng or Fracture.

8. a. Gape. b. Internal Organs. c. Firmly

9. a. Kidney, b Hour.

10 a. Soft Ti ss ue s, b. Fractured.

II a. Minor, b. Di co louration. c. welling.

12. a. Co ld Compre b. Ice Bag.

it is very contagiou, s preading like wil df ire, and ometimes that sprea d can be checked by iso lating the carly s u rferer

Although the word comes from h y teron', which is Greek for womb, it occurs just as frequently in males as in females, a nd can be clearly demon s tr ated in young male s attend in g a football match who become ju s t as excited a s yo un g fema le s screami ng in the presence of a pop id o l.

It is no t easy to under s tand the development and the function of hy ter ia, but mo st experts agree that in hy s ter ia there

of

13. a. Blood. b. Mu ula r Wall. c. Angina Pectori s. d. Obstruction. e. Shock.

14 a. Blood. b Brain.

15.a. Ex e rnall y. b. Int erna ll y c. Fatal.

16. a. Direct. b. Indir ect.

17 a. Vault. b. Fra c ture s c. Abdomen.

18. a. Vomited. b. Coffee grounds. c. Bla k tarry. d Kidneys or bladder.

19. a. Apply direct. b. Rai e. c. Limb.

20. a. Faint. b. Test strength.

NEW LIFE FOR HQ

DRESS

from R. H. Francis, Divisional Superintendent

Officers' white sh irt s are now available for wear in shirt-sleeve order, but their use is restricted to officers only. Could they not also be worn by all ambulance members, with chevrons on the s houlder strap for NCOs and a plain black st rap for others?

Thi s \vould improve the smar tne ss of the s hirt- s leeve order and be in line with what i done by the police and fire services, for example. The extra sa le s of these s hirt s might help to reduce their price too.

Didcot, Oxon R H. Francis FUNDS

from Mrs E Lowe Divisional Superintendent

At the suggest ion of a parent, we now have a co llection ca rd which cadets and juniors use fOr raising divisional funds. The card includes a co lumn for name of co ntributor date and amount.

Printed on the front of the ca rd under the name of the Division, is: 'A relative or friend can HELP to support this Divi s ion with a weekly contribution of lp to lOp, to be collected by the Cadet or Junior and paid into the Division on the next mee ting ni ght. A book token will be pre se nted at t he end of the yea r to the Cadet or Junio r who ha s collected the most. Thank yo u for you r s upport.' There is a space for the name of the cadet or junior.

Unfortunate ly not all cadets participate in this scheme, which r a ises a good s um of money Other divisions may be interested in the idea.

Romford, Essex E. Lowe

WATCH OUT FOR

from Mrs L. Davies, Divisional Officer

At a recent talk to a group o f women, the question arose concerning the examination of an uncon scious per so n wearing contact lenses and whether t he y wou ld be detected. The per son concerned did no t think it nece ss ar y to wear a medi / bracelet / pendant as s he wasn't ill' Thi s rai ses the point, with regard to first aid that the patient may be wearing contact len ses and, as they are s o sma ll, to be extra car eful. Another point wa s the wearing nowadays of very small hearing aid s Farnham

LOOKING BACK

from W. L. Ashmore, CSO (R) L. Davies

With regard t o 50 Year Subscriber (Sept Review), too would like to congratulate Mr Gri s tock. But without any thought of challenging for a record, there must be others with more su bscr iber years to their credit. I have s till the 'Fi rst Aid and the St J o hn Ambulance Gazette' of September 1920 , which contained several items of intere s t about our Bulwell Nur s ing Division.

I am sure that, like m yse lf , Mr Gristock will have had many a smirk at some of the methods and applications of yesteryear, particularly advert s that were publi s hed in those far-off days, when authorit y was s truggling, though doing a good job , to steer u s fir s taiders onto the rig ht path to being efficient members of St John. That policy, I'm plea sed to note, still continues, and long may the Review f10u ri sh.

NOlfingham

IDENTIKID BADGES

from I. G. Simpson, Area Staff Officer

W. L. Ashmore

All St John members s hould be familiar with the Medic Alert bracelet and with the St John SOS Tali s man range of jewellery, both of whi ch can g ive information about the wearer which may be vital in an eme rgency. Although both system s are excellent for adult s and older children, t hey have the d isadvan tage that t hey cannot be worn eas il y by youn g child ren So, as the fat her of a three-year-old who needs to carry medical information, I wa s pleased to find a su itable badge produced by Identikid Limited, I Ru sse ll Street, London WC2. The badges are made of s trong clear pla s tic and mea su re about two inche s in diameter. There are s ix pictures available; a bird, a field mou se, a butterfly, a panda, a bus and a train, and all carry the word IDENTIKID in black letter s on a yellow fluorescent st rip. The back ca n be remo ved ea s il y to give acces s to a foldaway personal information pack on which ca n be entered name, address, telephone number of home , sc hool, parent s' work, family doctor , police and ncighbo ur s, mcdical information, details of the family car, and other vital information lik e favo urit e footba ll team and pop s tar The ba d ges cost £ I for two and parr of the income goes to the Save the

Children Fund.

I am sure that, given time, the se bad ges will become as well known a the Tali s man and Medic Alert, but a t pre se nt I do not think Ih a t the word ' Id e ntikid i very we ll known, nor does th e front of the badge bear any indi ca tion of th e import a nt in for ma ti o n ins id e. [ think h at the ra n ge o f pictures ava ilable is a further barrier to identification of [he badg e b y the public and perhap the manufacturers w ill produce a s in g le de ign which will com ey the importance of th e information in . ide. I ha ve, in fac l. removed the picture from m y so n' s badge a nd, to match th e Identikid s trip , have s ub s tituted a di sc o f ye llow fluor escent paper, on whi c h I ha ve t yped the name and telephone number of the c lini c where hi medical record s held together w ith in s truction s t o look inside the badge for further inform at ion Th is, of co ur se, makes t h e badge li g htl y Ie att ract ive to the wearer, but is more u eful.

In s pite of m y criticism of the pictures , I thin k t he badges a rc an exce ll ent idea and I wou ld ask fi rst -aider s o loo k ou t for the t J ohn

Tali s man, Me di c Alert and now DENTI K ID as well. Oxford I. C. Sill7pson

OUR OVERNIGHT DUTY

from Philip Evans

A s a Bri ga de NCO I ve ry mu c h e njoy readin g t he Re view, in particular the letters.

All of us in our divi s ion ha ve been e r y bu y ove r 1980. 1y lo n gest dut y wa s for the lo ca l Cobalt Fund , w hi c h is hoping to rai e £ 1Vi -million (they are very n ea r it) to fight cancer. The T B Ba nk rai sed quite a lot of m o ney over the weekend, on which I wa s on duty overnight, from 7.45 pm till 6 a m Sunday. Our S up eri nt endent, Ir

Bree se, who work s very hard a nd i very h e lpful , a nd o ur Nur ing

Officer Mr s G. Bu rgess, were also on the overn ig ht duty whi c h invol ved a s qua s h tournament with va ri o us cas u a lti e Shrewsbury Phili p Evans WHERE'S THE BRIGADE?

from R H Pervical CSO Mi ss Ruby Webb , of Avon , s to be co ng r a tul ated, and n OI on y on her award after 30 yea rs' se r vice. Out of even photograph of th e recent In vestiture (Jan Re view) , her s is the on ly o ne of a n actua l Brigade member. Maids tone, Kenl R. H. P e rc i va l

Training ain't what it used t'be

THE YOUNGER member s of the Divi s ion were getting tired of the usual training programme. They were bored and beginning to lose interest. Something

to be done So three of them put their head s together and started to plan s omethi'Rg different, and with the fu ll backing of the officer s thin gs began to mQve. IL was to be a s urpri se outdoor exerc ise

The fir t problem wa s finding a s ite wher e a mo c k in c ident could be s taged. After a long sea rch we found a business which had some waste land and was prepared to help. The sec ond problem wa ge ttin g permi ssio n to hold th e incident. We had to approach th e po li ce, fire brigade and t h e London Ambulance Service. We hav e to thank our Commi ss o ne r for th e delicat e communication he made on our behalf to th e LAS.

Th e third problem was de c idin g what we were go in g to do exactly. Eventually we sett led on it in vo lvin g a gas exp lo s ion Our cas ualtie s came from the cadet di visio ns, ome of our own member s w ho we le t int o the plan , so m e nur sing members f rom a local divi s ion a nd an ASO ( C)

The fourth problem wa c reati ng dif ferent in jur ies for nine 'ca u a lti e '. But that was easy: let them decide them se lves. Their c h o ice in c lud ed: abdo min a l and head injurie s, multiple lace ra tions, fractured arm and leg, hock, and fractured sp in e.

Ri gh , we'd got our s ite, permis s ion , type of incident , cas u alti es a nd he ir injuries et Ued. All we' d go t to do now was trea th e m.

T he fifth problem was to get the re of the m e mber s to the s it e lVithout them knowing our real plans. W e decided to hold a s nap ins pection. E e r yo ne turned up at ou r HQ and a ft er a brief inspectio n we re taken to the ite by ambu lance. Th e ope r at ion was o n.

The ixth prob le m had been what to do with the cas ualtie s after they had bee n treated. We cou ldn 't leave them lyin g in the co ld So after eve ryone had left Ollr headquarter s fo r th e s ite, th e HQ was quickly t urned into a reception area and manned b y two AM s and two NM fro m the Wille den ursing Di v s io n.

The ambulance crew had to tra n fer the cas ualti es from t h e ite to t he recep ti on a rea and check them in a if at a ho pit a!. Of co ur se, no b lu e li g ht , ir en o r bell s were Llsed by the ambulance.

Thc incidclll, \\ hich worked with hardly a hit c h , was wa c h ed b y our rea upt J. Bo\\ e n and SO R. Strutt, o u r Area Training Officer, who mad e u eful comment on everyone' actio ns af ter ward.

It turned out to be a very cold and a time d irt y opera ti on, with man y problem for the first-aider - which \\a the idea, of course.

But eve r yo ne entered illlo the sp irit of th i t ype of training, which brough t out their be t a nd taught t hem man y new kill s. For the yo un ge r and newer member it \Va an eye-opener Don't te ll anyone, but plan s ar e already afoot for anot her urpri se. Training e e ning s aren ' t \ hat they u ed to be here. Thank goodne

Patri ck H alpin AM

Ambulance c rew loading a casua lty

( Right) A casualty with a spine injury is kept wa rm

(Below) Casualties ar ri Ving at the recep tion area.

NEWS from WALES

South Wales surgeon honoured

MR E. W. Meurig Williams, OBE, KtStJ, FRCS, who nearly fift y years ago taught first-aid to South Wale s miner s , was recently honoured by hi s colleagues on the St John Council for South Glamorgan. He recently retired a s Chairman of the Council

t o devote more ime to his work a s Chancellor of the Prior y for Wale s and after the January meeting Sir Julian Hodge, KStJ, the President, pre sented Mr Williams with a proje c tor, a nd Mr s George M. Mitchell, the wife of t he Comm issioner, handed a bouquet to Mrs Williams , with the be s t wi s he s and grateful thank s of the members of the Coun c il and the Brigade in Wales.

Sir Julian , in paying tribute to Mr Retirement

)

A

Northern Ireland

ADAPTING TO THE TIMES

m, a nd it

was th e hea dqu arte r a nd ca p ta l o f th ose

re m ar ka blc p eop le, Ihe a ma r i ta ns.

Wh e n I wo rk e d in th e t J o h n H o p it al so me yea r ag o I o met im e u ed t o wa lk fo r en minu te d o w n into the Ked ro n Va ll ey, off M o unt cop u w he re t he Ho p ital i , an d u p th e ot hc r ide o n th e ro ad to J e ri c h o. Yo u w ill recal l th a t J e ru a e m i thre e a nd a ha lf t h o usa nd fee t up in the m o untain s o f Sa m a ri a an d J eri ho is at th e e nd o f th e Ri ft Va ll ey a nd s fi ve hundr e d fee t be lo w sea leve l. T he roa d to Jericho is s till a wil d a nd awe -in pi r ing

pla ce a nd it was tw o th o u a nd year ago in th e Pa ra bl es th a t th e trave ll er fe ll a m o ng thi ev es. H e wa passe d, yo u w ill reca ll, b y th e Prie t and by t hc Lev it e a n d it wa th e Samaritan , from Sa m a ri a, fr o m a d e pi se d sect , who t o pp e d a nd he lp e d him H e dre ss ed hi wound , hc p rov id ed tr a n po n on hi bea s t , and he t oo k him t o th e inn a nd paid two pen ce fo r hi lo d g in gs a nd sa id that if it co s t mor e hc wo uld pa y th e re ton hi s return. And it is o n th e S am a rit a n principle a nd th e Samarit a n th a t I wi s h t o s pea k to you. St John is found e d on tho e principl es Our motto i 'in th e Se rvic e o f Mankind ' and to be effective we ha ve to d o ex actly what the Samarita ns di d The mO st effective

nt to Na blu a nd 1 saw he Sa m ari ta ns Th ey now numb er I SO Th ey a re i n cons id era bl e tr o ubl e. Th e re a re on ly fo ur fa m ilies, t hey are nb re d , poo r a nd in reg re io n T here a re a no th er 100 o f th e m in H aifa

o w, while th e ir prin c i p le \\ a co r rect, th e ir pe rf o rm a nce ove r t he year ha g ra du a ll y Fa ll e n off a nd I wo ul d suggest 10 yo u th a t we mi ght dr aw g reat k no\<v ledge fro m thi fa ct. W e be lon g t o a n a ncient

Ord er we hav e ve r y cl ea rl y be fore us wh a t we hould do we hav e o ur hi t o ry wh ic h says th a t wh e n St John a d a p ted 10 th e t me i t did re m ar kabl y we ll. But f in fac t we d id not a d a pt , then we did ba dl y a nd [ would a k you o think h o w we m o t e ffec ti\ 'e y can ap p ly t he Sa marit a n prin c ipl e \Ve a re a volun ta ry or gani sation s pec ia li i ng in th e h alth field and 1 would ugg e t t o you

Confre re, that unle s we a dapt a nd unl e s we wat c h what we are d o in g we may fo llow th e fa te of th e Sam a rit a n. And I wo uld put it to o u that in our field we hav e to loo k a t wh a t we a re doing in the way tha t we do in the hea lth se r vice, a nd fi rs t of all decid

thi erv ice, a n d [ would suggest 10 you that \\ e are in an almost u ni que po it ion . At the pr e e nr ti me we have a ontac t with the co m mun ity whi c h is unrivalled, \\ e have cre d ib ility and we must maintain thi But, in or d er 10 carry out what the amaritan did t\\'o hou and year ago, \\ e must teach our fir t aid in t h e mo t effecti\e way. We mu cha nge o u r method. We mu t 1.1 e all t he media. \V e m u t decide if \\ hat we are doi ng i the mos t effic ienr \Yay of carrying o ut t he t a k th at we are e r. \;l., e mu t dete rmin e wha t fro m our ma ll numbers, i th e max im um benefit that we can carry out fro m o ur wo r k An d . fin a ll y, [ wo uld -ay that it i from th e g reat \'o lunt ary o rgani ations in le w Ze al a nd t ha t c h a nge in our life - tyle and impr ove me nr in o u r way of living will co me. I t do e nor co me from Government. I d o e no t c ome fro m a d \ erti in g in th medi a It comes entirely from the per on a l impacI that member s of St John a nd other in the voluntary movement hav e upon OUT community. And , with t he gra e of God, and with th e h e lp of t h o e we h onour to d ay, we will per h aps ac hi e \ e our end.

News from Divisions / Centres

ST JOHN REVIEW

REVIEW CROSSWORD No 4 (81) by A. A Potter

Prac tise g luttony (7).23, Di s ta l orifice of h e s toma c h (7). 25, Celebration held b y the ambu lance team? (9,5). 30. Anae s the s ia at the nei g hbourhood inn? (5). 3 1 Co ntainer for marijuana (3), 32. Unsuitab le paint mixture (5) 33 C heck s par ts of p a n t s (5).34. Sound elicited by percussion over a cavity of the body (9),

Down

I, Eros comes back with a painful e s ion (4). 2. Ill -fee lin g ( 7). 3. Gradual decrea s e of temperature and pul se rate in pyrexial illne ss (5).

4. Not ak in g proper care of t h e patient (9),5. Re s pond to a st imulu s (5). 6. Sec r etio n of the testicles (5). 7. Encou r age to take a breath (7).

8. In comp ete fracture common in chi ldren (10),13 Are under g o in g change in a long period of time (3) 14, Aperient produced by Surrey seamen (5.5) 16. Co ld part of poultice (3). 17 H e trips in for Bri g ht 's di sease (9) . 18. Indian tree sa lt (3),21. Ota lgia (7).22. Pa rt of circle involved in a reflex action (3). 24. Teach a new s k ill in a differe n terrain (7). 26. Tarsa l bone (5) 27. Hear abo u so ft li ver (5). 28. Influ enza epidemic of 1957 (5). 29 In fection of eyelid occurring in fir s yea r (4)

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 3 (81)

Across: I. Anaerobe; 5. Vapour; 10 Thumb; II Skin graft; 12 Maul: 13 Plus; 14 , Exto l ; 17 Acido s s; 19 , Wake s; 21. Acute; 22 Antimony; 24. Av.er.t; 26 High 28. Apse; 30. Addictive 32 Amino; 33 Te net. s ; 34 An.thi s.a n.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

Ltd, 10 Station Road West, , Canterbury, Kent. Phone: Canterbury (0277) 54787

ST JOHN REVIEW

Contents

At Random, by Watkin W. Wi ll iams p 97

Our future in your hands,

Training the enjoyable way p.99

The young amputee , by Dr Ian Fletcher p.100

Around and About, by the Editor p.104

Ouestions and Answers: 7 p 107

Seminar in Nairobi, by Gp Capt John S iessor

What

Cadet

Order investiture, March 15 p.112

Readers' Views p.114

Artificial resuscitation and the laryngectomee , by B. K. Middleton P.115

News from Scotland-Wales p_116

Electricity Supply national first aid competition p 117

News from Divisions Centres p.118

THE DAY before I was discharged from hospital I read in The Times a feature article by Henry Stanhope entitled' Almost worth breaking a leg for . B y a s trange coincidence it said very much the same thing s as I'd already decided to write to you in 'At Random' this month, and I'm in no way deterred by the fact that The Times has got in fir s t! There were differences , of cour s e - s uch a s that Henry Stanhope was in a 9-bed orthopaedic ward in Westminster Hospital, London , while I wa s in a 30-bed medical ward in St Margaret' s Hospital, Epping. But the main difference was that I had known what to expect from the moment that an ambulance whisked me off to hospital with a heart attack at 4 o'clock one morning, and I had complete confidence in the high quality of treatment that I should receive all along the line; whereas Henry Stanhope was quite frankl y very much surprised to find that -I quote hi s v ords' t he quality of service I have received from doctor, nurse s , switchboard operators , porters, ambulancemen , cleaners and the lady who brings t he tea is amazingly good and, astonishingly, free'. And he continue: The NHS, on my experience during the past se ven days, has looked like something well worth fighting for. ' His article was the first stroke of his cudgel in it defence. No doubt I've so far been very luck y in ha ing seldom been a patient in hospital, but I don't for on e moment regret having twice spent about a fortnight in a large and very busy public ward in an NHS hospital , t he earlier occasion having been in a surgical ward at the King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, about 19 years ago. On both these occasions I ve come away feeling that anyone who has never done this has missed one of the most valuable experiences in life . And while I ha e no doctrinaire objections to your booking your elf a 'paybed' (and t h us incidentally saving the Trea s ury mone ) if you prefer to do so, I would personally alwa)s choose to be nursed in a pub lic ward unle s there were quite exceptional reasons for doing otherwise.

I co ul d give you many reasons in support of thi iew , but there are two which I regard a ab olutely paramo u nt: C o nrinll ed all p. 106

In 1979 Brigade membership in the UK fell by 3000. Soon we'll get the 1980 figures. If this is not to be a continuing trend, action must be taken NOW! says MERVYN

MALCOLM, County Director Devon

OUR FUTURE IN YOUR ,HANDS

IN ANY well run business it is a wise managing director who, planning well ahead and analysing both current and potential trends is able to guide his company through the vicissitudes and vagaries of recession and trade slumps. So it must be with St John Ambulance for, as a voluntary and charitable organisation, we are all the more vulnerable to 'the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'. You may ask if, in fact, such an organisation as ours is capable of detecting adverse trends and taking the appropriate action. To those who may seriously doubt our ability to acf rather than react, I need only ask you to look at the many improvements and changes that have taken place over the years We have now our own sea rescue service in many counties, the St John Air Wing and Aeromedical Services offer a unique and superlative service to the public at large both here and overseas. Our international operations have grown so rapidly that overseas membership has outstripped the United Kingdom. In spite of the transfer of ambulances to the Area Health Authorities we probably have as many if not more ambulances, buses, caravans and coaches than ever before Our cadets are offered adventure training on sailing ships and our nursing and ambulance members serve in Rome and Jerusalem, to mention but two cities of particular significance to the Order of St John. These are some of the positive and successful undertakings, but the question must surely be - are they enough?

In 1979 there was a national drop of 3000 in Brigade strength A drop has been noticeable for some time now but the 1979 pOSItIOn indicates a dangerous and frightening trend and could place St John Ambulance in a highly vulnerable position were it to continue. This trend shows a pronounced weakening in the strength of Ambulance and Ambulance Cadet Divisions with a corresponding, but lesser increase in the Nursing and Nursing Cadet Divisions. The position would therefore suggest that, if the trend continued unchecked St John Ambulance could become a predominantly female oriented organisation. There is of course nothing wrong with that. What gives cause for concern, however, is that such a profound change in the ratio of female to male members would necessitate a re-appraisal of duties, responsibilities and functions within both the Association and the Brigade

Thus, if we are not to let this particular trend continue, it requires remedial action to be taken now, not when it is too late to stop the inevitable from taking place

The answer, if we all desire St John Ambulance to stay and grow as we want it to, is for the Association and Brigade to join forces in a combined effort to improve recruitment to all Divisions and to all Association Centres and Branches If we set ourselves this task then we mu s t seek to understand the reason s for ' the p r esent trends. I have little doubt that the reason s are common throughout the country with perhaps unique circumstances dictat ing other cau ses in some areas. It is nevertheles s conceivable that there could be difference s even within some counties. Although Association Officer s and Brigade Staff have undoubtedly given serious thought to the problem, there are some rea s on s which may have contributed to the situation: e.g

Not enough advertising and local publicity by Centres and Branches to maintain local intere st in S John activities.

Not sufficient or detailed enough liaison with local schools to inform and recruit future cadets

Inadequate contact with Parents and Teachers' Associations to stimulate interest in St John

Failure to seek the advice and active help of St John County HQ or Headquarters in the publicity , promotion and general advertising of St John in general.

A total lack of local and county newspaper liaison to obtain the support of the media in coverage of St John Ambulance newsworthy events The same applies to TV and Radio in Devon.

A reluctance to offer Emergency Aid Courses and other allied short courses to the public at large, thereby denying the Brigade the opportunity of obtaining interested and willing recruits

An aversion to spending Association funds for the purpose of encouraging recruitment to the Brigade and for the purchase of essential uniforms, particularly for cadets

Commensurate with these basic omissions, it is accepted that the following deterrents to recruitment and retention of serving members are a contributory factor in the fall off in male members:

Pressures upon cadets of both sexes imposed by the crucial and critical period of school examinations at a time

appointm e n t o f A ss o cia tion Pr es id e nts and C h a

n ever fa il t o pr ovi d e for un i fo rm s a n d equipm e n t.

10 A d op t a p os iti ve attit ud e to h e futu re v ia bili ty of t h e Orde r by co n ce n trati n g o ve r t h e next few years on

7.

when they should be con s idering promotion to the Adult Division.

A lack o f interest i n jo ining or continuing in the Adult Di v ision becau se of a failure to create intere s ting eve ning classes and to offer stimulating s ubject s with challenge and motivation.

Economic neces s i t y forcing adult members to f ind evening or we ekend work offering s ome f orm o f remuneration

The failure of St John Ambulan ce o produce a na t ional programm e calculated to re- vitali se fl ag gin g inte rest, offer challenge and b r ing about a s piri t of moti v ation and e xc item e n t compatible with the age we li ve in and capable of over c omin g t h e bland is hment s a nd se du c tion s o f a hedonis t ic so c ie t y.

You will no doubt be able o a dd to this li s t with the added a d vanta ge o f rel a tin g th e lo c al s i uat i on t o yo ur pr ese n t circum s tance s.

Can we , all of u s, no w do s omethin g to revi ve the intere s t in St John A mbul a nce and c reate an a t mo s ph e re o f mod e rnit y and challenge t o both new recruit and es tabli s hed member? To u s e a mod e rn ex pre ss ion le t 's 'g e t with it befo re it is too late The A ss o cia tion lo gi ca ll y pl ays a major role n thi s effor t b y en co ura g in g, supporting and working with the Bri gad e t o reverse the trend in t h e s hort est p oss ibl e time. We can a cc ompli s h mu c h w ith relatively little e x penditure of additiona l time and money

A programme of ten integrated a c ti vit ies is therefore recommended :

I Increase immediately all E mergenc y Aid and allied 'sho r t cour ses for the public.

2. Liai se with all local school s and Paren t- Teacher Association s to increas e cadet re cruitment.

3 Hold regular 'Getting to know U s coffee evenings and film s and demonstrations.

4. Appoint an As s ociation Centr e/ Branch Press Officer to keep your local and / or county newspaper TV and Radio stations aware of your activities

5. Produce or obtain from County HQ promotional material, posters and other items calculated to revive and stimulate interest in St John

6. Assist Divisional Officers in devising interesting evening classes by bringing in outside speakers whose subject matters closely relate to our work The

t h e Bri gade t o g u a ra n tee int erest i ng lect u re s a nd tra i n ing sess io ns a t a ll ti m es for St J o hn m e m be r s as we ll as h e pub lic.

9 E n s ure t h at a ll servi ng me m bers of St Joh n a re properly clot hed in the appro pri ate u ni fo r m a nd tha t u n ifo r ms

as we ll a s Assoc iat ion badges a re worn

as muc h a s possib le and at t h e im es and places p r esc ri bed by Brigade Gene r a l

Regu la ti ons The Associat ion m ust

be considered as a s ignificant element to planning. You m ay t h ink t h at some of thi s is being done. R egretfully it is not bei ng done with

t h e intensity, integration and total commitment so nece ssary to achieve unqualified s ucce ss - and unqualified success and n othing less should be our task and objective. Association Officers and Committee member s mu st involve themselve s in all St John activities by all the means at their di sposal, but particularly by applying the principle s of the Ten Point Programme ju st outlined. Never before in our hi story ha s the need for total co-operation between t he Association and the Brigade become s uch a vital urgent prerequisite for growth. I ask you all to lay a side the differences, real or imagined, and to take part in a revival of all that the Order of St John stands for. Can anyone doubt our combined ability to s ucceed and to add even greater lustre to our name? Our future is in your hands. Take it and hold it with pride.

(Reprinred f rom SJA Devon's News)

Training the enjoyable vvay

T HIR TY Staffordshire cadets went o n the county's f irs t adventure tra ining weekend for over 15-year - o lds in January. I wa held at the 48-acre Kibb le to ne Scout camp site, which has full accommodation, a shop and a warden, a s we ll a s very varied terrain for outdoor activities. Having wo r ked c o e ly w ith the Scouts for ma n y years, SJ A Staffs were given s pecial permission to use the centre, which is normally for Scout groups on ly. Three Scout instructors put our girls and boys through se sions on absei li ng a cliff face, orienteering, and

pioneering (wh ic h incl uded building a bridge across a stream). There were films, an evening around a camp fire, a talk on casualty sim ulation by the new County Supt, fire drill at 1.30 am, cookhouse duties, and an emergency search for two 'missing' hikers which deve loped into a f irst aid exercise when the injured hikers h a d to be stretchered over the bridge (bu il t earlier) to a fir s t aid post.

The cadets liked the realism of the training and the fact that learning first aid can be enjoyed.

(Above) Nursing cadets, in winter gear , set about some orienteering. ( L eft) A bit frightening at first but abseiling down a cliff face soon becomes <. almost second nature (right ), like a fly on the wall

Staffordshire

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE

It is truly amazing what can be done by

THE YOUNG AMPUTEE

says Dr IAN FLETCH ER MRCS, LRCP Assistant Surgeon-in-Chief

FOR THE PAST two decades I have been very much involved with young people who have had either an amputation or been born with malformed or missing limbs. Never do I think of these patients as disabled people --.:. they are more like champion golfers because they have ABILITY and a handicap.

Everybody coming into contact with these people should think positively; they s hould consi der what the individuals are capable of achieving, NOT what they may be unable to accomplish.

All readers of Sf John Review can help enormously, exactly how will be explained s hortl y.

When dealing with a patient a doctor is usually involved with three forms of treatme nt.

1. The patient's condition must be treated.

2. The patient as an individual who has worries and fears must be treated.

3. The patient's relatives must be treated.

A considerable amount of time has to be devoted to the third treatment when dealing with children, but the first is usually easy.

Imagine the anxiety of parents whose child has met with a serious accident resulting in the loss of a limb. Many question s are asked and (in the early stages) some could more readily be answered by a clairvoyant than a doctor! Regrettably, misleading and inaccurate information is sometimes given to parents by so-called friends who are in no way qualified to comment on such matters The same applies when a de for med baby is born.

Expert advice is essential from the start. Strangely enough good news is hard to accept. Many a parent has told me, in later years, that they could not believe me when I assured them that their infant, born with a short or absent leg, could play football and other games; that a baby born with one arm could play a violin or even more surprisingly that a completely armless child could become independent and drive a car!

The greatest handicap these people have is the barrier of ACCEPTANCE by the so-

called able-bodied. Not because the latter are hard hearted but because they are i1linformed about handicapped people

Acceptance

Of vital importance to the child is its acceptance by the parents and ALL OTHER members of the family. However this does not mean that it must be fussed over and have everything done for it! Also important is the fact that brothers and sisters must not be allowed to feel neglected Needless to say it can be very difficult for parents to strike an even balance particularly with a young severely handicapped child who needs considerably more than normal attention until it has learnt to fend for itself. Those closest to the child must appreciate that the greater the handicap the greater the need for personal independence and this must be encouraged as soon as possible

It is the prerogative of grandparents to 'spoil' the third generation but this must never be allowed to go too far.

Most children like adventure and competitive activities, often with a spice of danger. Handicapped youngsters are no exception, in fact, many are far more venturesome than some of their able-bodied peers

It is good for them to join one of the many youth organisations and I Clan say that the Scout, and Guide Associations respectively, are geared to deal with the wide variety of physical and mental handicaps. Great encouragement is given to youngsters with an infirmity and the two Associations ensure that the handicapped integrate well with the able-bodied members

One 12-year-old boy with a very high amputation following a road accident told me that the time he really felt the same as everyone else was during his Scout meetings, yet he was the only one with a handicap!

When children ask their parents or teachers why another child has a missing limb, why some have to use crutches or be in wheelchairs, a rational and simple explanation should be given One should never make a mystery of the condition and above all the enquiring child should never be allowed to assume that the handicapped

person is in any way inferior. So often the reverse is true!

The more the handicap mix on equal ter ms with the able-bodied the greater will be the understanding and ACCEPTANCE of such people

Schooling

The next hurdle to be overcome is that of ACCEPTANCE by schoolteachers and fellow pupils at school. Guidance for the staff concerning a particular handicap may well be necessary, preferably by someone dealing with the child's treatment.

Unless the child's handicap is very severe attendance at an ordinary school is advisable, although extra time may be needed when changing after physical education and games, particularly if the child has only one arm.

It is natural for those in authority to be anxious in case a pupil is injured but when one sees the activities some of these youngsters engage in - when left to their own devices - doubts about their ability will quickly vanish. I have seen a boy with two artificial legs climbing a tree and when about 8ft or 9ft from the ground just drop, remarking that it 'does not hurt' (tax payers excluded) !

The mother of a 10-year-old boy with an artificial leg told me that he must have overheard a remark lance made to her. I had said I would be prepared to write to the school if ever reassurance was necessary concerning the boy's ability to t ake part in all school activities. He had been extremely

A left arm amputee climbing the ri gging of the training ship Sir Winston Churchill

Dr Fletcher is Senior Medical Officer, Limb Fitting Centre, Roehampton, London Photo opposite bV N & J Croucher

The Young Amputee (cont.) well accepted at the schoo l, but a teacher told the parents with some amusement that she had recently advised the boy not to tackle some rather hazardous activity in the gymnasium. He told her, in no uncertain terms, that if he was not allowed to take part she would get a letter from Dr Fletcher! Permission was granted!

Employment

The shadow of employment loom s when it is time to leave school. This is a worrying enough time for any youngster who suddenly realises what a cold and uninviting place the outside world can be. The teenager with a physical handicap has a greater problem because, once more, ability has to be proved and ACCEPTANCE gained.

The more severely handicapped the person the greater is the need for a good education, thus allowing for a wide range of occupations. It is pointless, however, making a child work for '0' and 'A' levels if he does not have the academic ability One should look for whatever talent exists and foster it promptly, however incongruous it may seem when allied to the physical state of the individual, and suitable training should then start as early as possible. Many a youngster has been channelled into an unsuitable occupation because he had 'no idea' what to do. Those responsible for placing and employing the handicapped must not assume that a person who has lost one or both arms is unable to work alongside the able-bodied and perform a skilled manual

job efficiently. I have accompanied some of my young patients to interviews and have experienced the prejudice and incredulities s hown by Personnel Officers and even Medical Officers.

On one occasion a completely armless youth was making very little headway until I handed him a small screwdriver and suggested that he dismantle and then rewire an electric plug in the interviewe r' s office. This he accomplished within a few minutes after whipping off his shoes and socks! This lad subsequently passed the test for the Institute of Advanced Motorists before his 18th birthday.

Another young man, an apprentice electrotyper and engraver, lost an arm above the elbow in a motor cycle accident and because of his 'disabihty' he had his indentures withdrawn Fortunately I found that the secretary of the apprenticeship committee was very sympathetic but highly sceptical. Lengthy discussions ensued and having put my neck in a noose I visited first the lad's place of work and then the London College of Printing to see the exact nature of the many and varied two-handed tasks invol ved. Happily those concerned could not have been more helpful but no punches were pulled - the work was difficult. Lead slabs (formes) weighing about Y2 CWt had to be lifted, and molten lead had to be poured from a huge ladle, but I had faith in my patient and in hi s ability to overcome his handicap with the aid of an artificial arm and convinced the apprenticeship committee His indentures were restored; his apprenticeship resumed and completed. Three years later and unknown to my patient I recei ved an invitation to the prize giving ceremony at the London College of Printing where I had the great pleasure of seeing my patient

with one leg and one hand

receive the BEST STUDENT AWARD in addition to another prize! How fortunate he was in having an under sta nding employer and apprenticeship committee who gave him a chance.

In contrast I know another young man, born with no arms, who was given employment in Tunbridge Wells. It was made very clear to him that he was lucky to be given a job! As the years went by no promotion came hi s way. Eventually he asked why he had been overlooked and wa s told that any alteration in his status would mean his meeting the public and under no circumstances could this be allowed! Who should one feel sorry for - my patient, who was a married man with two children, or the pathetic individual who blocked his promotion?

It should be mentioned that people born without arms become extremely dext r ous with their feet and those who may have arms and no hands can use their forearm or wrist stumps with amazing skill. One such person plays the piano and other mu s ical instruments and despite the fact that he also has two artificial legs maintains that he is not disabled since he is completely ndependen t.

The sense of touch at the end of an arm stump in a person born with an absent hand is as good as a normal finger tip, therefore artificial limb s are usually scorned by suc h individuals. However, people who have the mi s fortune to LOSE one or both hands or arms are never able to do what the congenitally affected people can achieve because the sense of touch is so much poorer. Following the supply of artificial arms, the latter may undergo training in such occupation s as welding; spray painting; shorthand and t yping and clerical work, to name but a few.

A boy with one hand demonstrating an appliance for holding a bow

One of my patients with both arms amputated above the elbow teaches art; there are others who have the dreadful handicap of blindness in addition to the lo ss of both hands and some of these have been trained as switchboard operators. A few engage in such activities as carpentry, bowls, and one even plays darts!

For the less seriously handicapped, hobbies and pastimes know no bounds.

My consu ltin g room contains many photographs of patients engaged in various pursuits and others posing with t heir trophies. There are copies of many certificates awarded to handicapped children together with examp les of their paintings, needlework , ceramics, Airfix and hand-carved models, etc, performed often with the aid of an artifical arm. One little girl ha s won prizes for ballet and another with one arm plays lacro sse and became the Sports Person of the Year of her local club for her prowess at games.

Among the legless people who attend my clinic may be mentioned a champion yachtsman who, in his teen s, used to ask for 'ano ther couple of inches' to be added whenever a new pair of leg s was to be made. Since he averaged two pairs of limb s a year he soo n towe red above me! then learned that it was a distinct advantage for a yachtsman to be tall, as it is frequently nece sa ry to lean far out of the craft when sailing. Needless to say he wins many of his races!

Another patient, who lo s t both his legs at 19 has become an experienced mountaineer with the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Eiger a ju s t three of his conquests. He has recently returned from the Andes where he was about to sca le the 23,DOOft peak of

Aconagua, but as one of his legs broke he abandoned this idea in favour of the 17,ODOft ice-covered Ameghino which he climbed on one leg and crutches in four day s!

Yet another of my patients who lost a leg as a boy is a celebrated professional pianist. One other person, born with only one hand, became Viceroy of India and later Chancellor of the Exchequer (one usually a ss umes that the holder of the latter office need s more not less than the usual complement of hand s)!

Earlier sai d that readers of the Sf John Review could help handicapped people and thi s can be done in the following way. Let t be known that whatever the handicap the y proQably have capabilities, often in excess of able-bodied people!

Should our read ers be employers, then do not be afraid to offer employment or at least give handicapped individuals a chance of displaying their ability. If there are limitations the people concerned will usually reveal them. Understanding is what is wanted not sympathy. The vast majority of physically handicapped people make excellent employees. It may be that they are aware of the necessity to prove they are no les s capable than other employees. Regrettabl y, though, many have been exploited.

Let Shakespeare have the last few words'In nature there's no blemish but mind

None can be called deformed but the unkind'

Disabled People Chairman Dr Jessie Parfit j (centre) with Mrs Jane Turner , British Red Cross Society and Dr Terence Ryan SJA Comm ssioner , Oxfordshire

Getting up those steps

A BECKER scissor lift installed at Alison Hou se, London, NW8, a hort stay home for mentally andlor physically handicapped children and young people, is u se d to raise and lower handicapped children, u ually in wheelchairs, from pavement leve to the front door of the house at ground floor leve l -a hei ght of abo ut llOOmm. (Photo right).

The cisso r lift which ha s interlocked gates,. be ll ows and a remOle power pack, wa lI1 sta lled becau se many of the children and young people who stay at the house cannot climb the existing s tairway due to their physical disabilities.

The ma tron of Alison House, Miss J. Reynold, aid 'For various reasons it was inappropriate to construct a ramp up to the front door of the house Such a ramp wou ld either have been too steep or have spoilt the existing steps. However, now that this 11ft has been installed we no lon ge r have to pull wheelchairs up and down the stairway.

(Left) A swimming award for a boy

GUERNSEY AWARDS

Two Divisional Surgeons in Guernsey have received awards from the Royal Humane Society 'in recognition of conspicuous acts of courage and bravery'. The incident occurred last June when a ferocious bull attacked and killed a man, and injured a woman. The woman was lying in a field, unable to move.

Dr Michael Mowbray, Divisional Surgeon of the Guernsey Ambulance Cadet Division, and his wife Dr Susan Mowbray, Surgeon of the Guernsey Nursing Division, who live nearb y the field raised the alarm and entered the field, despite the fact that the excited bull was still loose. They were able to g ive the woman pain-killing injections while waiting for the arrival of the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service

Dr Mowbray and his wife received Royal Humane Society Awards on vellum, presented to t hem by the Bailiff of Guernsey, Sir John Loveridge.

Al s o at the award ceremon y were PC Michael Falla, and the farmer and his son, who together succeeded in driving the bull into an adjoining field while the emergency services tended the victims. They received awards on parchment for their action.

Sir John paid tribute to those involved saying : 'They have the grateful thanks of the lady and the relatives and friends of the person the y res c ued, who was in imminent and terrible danger of further attack by a ferocious bull w hich had at acked her and which had jus killed a man.'

Drs Michael and Susan Mowbray have also been awarded the Order's Life-Saving Medal in Bronze for t heir action at the incident.

ROYAL TOURNAMENT

The St John Ambulance performance at the Tournament in the presence of HRH The Grand Prior, will be during the evening session on Monday, July 27, which start s at 7.30 The Br igade will present a display in the arena during the performance and it is hoped the event will be supported by parties

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

Sir John Loveridge , Ba liff of Guernsey Ii (extreme right!. with Div Surgeons Drs Michael and Susan Mowbray, P C Michael Falla, and th e farmer and his son - they all received awards for s a ving a n injured woman from a ferocious bull See GU ERNSEY AWARDS.

(Photo : Guernsey Press) of members

Leaflet s giving details of the booking procedure, with a price reduction for parties of t en or more, are included with this issue.

OBE FOR Congratulation s to Colonel Donald Macmillan, TO MB, MFCM Area Commissioner for Leeds & Di s trict (South & We s t York s), who, as we have re c entl y been informed, was awarded the OBE in the New Year Honour s in recognition of hi s services as Director of the Nuffield Centre for Health Service Studie s, Leed s University.

CANCER SYMPOSIUM

The Marie Curie Memorial Foundation' s 13th annual sy mpo s ium , 'Cancer - a panoramic view', is to be held at The Ro yal College of Surgeons of England, London, on May 28 Full details from the

oundation,

POTATO - APPLE - CREAM I hear that s ome 150 c ad

Lon sdale Ar ea durin g Fe b r u ary T a lk s included: Liftin g th e Di sabl e d , h e Duk e o f E dinburgh 's A w ard Sc h e m e, a nd Kno w ledge o f the Order Th e re we re di scu ss ion g r o up s, a nd th e n ea fo r eve r y one A t ea of po a t o pi e, f ollowed b y appl e pie and c rea m (I b et h a t was popular.) And h e n followed a d isco (I onl y hope that te a didn 't int e rfe re too much.)

Apparentl y it didn 't. Ev e ryo n e, is repor t ed t hor o u g hl y enj oye d the d ay.

INSTRUCTORS' CHAT

C. H. Rom a n Di v Office r L o nd o n , writ es: Durin g a re cent simulat ed acc id e nt exe rc se, two ex perienc e d fir s t -a id ers repor te d on th e same ca s ualty'. One report re a d 'a s u spe ct s welling near hi s left wri s t over he bon e runnin g along th e thumb s id e o f th e lo we r arm The oth e r rep o rt re ferred to a po ss ible fracture of the di s tal e ft r a diu s'. Both report s des c ribed and lo c at ed th e s u s pe c ted injury The fir s w rit e r u sed everyda y lan g ua g e althou g h , for t h a t very rea son, hi s report s rather long at ninet ee n word s and it require s reading with s ome vi s ual imagination. He e xplained lat er that he had repeatedly oeen reque s ted to couch reports in thi s manner The second me ss age was unambiguou s and brief at onl y eight word s bu t it would have to r e ly on the reader' s familiarit y with two non-ever y day

Wh en t he Prim e Mini st e and Mr D e nnis

That ch er recently vis ited the Chas e ey Home for Disabled Ex- Servicemen in Eastbourn e Supt Mr s Dori s Andrew s and N C Fran ces lloyd of Eastbourne N C D iv si on were introduced to them The cadets help t o fe ed th e home 's 36 patients for two

(Photo

ABOUT

BY THE EDITOR

wo rd s: Rad iu s', the anatomic name of t he b o n e in q u e ( ion, and 'Distal', w h ich indi c at es th e end of h e bone furthest from th e b ody (' Proximal' would have denoted t h e area of the bone neare st the body ce ntr e).

It s sure ly with i n the capac it y of all but a tin y minority of fir t-aiders to understa nd a nd to u e a few generic nam e of term s, genera acceptance of which would great ly s mplify and c larify written and verba l co m muni ca tion s about common first aid and nur ing matter. Le than three dozen word s would probably cover our basic need s and many people will a l ready be fami iar with some of them.

Occa ionall y onc hcar ay in st ructor s ay something like I won t u s e long foreign so u ndi n g name when 1 teach; ordinary p ain English s good enoug h for fir aidwe're not training medical tudent !' I eems to me that thi rigid altitude is unnece arily restrictive and says more about tho e in str u ctors than about their

Lonsd a e Area, Lancashire, IS saYing farewell to Stanley Harrop SEN SRN , RCNT QN, Nursing Officer to Blackpool Nu rSing DIVISion Stanley, who started nursing as a 17 year old in the RAF formed Bla ckpoo Combined DIVISion In 1971 later moving to Pou lton Nursing DiviSion now has so many comm itment s that he just doesn have the lime needed to be a

TODDLERS CLUB

Advantages

Some people get sati s faction from using the correct terminology which, it has also been claimed , gives a more preci se de sc ription to a doctor in casualty reporting. A compromi se solution is to offer the students both desc ription s (collar-bone / clavicle) but it must be emphasised to th e m that the purpose of first aid training is that they can carry out the correct diagno sis, treatment, dispo sa and reporting The use of technical term s doe s not necessarily improve the s tandard of these activities and for some might cause unnecessa ry error.

Test your Knowledge of the Manual: 7 QUESTIONS and ANSWERS by Roy Jackson and Bruce Coltman

1. A fracture is a or cracked 11. The transport of the cas ualty s hould be as as pos s ible.

2. In young children, thi s break ma y be 12 A fracture of the vault (cranium) is incomplete and thi s is called a usually caused by force. fracture.

3 Two types 01" force can cause a 13. A fracture of the base of the s kull is fracture. These are: (a) (b) usually caused by force 14 The casualty with a fractured sk ull

4 Where the skin surface is not broken s hould

5.

Three long-serving members of Liverpoo A rea are presented with their 45

service certificates by

J. E. C ook. (L

R) D S Fred Jones (Speke Div) ASO(C) Wilf Spe n cer, Mr C ook a nd D S John Burns (Live pool Ce nt ra Div). Well done, gentlemen!

stude n ts or what is good for first aid.

If one takes a little time and care to explain the meaning of a few pertinent terms and initially uses such 's horthand' toget her with the more longhanded descriptions, it is my experience that students soon prefer the proper ter minolog y and use it naturally with obvious enthusiam The benefits from a little explanatory effort include precise unders tanding by pupils and their increased confidence through express ion in so me appropriate first aid language. Is there really anything detrimental in t hat? It is nonsense to conduct a lecture at a pace and presentation le ve l geared to the slowest and least able listener. It is also nonsense to imply that lea rning a limit ed number of specia li sed terms is stretch in g average ability. It is just not true.

On the other hand, it may well be true that a few in st ruc tors - and some otherslack the confidence to use and te ach a

handful of generic te rm s In which case the rest of us ought not to be put off by any const raint s they seek o impose.

We s hould a lways st riv e towards hi g her sta nd a rd s, equally in those we in s t ru ct and in ou r performance as instructors. If we are keen on good first aid a nd proud to be it s advocates, it behove us to impart this ve ry important knowledge in t he best possib le manner. That calls for clear demon st ration of man y practical method s and clear presentation of facts and id eas. Toward s this end we rea ll y need, and deserve to use, a few conci se definitions of our own.

Whet her so me lik e it or n ot, first aid IS part of the medical care wor ld and we are entitled to use bit s of the sa me language if that wi n help us.

It might we ll be helpful , for the sake of conformity to select and publish in this magazine a s h ort 'vocabu lary' of term s wh ich are most usef ul in t he first a id context.

The certificated lay -in s truction courses are very concentrated but this fact wou ld not create any difficulties si nce th ere must

A group of members of London District's Lady Hospitallers Club (present and ex -SJA office s), which meets once a month in London Anyone interes ted in joining this keeping -in - touch club which was 60 years old last November , should get in touc h with the Secretary Mrs J Patt ie, 53 Cranborne Road Barking Essex, phone 01 - 5942489.

be so m e namin g of part' in any case, whichever la ngua ge is used - and there is no limi tation whatever when we chat' hop to the ambu lanc e men and nursing members in our o"vn or other divi ion s.

The Association Branch comments: Whet her to teach th e technical e rm or the si mple lay description (eg , pate ll a or kneecap) is co n tro ver ial, 0 a look at the pros and con s could be helpful.

Disadvantages

Students with poor to avera ge memorie and / or language problem cou ld find the technical term s difficult and de-motivating. [t is very ea y to make a mi take with the technical te rm but a lm os t imp ossib le to do so with th e lay description (eg, a broken femur ve rsus a broken thigh). Thi i very important when reporting ca ualtie

To conclude with two rhetorical questions:

[s it so und sense t o include tec hnical terms on th e inten s ive industrial courses where a co mplete beginner ha s to be co nv erted into a fi rst-a ider in four days?

Are we tempted to ask our bu tc he r for a sca pula of mutton ?

SUSSEX COMPS

The resu lt s of the Sussex County first aid co mp et iti o n , held on March 28, were:

Ambulance: 1st Horsham; 2nd Lancing; St John Counc il C up - Willingdon.

N ur sing: 1st Craw le y; 2 nd Eastbourne; St John Counci l Cu p - Lancing; Frances Denning S hi e ld - jointly Eastbourne and Craw ey.

Ambulance C adet : ] st Southwick; 2nd Worthing.

N ur s ing Ca det: I t Ha sti ngs; 2nd Ea tbourne.

London's

Big Run

9_ The s ign s and sy mptom s of a fracture 18 The organ mo st commonly in

are : (a) ( b a complicated fracture of the ribs is (c) ( d ) (e) the (f) (g) ( h) 19 A s ucking wound of the (a) (i) must be mad e (b) at once.

10. When examining an injured perso n the injured and uninjured 20. A fracture of the brea s tbone is u s uall y limbs whenever po ssi ble associated with _ injuries. Answers on p 117

ex hau stion - while the remaining 14 patient s were taken to hospital suffering from seve re exhaustion.

Many celebrities took part in the race, including Dail y Mail gossip columnist igel Dempster and the ubiquitous Jimmy Savile, w ho f ini shed in about fo ur hours and raised (in sponsorship) £50,000 for Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

1. As the so le patient in a private ward, one has no means of comparing o ne's condition with that of others, and can a ll too easily exaggerate one's aches and pains and, when inevitably left alone for considerable periods, brood ove r o ne's fears and uncertainties; this will n ot nece ss ari ly make one a se lfish and exacting patient to nurse, but it can very easily te nd towards doing so. I n a pub li c ward, the chances are, say, 30 to 1 that it' s abso lu te ly obviou s that one is NOT t he most cr iticall y ill pa tient in the ward. One can watch, wit h growing admiration, the nur sin g s taff helping others in greater need than oneself; one may even be ab le to help them, if o nl y by s howing so me re st raint and view in g one' s own condition in better perspectiveor, maybe, helping to take round the early mornin g tea trolley or freshening up 106

someone's pillows. Sharing in t he life of a large ward in ways s uch as these can undoubtedly be of great herapeutic va lu e. 2. Again, as the so e patient in a private wa rd , one ha s no means of knowing wha t t h e nursing staff are doing when they' re not actually attend in g to one' s own personal need s The true picture can only be seen by s haring in the life of a public ward, and this I believe to be the mo st important thi ng of a ll. Nur ses may, as H enry Stanhope says, have 'by a nd large the mo st env iable public image of a ll the professions' - but, my goodness, they've earned it! And that goes for the male nu rses as we ll as the g irl s. During the whol e of my rece nt s pell in ho sp ita l I never once saw or hea rd any member of th e nur s in g staff, male or female, at a n y leve l of training o r expe rience act or s pe ak in any way that was not ge ntl e, kindly , co mpa ss ionat e, pat ient, c heer f ul and esse ntially e fficient - not eve n at th e fag e nd of a 10 or 12 hour tour of duty during which they'd hardl y be en off thei r feet fo r lo nge r than it took to have a quick s nack; not even when d ea lin g w ith tragically disoriented pati e nt s w ho scarce ly

knew what th ey were doing or aying; not even in the early hour s of the morning when 3 patient s s imultan eous ly need urgent attention fro Ill the on ly 3 nur se on ni g ht duty in the ward.

These are the people w h o quite deliberate ly choose the prof"es ion of serv ing their 'lor d s and rna ter s th e sic k ', despite its long hour s on duty, it hard work, heavy re spo ns ibility , poor pay and frequent s hortage of staff a nd curtai lm ent of faci lit ies in the s uppo ed in terest of eco n omy. Quite a number of th e m have embarked o n nursing training as a resu lt of t heir hav in g been St John Ca det s, and their s hare of our total contr i bution to the Service of Mankind is beyond ca lcu ation.

T hi s is a fac t that we Illu St never cease to re m ember with immense g ra titude and a 'proper pride', t hat s s tripped of a ll conce it.

(P.S. Ju s t to reassure a n y friend s to whom the s ubj ect of thi s month' co lumn may come as a ur pr ise, I'm now back at home, taking life very quietly, doing exact ly what I'm to ld (!) and makin g s low but stea dy progress every day).

T H E O lympian spi rit - LO take part is more importa nt tha n to win - ce rtainly showed it se lf on London 's damp and sog g y st reets on Marathon Day, Sunday March 29. Organi se d by the Greate r London Counc il , directed by one -t ime Olympic c h amp ion C hri s Brasher, and sponsored by Gillette (a close ha ve ma kes yo u run further?), the great run was over a 26 1;4 -mile cO ur se whi c h began at Greenwich a nd ended on Co n st itution Hill.

Some 20, 000 runners from all over the world applied to enter the eve nt, but rigid qualifying co ndi t ion s by the organisers brought t hi s down to 6,700 starters, which is a pretty big field for a n y race. And of these 5,300 finished the course, which was an ex traordin a ry s ucce ss rate There is no doubt t hat Lo ndon 's fir s t marathon was an extraordinary eve nt , and an extraordinarily bu sy d ay for St John Ambulance

Over 600 Brigade volunteers, men , women a nd cadets from Greater London and the Home Counties, manned 35 mobile first aid uni ts, 50 ambulances and kept vigil all along the route de sp ite a solid downpour which s topped perver se ly at lunchtime, coinciding with the arrival of the last man home , 78-year-old Bob Wi se man. On the green of Constitution Hill there were two

An exhausted finisher is carried to the recovery tents

Reco ve r y Tent equ ipp ed with 150 mattre sses laid on bed s of st raw As the limping exhauste d runners flogged them se lves past t he finishing post, St John volunteers were rea d y with s pace blankets, foil wrappings to wrap around their shoulders, hot drink s an d, mo st important of alI, that one word 'Co ngratulation s' The fo il wrappings, rather like oven bacofoil, were ext remel y mpor ta nt aids, insul a ting the runners' bod ies against the cold once the race was over a nd helping to stabilise body temperature. In s ide the Recovery Tents , which were s upervised by Brigade personnel , volunteer ph ys iotherapist s worked non-stop rubbing soothing embrocation into screaming muscles , alongside 40 Brigad e professional nur ses and 12 doctors In alI, 528 runners were trea te d; 514 suffering from minor conditions - heada c he bli st er s a nd simple

The best runners were expected to compl ete the course in just over two hours. As it happened there were two outright winners who crossed the line together in 2 hours 11 minu tes and 48 seconds, the fastest for a Marathon run in Britajn. Di ck Beard sley, a 24-year-old American, and Inge Simenson, 21, from Norway, were fi rst past the post, hands gripped together in the exhilaration of total achievement. Trevor Wright, an Englishman , came third As a national and international public relations exercise, the London Marathon was perfect for the Bri gade. Overall first aid and medical c ontrol was o rgan ised b y Derek Fe nton, Commissioner, Greater London, an d John Gerrard, Deputy Commissioner. The se two kept in constant to uch with radio and television commentators and so were able to give exact casualty fig ure s and progress reports h roug hou t the day In fact communications were so good that casua lty figures reported on TV ne ws tallied with the real fi gure s for once. And in the public mind solid recognition of the ital role played by St John Ambulance at public events was firmly regis tered - for the time being anyway! Next on the agenda - the Ro ya l Wedding

SJA TROPICAL AFRICA Seminar • In Nairobi

by Gp Capt J. A. G. Siessor Secretary Overseas Relations

THE THIRD in the series of Overseas Regional Seminars was held in Nairobi from 10 to 13 March Previou s meetings had taken place in Singapore and Barbados, in 1978 and 1979 respectively.

On this occasion the area embraced was Tropical Africa, with representatives from the Commandery in Central Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Mauritius was also invited to attend and a UK team acted in a co - ordinating capacity. The Chief Commander took the chair and other UK delegates included Sir Leslie Monson, Marjorie Countess of Brecknock and Sir John Paul, whose appointment as Director Overseas Relations in succession to Sir Leslie has recently been announced. Once again, as in previou s years, the gathering was made possible by the generosity of the Trustees of the Commonwealth Foundation, whose financial grant contributed handsomely towards the expenses involved.

The official opening ceremony was performed by the Ministe r of Constitutional and Home Affairs in the Kenya Government, Mr Charles Njonjo, who is also the Vice-Patron of St John Council in Kenya The ceremony was also attended by Mr Michael Arrumm, Chairman of Council, and Sir Charles Markham, ViceChairman and Commander SJA. During his opening addre ss Mr Njonjo referred t o the tragic bombing of the Norfolk Hotel in

Nairobi on New Year's Eve and congratulated Brigade members, who were first to arrive on the scene, for their prompt and efficient service that night.

The main theme of the seminar concerned the teaching of first aid, simple nursing and hygiene in urban and rural areas in Tropical Africa, and much wideranging discussion on these topics occupied the first two days The meeting then directed its attention during the remaining day and a half to subjects of a more general interest to St John Ambulance organisations in Africa. Included in this category were visual aids, casualty simulation, fundraising and Brigade topics such as recruiting and leadership training. During the final session, each country was given the opportunity of ex pre ssing it s view on the lessons of the seminar; from these it was possible to deduce that it had been a valuable meeting in almost every respect, and that the contacts between countries, both in plenary session and more informally outside the conference centre, would do much to further the aims of SJA in the area. Moreover, le s t it be thought that 'all. work and no play' was the order of the day , all delegates were entertained to a most enjoyable dinner by the National St John Council in Nairobi on the evening of the first day. This was hosted by the Chairman of Council, Mr Michael Arrumm.

With the completion of this third se minar, it could be said that 'the first round ha s also been completed - with the three main geograph ical area s of the world all having had a c hanc e to participate. Whether we now think in terms of embarking on the second round must for the time being be a matter of con je ct ure. Like so many other thing s in these difficult times, any decision will almost certain ly re st on the availability of fund s Only time will tell.

Uganda Visit

WITH a weekend to spare in Nairobi before the Seminar began, I took the opportunity of s pending 24 hours in Kampala, for the purpo se of seeing how they were progressing in t heir efforts to rehabilitate SJA in Uganda, and of assessing what further help and advice they needed.

I was met at Entebbe airport by John Kintu and on the 20 mile drive to Kampala we were stopped twice at road-blocks manned by the Tanzanian Army. This very young and not all that fearsome looking soldiery, clad in their camouflaged s uits and bristling with automatic rifles, searched the vehicle with a benign enough air, ostensibly for illicit weaponry. Whether or not my presence in the front seat added any zest to their search one will never know; but rather surprisingly they did not require me to unlock my briefcase.

And so to Kampala, a depressing experience in every sense of the word. I heard it said sever al times that if things had been bad under Idi Amin, and a bit worse immediately following his downfall, now the general situation is twenty times worse - and one could believe it. I cannot recall see ing one s hop containing anything in the way of merchandise, and several blocks in the main shopping st reet had been blown apart by Tanzanian rocket s during the fighting Some s treet s in Kampala do not have pot-hole s, they have craters six feet across and two feet deep, while others have no s urface at all. Everyday foodstuffs appear to be totally unobtainable, including bread milk, butter, sugar and salt; soap is also unheard of, and as for petrol two gallons after queuing for four hours is regarded as sweet success.

St John Ambulance in Uganda, or at any rate in Kampala, which was all I had time to see, are battling against overwhelming odds in their efforts to get the organisation back on its feet. As a s tarting point the HQ is badly in need of renovation, particularly the roof and windows blown out by a rocket landin g in the compound during the fighting. There was s ome hea vy rain during my visit and large pools of water in side the building are commonplace under such co ndition s. However the basis of a marked impro vement here is beginning to form; a co n siderable quantity of building material, window glass and paint ha s already arri ved from Nairobi and with the expected arrival of required roofing material in the near future work will start on the refurbishing operation. Most encouragingly, a recent s ur veyor s report pronounced the bu i lding s till only 20 years old, as being basicall y so und in the main structure On the training side things again are beginning to move. A ne w 16mm film projector and a considerable quantit y of equ ipment have been provided from the UK and first aid classes take place on a regular, if not very substantial, basis. Shortage of

in s tructor s is the problem and John Kintu doe s mo st of the instruction him self. The intention is to send out a training officer to run a course for lay instructors, when sufficient funding is available and conditions are propitious ; until that is po ss ibl e the pace will inevitably be slow. It was difficult to gain an accurate impre ss ion of how the Brigade was faring sin ce h ere was no time to see any units. Enthusiastic Brigade members there are, and available, with enough in the way of basic equipment provided over the last year and a half from the UK. Mr Watkin William s' articles in the December 1979 and January 1980 Review described the Brigade uni ts he saw in Kampala and Jinja, and one can be confident that the foundation of a viable organisation exis ts With help and e ncour agement from outs ide and, perhaps more important, from a more stable situa tion politically and economically within, the future of SJA in Uganda could b e promi sing. One sign o f their indomitable s pirit I did see: the St John choir in Kampala, comprising about 20 young men and women, performed a short repertoire of local folk songs in the Council Chamber with great gusto. A delightful interlude in an environment where outward manifestations of gaiety and joy are few and far between.

I stayed the night in the Anglican Church resthouse near the Cathedral and, like Mr Williams, was gi ven a s ucculent slice of pawpaw for breakfast , withom lemon juice! That and a solitary hard-boiled egg on a saucer comprised wha t fear \\ ould ha ve seemed an untold fea to much of the population whose staple dier would be unlikely to include such delicacies. Uganda now present s a sad face to the v isito r sad all the more-so since it is a beautiful country inhabited by charming p eople. One can only pray fo r its e\ entual return to some semblance of normality.

Group Caprain 1. A G. Slessor

Secrefary Overseas Relations

A pause in the talking. Front row (L to R): Sir Leslie Monson, Di rector Overseas Relations; Mr James Foster Commissioner Kenya; Maj-Gen Peter Leuchars, Chief Commander ; Marjorie, Countess of Brecknock , Chief President; Mr Michael Arrumm Chairman of Council Kenya; and Mr R. Ramphul Deputy Comm Mauritius

Mr Charles Njonjo , Minister of Constitutional and Home Affairs, Kenya Government officially opened the seminar On his left is Sir Charles Markham, Commander SJA and ViceChairman of Council

(Below) Mr Charles Njonjo and Sir Leslie Monson, D rector Overseas Relations, St John Ambulance Headquarters

Photos: D K. Kamanu, Nairobi

(Right) Gp Capt John Siessor, Secretary Overseas Relations; Mr Michae l Ar umm; Mrs Josephine Chadwick Executive

r etary SJA Nairobi; and (in foreground) Miss Rose Njetu Nursing

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SOUTH MOLTON, the pretty little market town which s helters on the we s tern slope of the E x moor National Trust , can count itself fortunate in many wa ys The population of about 3,500 knows little of unemployment.

We have our own ca tt le market which brings pro s perity to the town, and a coup le of fac t ories which alwa ys seem busy. We have our own s mall cot t age ho s pital and ju s t 12 mile s awa y is t he North De v on District Hospital, which opened j

w ant for nothing?

Early in 197 6 the local Lions Club presented u s with a 1967 Austin LD ambulance , w hich f ormerl y belonged to the Devon Ambulance Service and with all the equipmen t pre sented b y other organi sat on s of the town we were in bu sines s Our public du t ies run from about Ma y t o the end of October, so we looked around for other regular work for the ambulance.

So began our welfare t ran s port dutie s, which invol ved taking the elderl y , d isabled and hou se - bound to monthly meetings o f the old age pen sioners' as s o c iation Thi s was quickly followed by reque s t s from other organisations for similar help , and to g ether with wel f are evening s and other duties organised by the Brigade it wa s soon obvi ous that we required another vehicle

To ma r k the Queen 's Sil ver Jubilee a village club at Rackenford (a few mile s from South Mo ton) pre sented us with a 1972 Com me r PB minibu s. A fter havin g i ts roof extended a nd side - facing seats fitted (which can be removed to accommodate a stretcher) we u sed thi s ve hicle to extend the welfare transport s ide of our dutie s For th is and other welfare duties our Divi s ion wa s a w arded the Thwaite s Cup in 1977 and t he Sir Keith Joseph Cup in 1978 and 1980. As the demand for welfare tran s port continued, our thought s t urned to a vehicle speciall y for welfare. Our Au s tin, although s till an ex cellent ambulance for public dutie s is not s u itable for l o ng w elfare journ ey s , and th e Commer pr es ented s ome

t

So at the end of 197 9 the lo c a l Lion s C lub offered to help fin a n ce t he p ur c h ase of o ur third ambulance . T he D iv isi on bega n to sa v e hard also But w e ran into pr o bl e m s tr y in g to f ind a vehicle s ui table for

t

ey could s uppl y a s uit a bl e vehicle - but again the an sw er was no But t heir managin g director , Mr Jim C o o p er, s ugge s t e d that as the y s pe c ia li se d in coachwork

search appeared to be o

During

au t umn Meech s obta n

ver y clean and well c ared for Bed ford CF 350 which s po we red b y a quiet a nd ve r y

it y i fo u r w h ee lcha i r p at ie n ts plu s ix i tt in g pa ti e n t, w i t h drive r a n d attend a n t, o r e leve n s itt in g pat ie n

lu s c rew. T h e seat s a l face forward a nd a re of

s hap

-ty p e a f i tte d

m a n y c u s tom-bu i lt minibu ses. T h ey are u pho lste red in b lac k p vc w it h ce ntre breat h a bl e panel s. A s t h e veh icl e s d es ig n e d m ai nl y for we lfa re d utie s o th e r e qui p m e nt ca rri ed is li m i t ed to s t r et c h e r , f ir st a id b ox a nd bl ankets fo r a n y e m erge n cy. Apart from h e f1uor e ce nt a n d refl ec ti ve tape a n d t he St J o hn in s ig ni a, M eec h s carried o u t a ll th e pai n tin g a nd s ig n w ritin g a t C h a rd W h e n t h e proje c t w a c on ce ive d we h a d s e o u r s ig ht s on a Ford Tr a n s i va n conver on b y on e of th e we ll-kno w n compa

circu s

th e s h ow ? T w o in t ere s ti n g (if ra t h er s mell y) p laces t o v s it are a re fu se d is po s al s ite a nd se w age d is po s a uni t! Lo ca l people ma y al s o ha ve n tere sts t h at t he y w ould ik e t o s hare wi th your ca d e s - vet er a n ve hicl e own e r s, pi ge o n race rs, b ee- keep e rs, s hire hor ses o r tra c tion e n gin e o w n er s The se a re ju s a few id e a w hi c h with pl en ty of ad va n ced warnin g, m a n y p e op le w ou ld b e prep a r e d to h e lp in te r es t yo ur ca d e t s.

Oth e r pl ace to v isit c an b e ex p e n sive bu t th ey a re wo rth tryi n g for a da y o ut w i t h say a minibu o r coac h l o a d of ca d e ts. Yo u c ould join up w it h another d iv isi on to get th e numb e rs i f yo ur d iv ision is s m a ll. T h e follo w in g is ju s t a se ect ion , w rit e or ph o n e for de ta ls of part y ra tes, etc.

The Iusical Mu eum. 368 H igh Street, Breillford. M iddx. mperial .Var use u m, Lambeth Road, Londo n SE I.

SJA MUS IC MAKERS

Is this ba nd u nique?

THANKS to Ke it h D u nn , Train in g O ff ic er w th t h e Pr iory for Wales , f or etting me k n ow about the GWENT BAND

D I V ISION Based at N e wp o rt, his band di vi sion is run by Malcolm Be ll , w h o joi n ed

SJ A on ly three year s a g o af t er t aking an int er e s t in h e work of h s da u ghter who is a cade t. Now four me m be r s of the Be lJ f a mi l y a r e n th e Ba n d D vi si o n

T h e Gwe n t Ba n d Div s io n se e m s to b e un iq u e, fo r u ndersta nd it is a se par a te divi si o n co m p ri s in g ba n d me m be r s on ly Or t o pu t it a n ot h er way, every m e mb e r of t h e di vis i o n is in i ts b a nd! I u n d er s tand h at ni ti a ll y th is c aused s ome r ecru i t in g pr ob le m s, but as t h ey now h av e n ea rl y 50 m e mb er s t h e prob e m seem s no mo re.

CAD ET CH AT by J I M

Nationa l Maritime Museu m London SEIO 9NF.

T h e Scie nce Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7

200 Th e M use u m of Mankind, Burlington Gardens, London W I X 2EX.

T he Farmyard, National Agricultural Centre, Stone eigh, Kenilworth, Warwickshire.

The Tramway Museum, Crich, nr Mallock, Derbyshire, Canal Trips, Lorenz Bros, 26 Wors ley Road, Worsely, Manchester.

The atural H istory Museum, Wollaton Hall, NOllingham.

The Chatterley Whilfleld MillIng Museum, Chatterley. Whitfield Colliery, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent.

The ronbridge Gorge Museum, Ironbridge, Telford, Shrop hire.

The Talyllyn Railway, one of the greal lillie trains of Wales, Wharf Station, Tywyn, Gwynedd. Sudeley Caslle, Winchcombe Castle, Gloucestershire.

The Cheddar Cave, Cheddar, Somerset. Farway Countryside Park, Nr Colly ton, De\'on.

The alional Railway l u eum, York. F amingo Land Zoo, Kirby Misperlon, orlh Yorkshire.

If yo u h ave had a n y s u cc essfu l vis ts, p lease et m e k n ow so th a I can incl ud e them in a f u tur e li st.

1982 Cadet Diamond Jubilee

A s so m e of y ou m ay ha ve wo r ke d out, t h e

Com

Althou g h m a in ly c ad e t t h e re a re also a mbu lan c e a nd nur s in g members Th ey wea r sp ec a l d u ty t y pe p u ll o e rs w hen p la y i n g as a b a nd at lo ca fe t e, a rni va ls, p a r a de s, etc.

A point o f int e r es t for other b a nd s th a h ave t h e p rob e m of w h o pa s for t ra n sport to performances, Mr Be ll lea\es this to the or ga ni at io n req u esti n g the band. S t John C ad et m ovement will

Contributions

If

ORDER

INVESTITURE

Sir John Eastwood, President of Bilsthorpe

by the Lord Prior, London, March 19

AIC Division, and retired member of Nottinghamshire Council of St John who still gives much support to the Order, is invested as a Commander by the Lord Prior, Sir Maurice Dorman

James Kerr, Police Chief Constable and member of St John Council in Lincolnshire, becomes an Officer of the Order

COMMANDE R (Bro ther)

Col. Robert Pri ce, TD, QHP, MB, ChB (Manchester).

Sir John Bealby Ea twood (NOllS).

COMMANDE R (Sis e

Jean Marie, Lady Huntingdon · Whiteley

OFFICER (B ot her)

Cedric White ley Shaw, LMSSA (Salop)

David Wyndh::lm Evan, MRCS, LRCP (Merseyside).

James Kerr, QPM (Lincoln).

Col. Alexander McCalister (Northern Irelan d).

Christopher Selwyn Priestley Rawson (London SW3).

Herbert Forster (York).

Leonard Benjamin Wills, SEN (Essex)

Lt-Col Roger SUllon elthorpe, MBE, TD, JP DL (S. Humberside).

Peter Colin Higson (Norfolk).

Stuart Gordon Adam Forsyth, BA, MB, BChir, MRCS, LRCP, DCH (Kent).

J ohn Leonard Condra (Isle of Man).

John Percival Siocombe (Lincoln).

Christopher Leaver (London SW3).

Brevet Col. Denis Arthur Sydenham Hou ghton, OBE, MA, TD, DL (Pre ton)

James Dea s Galletly, BSc, IB, ChB, MFOM, MFCI\I (Middx).

OFFICER (S ister)

Maureen, Mrs Rumney (Worcester). Adela Jocelyn Carus, Mrs Houghton, JP (Lancs).

SERVI G BROTHER

Arthur Edward Chase Green, MBE, TO, DL (Suffolk).

vor William Hughes, MB, ChB (Merseyside).

Raymond Arthur Bellamy (Northants).

James Alexander Saunders (Kent).

James Stanley Glendenning (N. Yorks).

Stephen Henderson Alison (Surrey).

Stanley William Yates (Birmingham).

Henry Stephen Jamt:s Houl ton (Surrey).

Dr Stuart Forsyth, a British Railways lecturer and examine r with over 30 years' St John service, becomes an Officer of the Order

Ernest Newcombe (Mersey ide).

Gilbert John Bent (Northants)

John Christopher Gilford (Surrey).

H arry Bradley (S. Yorks).

Louis Bertrand Gonzalez, MB, BCh, DPH, MFCP (Suffolk).

Albert Jules Luxford (Middx).

Lawrence George Hall (West Midlands).

Neville Howitt Barley, MB, BS, MRCS, LRCP, DRCOG (London SWI9).

Sidney Thomas Anning (Mersey ide).

Frederick Douglas Mitchell (Norlhants).

Edwin Everitt, SRN (Middx).

Ralph Howd, SRN, RMN, BTA, DN (N. Yorks).

Bidhan Chandra Chatterjee, BSc, MB, MRCGP (West Midlands).

Thomas Patrick Crosby (London SW20)

Alec Noel Jones (Salop).

George Frederick Snowdon (Oxon).

Richard Lewis (West Midlands).

Christopher Harry Camp (Essex).

Ronald McDonald Gordon (Merseyside).

Richard Anthony Brown (Northampton).

A hur Wi ll iam Charles Kemp so n (Middx).

A bert John Co mer (Somerse t)

Mr H. Bradley, a co rpo ral with Handsworth Division, Sheffield Corps, with 45 years' Brigade service. becomes a Serving Brother

Forbes William H enderson, MB, ChB, DObst, RC DG (S. Yorks).

Edward Neville Coleman (London E 17).

Leslie Harris (Wilts).

Norman Graham Ford (London N7).

Gordon Viclor Willis (Surrey).

William John Lipscombe (Kent).

William Pr othero (Sussex).

David Charles Ross Lake (Sussex).

Robert Geoffrey Bainbridge Willis, MB, ChB, MRCS, LRCP, MRCGP, DCH, DObst, RCOG (Derbys).

SERV I NG S STER

Florence May, Mrs Kerr (London W4).

Margaret Mary, Mrs Doran (Norfolk).

Jean, MISS Porter (NOllS).

Linda Patricia Ruth, Dr Barbour (We t Midlands).

Joan Nellie, Miss Hayford (London NI4).

J oan Doreen, Mrs Buttle ( orthant).

Phyllis larjorie, Mrs Raine (South York ).

Amy Winifred, Miss Werre II (Oxon).

Irene Glady s, Mrs Nobb s (Esse ).

Brenda Winifred, Mrs Coe ( onhants).

Rub y Eileen Ann, Mr Bridge s, SRN (Wilts).

Maureen Dorothy, Mrs Wakeman, SEN (Wores).

Sktla Edith, Mrs Davidson (Surrey).

Lilian, Mrs Bennington (NOllS).

Margarel Dorothy, Miss Hughes (Oxon).

Mary, Mi ss Frankland, SEN (West Yorks).

Denise Thornton, Mrs Bodley (E sex).

Shirley Anne, Mrs Smith (Wilts).

Mary Ruth, Mr Baxter (Surrey).

Gertrude lary, Irs Henderson, MB, ChB ( Yorks).

FOLLOW IN G a recent survey of home accidents at some 20 hospitals cover ing over 60,000 cases treated, the publishe d results indicate that 33 per cent of a ll acc id enta l injuries in the home were cuts of one sort or another, with e lectrical shock at the bottom of the list. The act iv ity being undertaken at the time of the accide nt is rather interesting At play is top of the list and moving arou nd the hou se is second. T h e k it chen was the location at the top of the li st, wit h the garden, garage and the garden shed bein g well down the li st. The time of the year was rather surpris in g, November, December J a nu ary and Fe bru ary accounting for so me 31 per cent, with April, May, June and July accounti n g for over 36 per cent.

It would appear that nowhere is sa fe in the home today, even the o ld pair of slippers, perhaps n o t always old, accounted for a lm ost 750 accidents. One would feel safe wil h a cup of tea - in bed

is not the

that is the

it's the people who Ii e in

Wonder if t h ey had the same trouble when people li ve d in caves. One surprise on reading this summary - nowhere do pets occur. Maybe all the owners took the blame ; after all, no dumb animal are that dumb

(Left) Mrs S. E Davidson Surrey South West Area Staff Officer and fou nder member of Molesey Nurs ing Division with 26 years service, becomes a Serving Sister

(Right) Miss J M. Holloway SRN West Midlands Area

Rosemary, Mrs Shepherd (Sourh Devon ).

Alice, Miss Cox (Beds).

Isabel,

Mitchell (Surrey).

LEAVE OUR LEGS ALONE!

from Mrs Joyce Ford. Divi s ional Officer

I was infuriated by the comments of A/M P. Drew (March Review) regarding Our Image A good first-aider accepts the uniform of the Order with pride, and gets on with the job of first aid.

Can you imagine what legs, ranging from light beige to dark brown, would look like with our smart black and white uniform? I suggest that Mr Drew debag his ambulance members if he wants to, but please leave our black legs alone!

Get with it, get with it, the sheep do bleat,

Get with it and join all those you can't beat.

Change all the uniforms, wear synt hetic thread,

Who cares if you look like an unmade bed.

As long as you get with it, who cares about pride,

Individuals you know have lon g sinc e died.

Get with it and change yet ano r hat,

The old ones can go, like starc i1"J collars, for scrap.

Get with it, get with it, there' s n doubt about it, I shall remain forever, without it.

SO HANDS OFF!

Bishops Waltham Joyce Ford

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

from T. Higgins. Area Superintendent (A)

I must say how much I enjoy the Questions and Answers series, but an answer in the March issue puzzled me. Question 8 is: Bandage the hand with the palm held The answer given is 'Downwards'. But the Manual shows the palm of the hand uppermost.

Is not the common-sense answer the wound, burn, etc, uppermost?

Barns{ey T. Higgins

The Medical Dept replies: On page 64 of the Third Edition of the First Aid Manual, in the rules for the application of roller bandages, figures 62 and 63 show the roller bandage applied to the forearm with the palm held downwards, and on page 65 the text states 'Hand: With the palm held downwards - fix the bandage Perhaps there would have been less uncertainty in the answer if the question had been worded: 'When applying roller bandages to the hand, the palm should be held Edit: Our apologies if there was some confusion in this question.

THE REVIEW

from Mrs Evelyn Miller·Barstow, Area President

I read with interest (March Review) of the financial problems of our magazine On no account must we allow the Review to die.

Several organisations of which I am a member also produce magazines and all of them carry many more advertisements than the Review, which helps to cover the cost of production. I would suggest that travel firms, clothing, camera and book clubs might be approached to advertise in the Re view Weston -super-Mare Evelyn Miller -Barstow Editor: Thank you for the suggestion.

NURSING DUTIES

from Mrs S. Millen. Divisional Office r

During 1980 we undertook some bathing duties for our local Community Nurses.

As spare time for extra duties is a problem - for as with most other divisions our nursing members wor k full-time and have homes

to run - it was arranged to do the bathing once a fortnight on our normal practice nights. Travelling costs were kept down by transporting members in our mobile unit, dropping them on the outward route and collecting them on the return trip.

The Community Nurses were very grateful for the help ; the patients thoroughly enjoyed having new people visiting them; and practice nights were far more interesting with real patients. We have had a break to fit in a nursing course for the public, which has just been completed, and now look forward to taking up our bathing duties again.

Maidstone Nursing Div. Sheila Millen

CARDIAC MASSAGE

from Leonard Cox. ex full·time ambulanceman

I would like an interpretation of the strike given initially. Is it given with clenched fist or with the edge of the hand? I was recently failed at a re-exam for answering the edge of the hand, as the Manual gives. But has there been any recent change? I have since passed the reexam.

Ilford Leonard Cox

The Chief Medical Officer writes: There has been no change in the teaching given on page 76 of the Third Edition of the Manual, 5th impression onwards.

TEACHING METHODS

from Clifford Griffen. Divisional Officer

Thank you for the Review and its excellent range of interesting and useful items, particularly for the article The Background to Fir t Aid Training (Feb.), most of which I would agree with.

However, as a teacher of computer studies, with 12 year experience, could I make two points about the article:

1. (Trivial) Computer program is not spe lt 'programme'.

2. (Less trivial) Mnemonics are 'now regarded as bad teaching'.

Which ever educational theorist came up with that one wants shooting. I still remember mnemonics learnt in 1968 and my students in computing find them invaluable. Indeed some language s used for programs are totally mnemonic. Furthermore, severa l people that I have given first aid lectures to have found them invaluable.

In conclu sio n, instructors everywhere take note of G. J. Richards'

article, but I suggest you cross out the mnemonics sentence. Sufion Coldfield Clifford Griffin Editor: The author spells it computer programme and so do 1. Programme isn't a trade name or a proper noun, and we are publishing in England. How s hall we s pell 'space programme' - in English, American or Russian!

On the second point, in fairness to the author he wrote 'now regarded as bad teaching and are only used in medical schools'. I cut out the last seven words as irrelevant, but thi s does not alter what he says.

MANUALS AREN'T WHAT THEY USED . .. from Mrs J. A. Miller

Years ago when I first joined the Brigade the First Aid and Nursing manuals were much smaller in size and could be put in a pocket or handbag for reading when one had a moment to spare. also feel they contained more information (ie, pressure points and a description of the skeleton). Would it not be better to have smaller copies today? I refer to the revised edition 0 f 1951.

London SE23

Director of ""!1!1lies writes: Mrs Miller mu st be complimented on the

number of years she has served wit h the St John Ambulance. It is now over 20 years since the First Aid Manuals and the Home Nursing books were in a smaller s ize. Much of the change relating to size of the books has been determin ed by the printing industry. Even now, one can say from the million s of books produced that the size of the First Aid and Nursing Manuals conforms closely with the size of all popular books.

The content of the books is determined by the Medical Officers of the three conjoint Societies and it is the experience of these eminent medical men, together with continued enquiry into the field of first aid, that determines what eventually is printed in the books.

'WHOSE SCARF? from Mrs I. Errington When I arrived home from an investiture at St John's Proiry Church, Clerkenwell, on Thursday, March 19 , found a white scarf in my raincoat pocket. If the person who thought they put it in their own coat pocket would get in touch with me I will gladly send it on. 23 Fountains Crescent I. Errington London N4.

Artificial resuscitation and the Laryngectomee

by B. K. Middleton

AS COMPETENT first-aiders you have the knowledge to carry out Exhaled Air Resuscitation (EAR) to anyone in need of such ministration. And you will also know how to administer Holger Nielson and Sylve ter methods. These methods are fine for t he normal casualty, but how would you react if you came across a casualty who has had a laryngectomy? A laryngectomee is a person who has had their larynx removed, or partially removed, by s urgical operation. They breathe through a tube (stoma) inserted through the throat to the trachea (see fig. I).

Speech, as you have no doubt gathered, is of course affected (approximately 35070 regain some use of the vocal co rd s). There are some 750 laryngectomy operations performed in this country a year, but unfortunately the success rate is unknown. A laryngectomee is somet imes known as a NECK BREATHER.

Recognition

A person who ha s had a laryngectomy can lead a normal life and their outward appearance is no different from anyone else. However, before you start EAR, undo their clothing to the lower part of the sternum and you notice that there is some form of covering (pos s ible a Thackery bib) near the co llar line. This, if lifted, will reveal the stoma. Identification cards are usually carried, or you may find a SOS locket or bracelet, so be on the lookout for any of these.

Another clue is that if you start EAR and the chest does not rise then suspect that the casualty is a neck b'reather.

Remember it takes only a few seconds to check for the clues that can save a Hfe.

Treatment

I. Lay the casualty on his back.

2. Hyper-extend the neck by placing a rolled blanket or jacket under the sho ulders.

3. Clean the hole quickly.

4. Give EAR to hole, watch for chest rise (two quick breaths in first, then continue as normal).

DO NOT block hole. DO NOT dowse head or neck with water. DO NOT turn head sideways.

Partial laryngectomee (fig. 2)

You may, however, come across a casualty who looks like a neck breather but yet fails to respond to EAR to the hole (the chest fails to rise). Here you have a partial neck breather. They have some use of the larynx and air is escaping via the normal, if reduced, air passage. A check for this may be carried out by blowing into the stoma and listening at the mouth nose for escaping air, You must now seal this escape of air by the following method.

1 With the hand near the casualty's head, palm down, pinch the nose between the middle two fingers.

2. Your palm falls naturally over the mouth, then place your thumb on the windpipe.

3. Now push the head back, which effectively seals any further escape of air.

4. Carryon with EAR to the hole

The Sylvester method may be used if t here is no opportunity for EAR.

NEWS from SCOTLAND

Dumfries and Ga lloway Branch of the Order of St Jo hn supported by its local St John Associatio n , ha s decided to begin work on a n ex ten sion at Dalrymple Hospital, Stranr a er, to provide more Day Hospital faci li t ies f or old people.

Dumfr i es an d Galloway Health Board provides the sta f f a nd facilities at the hospital while the St John Association provides transpor t voluntar y help and additional faci li ties. T he Health Board is fully aware of the b e nefit t hat elderl y people are gaining f rom the Day Ho spital and will make av ailable the £16 ,000 required to p ut up the ex tens ion on the understanding tha t h e cash is paid bac k ove r a reasonabl e peri od of time. Thi s is an act of faith in a wo r t h while cause which will no doubt find a re ad y re sponse amongst the people of the dist r ict.

Fi fe Association hel d s annual general meeting in the Crow n H otel , Thornton , on January 15 1981. O f fi ce-bearers elected were : Hon President Major the Earl of Lin dsay; Hon Vi ce Pre si dent, the Counte ss of Lindsa y ; Chai r man, Mrs Janet Halkerston (cen t re , photograph); ViceChairmen, R Stark (ex treme right) and G Butchart (extreme left).

The Central Branch of the St John Association of Sc o land held t heir annU'al dinner in the R iv erw ays Restaurant ,

WALES

A gro u p of members attending he Y oung Adul t Conference at Llilndrindod Wells on March 20 21 Among th

Stirling followin g their annual ge n er

mee t ing on Januar y 28 when Dr To m Reilly was appointed Chairman o f th e Association (centre front ro w i n photograph). The photograph al so s h ows the Chancellor Mr W A P. Jack (ba c k row, third from left) and the Rece iver General, Dr Macfarlane Gray (back ro w, fi f th from left) (Photograph: Wh yler Photo s , Stirling).

The Sir Andre w Murra y Holiday House at Strathyre continues to b e full y used b y the disabled and the blind . The photo graph shows Station Officer John Fenton (thi r d from left) handing o ver the radio cas sette s provided by the firemen of Sti r ling Fi re ' Brigade to M r Archie Ru ss ell, KStJ , Chairman of the Order of St John in t he Central area

On February 25 Mr Alasdair G illies,

OStJ, the well-known singer, organise d a concert on behalf of the Order of St John at Princes s Loui se Scotti s h Hospital at Erskine (the home of many war-blinded an d disab led). John Carmic h ael a n d his Band provided the music Glasgow. The Order Committee and its Association in Glasgow are courageously going ahead with the purchase and conversion of a new Home for the Aged in Langside to replace the one the lease of whic h expires in 1983 Mr J A Brown, Vice Chairman of the Order Committee, has indicated that very ge nerous support ha s alrea d y been received and a special appeal has been launched supported by the Lor d Provost of G asgow, the Lord Dean of Gui ld of he Merchants House of G lasgow, and the Deacon Convener of the I nco r poration of Trades.

(Above) Skewen Division (West Glamorgan) cadets Sharon Lloyd Andre a Jones and Pat Wilsher take to the 'ice' with Kenny Smiles who was appearing In the local pantomime, at a fund-raising dry· Ice-skating day at a lo cal school

Northern Ireland

Meet N M Daphn e McNight. of Newry Nu rsing Division, who won the Irish final of the D ental Surgery Ass istant of the Year Comp e tition and comes to Londo n fo

News from Divisions / Centres

STAFFS Visitors from Zimbabwe were gu ests of SJA Staffs for a few days Here

Comm M aurice

Deputy Comm Ber

rd Byrne, and Jerry Sibanda IBulawayo) and Michael Muk ote Salisbury ) are in the museum

where the drink goes down (5). 10 Ward for the elderly (9). 11. Uncommon disorder of rear (4). 12. Feeble and irre so lut e (4). 13. Innate ability (5). 16. Serum proteins containing protective antibodies (8). 17. G land made clean by confession (6).20 Stitch a cranial joint (6).21 Pale due to cold or fear (8).23 Alleviate pain or hunger (5). 25 Ha s dropped in flat - foot (4). 26. Hin g ed cover never seen in an efficient accident depar t ment (4). 29. Rea so nin g proce ss bringing about labour (9). 31. Bacterial secretion causing sy mptom s of disease (5). 32. A different thing after sunset (5). 33 Insen s itivity to pain (9).

Down:

l. Hesitation about the anaesthetic (5). 2. Muscles aiding in s piration (11). 3 Return of voice (4). 4. Antacid from a mine gas (8). 5 Cerebro-vascular accident in he racing crew (6). 6. Skin round he neck? (5). 7. Sense organ in centre of heart (3). 8. Delicate fabric appraised for a type of wound (9). 14. Severe allergic reaction to a foreign protein (II). 15. Drill for cranial surgery (4). 16 Return for example a stopping-place in pregnancy (9) 18 Let out a tear (4).19

Delivered in th ird stage of labour (8). 22. Secretion produced by vasal change about one (6). 24 Racing vesse l (5) 27 Part of 2 Down from ho ste lry in Pennyslvania (5).28 Animal on the stock exchange (4) 30. Pertinaciou s ly follow an animal (3).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD NO.4 (81)

Across: I Semilunar; 6. Sling; 9. Rales; 10. Go.a; 11 Mesne: 12

First intention; 15. Puerile; 17. Na scent; 19. Ny.e; 20. Overeat; 23 Pyloric; 25 Stretcher party; 30. Local; 31 Pot; 32. Inapt; 33, Stems; 34 Resonance.

Down: I Sore; 2. Malai s e; 3. Lysis; 4. Negligent; 5. React: 6 Semen; 7. In spi re; 8. Greenstick; 13. Era; 14 Epsom sa lt s : 16. Ice; 17 Nephritis; 18. Sal; 21. Earache; 22. Arc; 24. Retrain; 26 Talus; 27. He p.ar; 28 Asian; 29. St.ye.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

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Resusci Baby

Completely Redesigned & Improved

The most widely used infant CPR manikin in the world now has new features that will mak e you r CPR training easier and more effect ive. The chest skin and head are removable for easy cleaning and maintenance We ve also added a disposabl e lung and stomach, as well as a more realistic airway,

But the most important fea tur e is that new RESUSCI BABY provides instant corrective feedback since it can now use the same Signal Box which is used with our RESUSCI ANNE

manikins. This means that anyone own ing the RESUSCI ANNE models may use the Signal Box with RESUSCI BABY

Our n ew RESUSCI BABY is avai lab le in th ree models:

- Basic, without Electronics or Signal Box - Basi c with Electronics (without Signal Box)

-Complete model (with Electronics and Signal Box).

Th e e lectron ics for the Signal Box can be added to the Ba sic model at any time.

For more information contact Vickers Medical at th e addre ss below:

ST JOHN REVIEW

THE JOURNAL OF ST JOHN Volume 54 No.6

June

Contents

At Random, by Watkin W Williams p 121

The Chief Commander visits Papua New Guinea p l22

SJA Music Makers p 125

Questions and Answers : 8 p.125

Realistic training n a small village p.126

SJA Nursing Bursaries p.127

Around and About, by the Editor p 128

Going Sailing - Year of the Disabled p 132

New HQ for Ipswich p 134

The Enigma of Pain, by Alwyn M. Law p 135

Home Nursing - 1908 style by E. G Groves p.136

SJA Medical Conference 1981, by Kate Pfister, part 1 p.138

News from Scotland - Wales - Overseas p.140

News from Divisions / Centres p.142

Review Crossword p l44

Pri

A

la n cp.. 1 Grosvp nor Cr p. cp. nl Lon d o n SW X 7 EF

COVER Some of the 90 cadets of Eastern Area Le cestershire who gave • thre e nights of super entert ai nment at their annual eview at Birstall last

BY A HAPPY coincidence - or wa s it deliberate!my remarks in March about the prospect o f enjo y ment being vital to recruitment were faced b y a page of photographs showing cadets in Buck s ver y ob v iou s ly enjoying various a s pects of their St John t raining and activities, And the s ubject wa s further s tre ssed b y two item in the May Re view, One of t he s e, enti t led 'Training the enjoyable wa y ', showed picture of Staffordshire cadets taking part in an ad v enture training weekend, the brief description ending \-v ith the \\f ord s : 'The cadet s liked the realism o f the training and t he fact that learning first aid can be enjoy ed I m well aware that in both Bucks and Staffordshire our cader s, and indeed our younger adult member s too, ha e recei v ed a great deal of inspiration and enjo y men t through their long tradition of sharing much of their pra ct ical training (or at lea sharing their instructors) \ ith t he Scouts and Guide; and I don't doubt that this happen in other p lace too. But I m quite sure tha t a great deal more s haring of this kind could be of immen e v alue both to St John and to the Scout and Guide mo ement , The other item that I want speciall y to commend in last month 's issue, and to refer y ou back to it if y ou mi ed it, is Major Malcolm article Our future in your hands', reprinted from the Devon St John ew s Coming from an Association County Director, the excellent advice that he gi es carries added \\'eight and ignificance, so I hope that all our reader will keep hi article for reference, follow his advice and e peciall y t he items in his 'ten point programme , and accept the challenge given in hi penultima t e paragraph: 'Never before in our history has the need for total cooperation between the Association and the Brigade become such a vital urgent pre-requisite for growth. I ask you all to lay aside the differences, real or imagined, and to take part in a revival of all that the Order of St John stands for.'

(Above) The Chief Commander, being welcomed at Goroka airport , received leis (ga rl ands of flowers ) from hospital nurses

The Chief Commander's recent overseas tour included nine da ys visiting SJA Papua New Guinea , two days in the Solomon Islands to investigate the prospects of setting up a Special Centre, and 20 days with SJA Australia,

IT HAD been a long , t iring trip for t he Chief Commander, Major -Gen eral Peter Leuchars. After boarding hi s plane at Gatwick he had to s it on board for seve r a l hour s while waiting for the weather to improve and then after ta x i-ing out to the end of the runway the aircraft returned with a mechanical fau lt. All pa sse nger s were offload ed and se nt to an hotel fo r the night , so hi s flight to Hon g Kon g was 24 hour s ate. A couple of da ys la te r hi s flight from Hon g Kong to Port More s by, the ca pital of

The Chief Commander visits Papua New Guinea

February 2 to 11 1981

P ap ua New Guinea, was s ix hour s late. But when he got off the plane at Port More s b y his s pirit s began to ri se, for t her e wa iting for him we re people in the fam ili ar black and white uniform

He was met by the Commander SJA, Mr Ignatiu s Kila ge, and other St John of fic e rs. H e lping hand s took hi s lu ggage and tr ave l documents and s oon the Chief Commander was in the airport VIP lounge, drinkin g fre s h Papua New Guinea coffee and meeting the St John member s who had come t o welcome him , whi le other s arranged hi s C usto ms clearance and other formalitie s Soon he was being dri ve n to hi s hot e l to s tart a very bu sy vis it to Papua New Guinea.

Later that Monda y he had lunch w ith t he Commander S JA a nd S t John officers followed by a visit to Hi s Exce llen cy t he GO'/ernor General, Sir Tor e Lokoloko, who

is the Pre id e nt of the Nat io na l St John Counci of Papua New Gu in ea. In th e even in g there wa a reception to meet membe rs of th e National St John Co un c il th e St J o hn As soc a tion for t he Blind a nd unifor med m ember, a nd th e n to dinne r w i h the act in g Briti s h Hi gh Com mi ss ion e r. On Tue sday Major -Ge n e ra Leu c h ar vis it ed the Vari rata Nationa l Park, where the R otary Club is bui ldin g a fir t a id po t w hi ch wi ll be ooked after by member of Port More by Di visions to serve vis it ors to the Park H e p a nt ed a tree near t he fir st aid po st as a re mind er of hi s vis it a nd then had a barbecue lunch That eve nin g he a rri ve d at S t John Ambulance H ea dquarter s to be g reete d by a very e ne rget ic traditional dancing group, and la ter met member of the Bla c k a nd White (fund-rai ing) Committee and ot her St John upport er. Then fol owed a dinner at a C hin ese re s taurant with Uniformed Branch Officers. Unfortunately the crocod il e with black bea n auce that had be en ordered for th e dinner was n ot avai lable due to a temporary s hortage of croc odile meat It was an early sta rt o n Wedne day morning for the fli ght to Goroka and the cool c lim ate of the Hi g hland s. Du e to the ru gged ter rain of Papua New Guinea, wit h it s mountain ran ges and scattere d land, mo s t travel is by air. Thi a l 0 mean s that t he Co mmi ioner cannot visit hi Divi io ns freq uen tly, so t h e Ch ief Co mmand e r 's tour was co mbin ed with t h e vis i t of the Co mmi ss one r , Mr M G Keake, to the Di v isio ns. At Goroka Airport th ey we re met by officers and me mber s of two Hi gh la nd Divi s ion s , Goroka and Mount Ha ge n , an d so me pretty h ospita nur ses who decorated h e ir g u es ts with leis. In th e afte rnoon the Chief Comma nd er and th e Co mmi ss ion er he d disc uss ion s with th e offi ce rs of the Divi s ion s. Th ey di sc usse d pr o bl e ms and exchange d ideas for o lvin g them. In the eve nin g there was a cockta il party for officer s, member s an d s upp o rt e rs. The next flight was to Lae, o n the coast where there was a parade on Thur s day night, fo llo wed b y a Mumu feast, a w hi c h a ll the foo d ha d been wrap ped in bana na leaves a nd cooke d in th e ea rth with h o s o nes. Divi s ion a l ma tte rs were di sc ussed late r th at ni g ht.

Th e next a fternoon t h e C hi ef Com mander and th e Co mmi ss ioner landed a t Rabaul , on t he volca ni c is land of Ne w Br ita in , where th e M a tupit volcano cra ter is at the e nd of th e Airstrip. After se tt lin g in to t heir accommodation, the Divi s o nal S up e rintend e nt , Mr Pondala Pohai, arrived to inform th e visitor s that a C hur c h Se rvi ce

for SJA would be held that afternoon, and that the Commissioner wa s one of the r ea der s a nd the Chief Co mm ander wa s to g iv e a n a ddress. The C hief Co m.mander di.d not h ave much time to polt s h up hi S 'ermon' for the int er denominational se r vice at the Rabaul United C hurch , which was fo llowed by the d edi catio n of an ambu la nc e that had been given b y Arawa Di vis ion to the Ra bau l Di visio n With two Bi s hop s, two clergymen, the Chief Co mm a nd e r , the Co mmi ss ioner , the Div is ion a l Super in tendent and ot her s he lping , it mu s t be one of the mo s t dedicated a mbulan ces in the co un t ryl All this activ it y was followed b y another Mumu fea s t. On the Saturday the Ch ie f Co mm ander visi ted a vi ll age where the Commissioner's wife a nd relative s had mo re loca l food prepared. A di scuss ion sess ion was held i n the a ft e rnoon with t h e Divi s ion' s repre se ntative s Another ea rly s tart wa s m ade on Sunday mornin g t o fl y to the copper minin g province of N ort h So lomon s, where officers and member s of the Arawa Di vi ion we re at the Airport for another friendl y welcome a nd more flower eis from the G uard of Honour This was to be a h o rt ta y, with a visit to the coppe r mine and a re ce ption with the office rs and member s and guest fr o m service and s portin g c lu bs a nd the provincial Governme nt. O n the way to the reception the vis it ors passed a unique road s ign, with a picture of a pi g on it, to war n motori sts that wi ld pigs wander ac r oss that sec t ion of t h e road! At the reception a la rge roasted pig wa se r ve d, leavin g the Chief Com mander to wonder perhap whether it was one th at h ad n't benefited from the s ig n 1J0nday mornin g's So lair fli g h t took the vi itor s to th e nei g hbourin g Solomon Is land, where the y had d isc us io ns with the Pol ice Commi s ion er, Red Cross and Governmen t officials about etting up a St John Centre.

On Tue da y afternoon it was back to Port M o re sby for an eve nin g mee ting with t he St John Counci l and S J A members for di sc ussion.

The nex t morning, before leaving Papua New Gu in ea, th e C hi ef Co mm a nd er held a pres co n fere nce wi th radio a nd journali t a nd then we nt on t o VI It Au tra li a.

Th e Chief Comman d er' visi t was to fa mili ar i e him se lf wit h the s itu at io n and the sta te of SJA in Papua New G uine a, as we ll as to com par e wha t is happ e nin g in ot her cou ntri es and exc h a nge u efu l idea s. Thi s aim was achieved by an informal, var ied a nd int e res tin g programme tha t e nabl ed him to meet man y St John me mb ers a nd s upport ers. The Chief Co mmand e r sa id that wherever h e travels he fee ls part of a big h appy St John 'fam il y' of vo lunt eers dedicated to the se r vice of ot h e rs. The St John m e mb e rs h e re were pleased a nd h o n o ur ed to welcome the hea d of th e ir 'fa mil y' to their co untr y

SJA Papua New Guinea

PAPUA New Guinea, ju s north of Austra li a, is a South Pacific nation of man y co ntr as t In th e cap ita l, mod e rn s ur ge r y

can be use d to treat illne ss; wherea s in t h e remo te m o unt a in ranges a n cient so rce r y a nd ri tual ma y be pre sc ri bed. Villa ge women in many p laces st ill wear grass s kirt s, whil e their c ity sis ter s are adorned in he lat es t s tyle s and fabric s. Papua New Guinean s are mo vi ng int o the 20th century, but at the sa me ti me tr ying to retain wh at is goo d in our t r aditio nal cultu r e . foreign ideas

SJA Papua New Guinea (contd)

at port. public gatherings in ho pital and in so me ca es works w ith th e Government' ambulance se rvice When over eas He ads of State or other VI P' vi it P ap ua New Guinea everal member s of the Uniformed Br a nch will travel with the Police in t he officia l motorcade with an ambulance following at a discreet distance.

In 19 80 it was agreed to form a mobile sq uad of unifo rmed branch me mb e rs that co uld be sent a nyw her e in the country without del ay in an emergency

Training Branch The Training Branch is re spo ns ibl e for the va riou s co ur ses co nducted b y St John Ambulanc e We have training and iss ue certificates for Emergency Aid (se ss ion), Prelimin a ry Fi rs t Aid, First Aid , Ad va n ced F i rst Aid, Occupationa l Fir st Aid , Ambulance Tr a ns port Nur s ing , Aux ili ary Nursing and Village H ealth.

We found that Home Nursing was not particularl y releva nt to Papua New Guinea, s o we hav e an Auxiliary Nursing Course which is under ta ke n b y Uniformed Bran c h me mber s to give them s :<i ll s neede d to assi s t in ho s pi ta s. Village H ea lth co ur ses a re conducted in village s to teach the peopl e about h yg ien e, tran s mi s ion and prevention of d isease, as we ll as so me basic fi rs t aid. Our course lo cat ion s are man y and va ri ed. We try not to co nfine courses to the owns and c it ies, as we feel that as man y people as po ssib le s hould benefit from learning first aid and other su bject s. I wonder ho w man y instructors in Britain ha ve trave ll ed by heli co pter to conduct a course? Thi s happened on one occasion here. Assi s tant Secretary Dendek Sa ge re and I travelled to a north co a st t own b y commercial jet plane, a nd then we nt b y chartered li ght a irc raft to an iso late d airstrip, from there we went by he licopter to a coppe r exp lorat ion camp. Later our s tudent s, w ho were ma inl y geo lo g ists and

SJ Centre for Solonlon Islands

A ST JOHN Centre is to be established in the So lomon Islands (formerly Brilish Solomon Islands Protectorate) following a visil to the capital, Honiara, by the Chief Commander Major-General Peter Leuchars.

A number of people there expressed interest in starti ng a Centre, so the C hief Commande r took the opportunity to visit the So lomon s when visiti ng Papua New Guinea and Australia in February. He had talks with the Police Com mis sio ner, Red Cross and other officials. For a start the Ce ntre will cater for the Police, but hopefully will include others later

tec hni cia ns, arrived f rom their out lyin g camps by h e li copte r. One of o ur s tudent s was Japane se and he repeatedly checked wh at we were teaching again st a Japane e First Aid Manual.

We also have to adapt our cour es on occa ion s to s uit the loc a tion. I rec e ntl y travelled b y li g ht a ir c r aft a nd t h e n alumin ium din g h y to conduct a course a rranged b y the O ff ice of Vill age De ve lopm e nt. It was no use teac hin g a bout electric s hock to tho se people , as the y do not h ave e lectr c ty. A river dwell e r drowning is rare, but the y do hav e problems with s na ke and occasiona ll y crocod il e bites. After t he week- long co ur se I travelled up ri ver for three hours, passing villages, mi ss ion stations and th e sta re s of seve ral crocodiles, to a Government Station to get t he p lane bac k to Port Mor e b y, where [ li ve.

There are an estimated 700 language s in P a pua New Guinea, s o some of our courses are not in English Pidgin Motu or a lo ca l la ng ua ge are perm itted for courses

Crusader Clubs

In so me areas, due to lack of le ade rs, finance or s uitab le duties, it is no t

pract icab le to have a S JA Divi s io n 0 in the se place a ru ader C lub may be f o rmed . C ru ader C lu bs are young peop le' se r v ice clubs They e lcct t he ir ow n leaders a nd car r y o ut project s to a s i their co mmunit y. Th ey can be c tab li shed in choo ls or in vill age.

T he S t John Association for the Blind Very littl e wa s o rgan ise d for the Blind in Papua New Guinea, 0 we formed a n associat ion ca ll ed th e S t J o hn Assoc at io n for t h e Blind The as oc iatio n i to a is tth e blind "vith tr aining in usef ul ski ll , prov id e ocial act iv it ie a n e! prevent bli ndn e . A su rvey of the numb er of b lin d ha been conduc led, and thi s yea r the A soc iation plans to se t up a Librar y for the Blind , an awarene programme for c hoo l and a training cO ur se for a numb er of b lind people.

Th e Chief Co mm ander sa id that th e S t John Ambulance i like a big fami ly unit ed in it common purpo e of Service to Ot her. P apua New Gui nea i one of th e younger member of the family, but we are doin g Our part in our own way to erve the need s of o ur Commun ity.

M G Keake, Genera! SecrefolY

The Chief Commander insp ec ting a Roya So lom o n s and 's police ambu lance

I'M SORRY I have not been a bl e to produce thi s co lumn eve ry month s o far thi s year. Part of the rea so n h a been t hal bandma s ter s h ave not been forthcoming with new s and inf ormat ion for me to write abou!. I ca n ' t write a bout nothing So if yo u are a ba nd ma s ter or a band mem ber, o r are co nn ected in any way with a St John band , plea se don't he s itate to se nd me a t the addre ss be low any sc rap of band informati o n I f yo ur band s featured in the loca l pre ,t hen se nd s ome detail s to me ; if a memb e r marrie s, or do es somet hin g e lse of intere s t , s uch as vis itin g Ameri ca or whatever, t hen let me know There could be a good tory. And if yo ur band is holdin g a pon so red walk in a d o f eq uipm e nt funds, then let me know W E LL I N A DV ANCE s o that [ can mention it , and perh a ps ga in yo u so me s pon sor in the bargain.

Remember t hi s co lumn is for ALL St John bands, Federation me mb e rs or not (a lth ough I hop e bands which a re n ot me mb e rs wil l join soo n a it i very wo rthwhil e).

News f r o m th e Federat ion of St John Ambulance Band s, of w hi c h r a m th e PRO o n t he National Co mmitt ee, co nt a in an int e re t in g report of a recent tra inin g co ur e

held a t Billin g Aquadrome, Northant s . M y thank s to ROLY G IL LAM, one of the mo st enthusiast ic contributo rs to t hi s co lumn for th e follow in g informa t ion: The cours"e, e ntitled Showmanship and Di sp la y, was h e ld on April 26 (a weekend of s now a nd terrib le road conditions), and despite the weat h e r some 60 member s, f rom ten member bands, attended. The aim of the course was to sti mulate band s to impr ove the preparation and planning of ma rc hin g a nd drill d is pla ys prior to public performances.

U nd e r t h e dire c tion of Federation chai rm an DA VI D MINNEY (another bandma s ter recently made a Se r v ing Brother of the Order. Co n gratu lat ion s, David!) the Ru hden Band acted as 'gui ne a pig s' for the morning sess ion . [n the afternoo n the y were jo in ed by wha t can

I (a) i th e ove - tr e tching of a mu ell'. There will be a udden (b) pain at the s ite of the (e) in the ea e of a limb T h e mu ele ma y (d) and cau se se vere (e) .,

2. A (a) occurs at a joint and i ca u ed by th e wrenching or ea ring of the ( b) and (c) connec ted with th e jOint. There will be pain at the jOint w ith (d) about th e joint a nd ate r (e) There wi ll be (f) to u e th e joint (g) the pain.

3. In doubtful ca ses of s prain treat a s a

4. If a spra in of the a nkl e occu r s (a) do not remo ve the boot or s h oe, but give additional s upport b y applying a (b) bandage over t h e boot or s h oe.

S Treatment for th e injury in Q (i) Place the ca ualt y in the mo I comfortable (a) (ii) (h) a nd (c) th e injured part; ( iii) arrange for (d)

6. Trealmenl for the injury in Q.2 ( i) Rest and (a) th e joinl in Ihe mo s (b) for the casualty; (ii) carefully (c) , Ihe joint; (iii) apply (d) ove r the joint.

7. A di location is a displac e m e nt of (a) or (b) bones a t a (c)

8. The mo s t frequent di s localion are: (a) Shoulder, (b) , (c) Thumb, (d) and (e)

o nl y be de sc ribed as 'wi llin g volunteers' for furth e r experiment s.

Th e course, w hi c h was attended by the Pr es id e nt o f t he Federation, A ss istant C-inC Gerald Easton, of H eadquarters, ended wit h a li ve ly open forum at which views we re a ir ed on the cour se itse l f, on Brigade Reg ula tions regarding the awarding of Mu s ic ians' badge s, length of notice to bands c ho se n for pre st igiou s engagements s u c h a s t h e Roya l Tournament and St John 's Da y parades, and the recently introduced Certificate of Competence, w h ic h appears to be causing confusion at County HQ eve l. Mr Easton agreed to look into the point s raised.

To all Brigade Band PRO s (and Di v/County PRO s who deal with band matter s): Will you please let me have your name, address and phone number, so that [ can ke ep in touch with you on PR material for all S JA' bands. I f you rece

Test your Knowledge of the Manual: 8

Questions and Ansvvers

by ROY JACKSON and BRUCE

COL TMAN

9. ign and ) mptoms of a di s lo catio n are: Pain, se vere and ( a ) in charac t e r. (b) appearance. (c) and brui ing are pre se nt.

10 Treatment of injury in Q.9. (i) Secu re and upport the part in the (a) position, using (b) or cus hion s a nd bandage or (c) (ii) obtai n (d) at once; ( iii) (e) , attempt to replace the bone s to a (f) po iti o n.

II. Locked knee: Thi occ ur when a (a) carti age in the knee s (b) or (c) cau ed for example by a vio lent kick (d) to hit a football (e) on a s tep or (f) Ihe body vio lentl y whil I landing on (g)

12. S ign s and symp tom s of locked knee: Pain (a) and (b) in character referred o the c) s ide of the kne e. The knee is held in pos iti o n; although it ma y be further (d ) if cannot be (e)

AT 2.35 pm on a busy Saturday afternoon in the small village of Soham, Cambridgeshire, the local fire brigade was turned out to attend a road traffic accident in Red Lion Square. Two appliances, manned by part-time firemen, arrived at the scene of a head-on collision between a car and a double-decker bus The occupants of the car were found to be trapped and a number of the bus passen gers injured As the scene was made safe from the possibilit y of fire from spilt fuel, two St John Ambulances arrived, together with a party of eight first-aiders and members of the Special Constabulary. The driver of the car was found to have a fractured cervical spine, severe lacerations to the face caused by flying glass and other minor injuries; her passenger was pinned to her seat by the car's radio aerial which had sheered off and passed through the body just below the left lung. Both were suffering from shock. The first aid party took over the treatment of these two casualties from the firemen , while the latter prepared to cut through the door pillars in order to remove the injured.

Meanwhile, an inspection of the bu s revealed injured passengers on both decks.

An unconscious woman (later also found to be a diabetic) was lying on her back in the lower gangway and there were others

nearby with cuts to the face and various minor injuries. Access to the upper deck was complicated by a large, heavy woman who had tumbled halfway down the stairs, fracturing an arm and a lower leg, and also spilling the contents of her full shopping basket everywhere. Upstairs a pregnant woman became hysterical and refused to leave her seat at the back.

Both seriously injured bus passengers were evacuated on stretchers through the emergency exits at the rear of the bus, the "voman on the upper deck via the rear window on to the top of a fire engine parked behind the bus.

Heart attack

During this actlvtty the bus driver, previously unhurt, suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Both car occupants were transported from the scene still strapped to their seats and within forty minutes all patients had been removed by the two ambulances to the temporary forward clearing post set up at the fire station. The wreckage of the car was removed, a relief driver for the bus was found (Route 007 was

cancelled) and the road reopened to normal traffic.

The exercise, devised jointly by the Divisional Surgeon, Dr Dorothy Frost, who is also a member of MAG PAS (Mid -A nglia General Practitioners' Accident Service), Bill Botting of the Soham Fire Station a nd Police Sergeant David Robin so n, was aimed at giving the town' s volunteers experience in their own fields as well as working in co-operation with each other. Casualties Union assisted by making the patients realistic, re s ulting in an extra casualty in the crowd of onlookers - s he too was quickly treated! Although notic es advising people of the nature of the incident were placed on the roadside, man y pa si ng motorist s and others believed t he accident to be real. But the crowd did have a lau g h when they recogni se d a local girl with an 'instant bump' leave th e bus st ill wailing loudly!

Following the exercise, there was an immediate de-bri ef in g at the Fire Station, with a full evening's joint discu ion a few weeks later. Observers from each ervice made constructive cri tici sm and comments ,

REALISTIC TRAINING

IN A SMALL VILLAGE

supported by the many photograph s taken for record purpo ses throu g hout the exercise. Member s learned how s uch an incident is controlled when there is a ri s k of or actual fire and when otherwise, of the pr'oblems and method s of overall mana ge ment in a confined area, s uch as the sce ne presented, priorities and method s of first aid and evacuation. It was discovered, for exa mple , that the floor space of a bu s is extremely narrow when tryin g to turn an un consc iou s patient over into the correct position and also that the rear exit on the low er deck of thi s bus (of a type in wide use) will not permit a Furley stretc her to go through wit hout iltin g it sidewaysdifficult when the patient had by then been put onto the stretc her Important les ons were learned abo ut bandaging, ge n e ral patient h a ndlin g, and the importance of care when moving about in a vehicle in which a patient s tra pped The moving spr in gs of a car which is not chocked up may cau se agony to a patient, a well a increa ing the everity of an injury. On the ambula nce ide, the crew s experienced problem over the priority of

the casualties due to the way they reached the waiting vehicles, as well as the difficulty of tran s porting a patient st ill st rapped int o a car seal.

To help each other

All serv ice s agreed that the exercise had been a success in that many valuable lessons were lea rned from the experience as a whole as well as from the mi stakes made. Soham is n o t like a part of an inner-city; when somet hin g happen s in a country vi lla ge the opportunity to help each other, whether informally or formally, is a realistic likelihood The adult d ivision -a relatively new one - is working hard to replace their old ambulance and the exercise helped to show people what they are capable of and how the money they give is used. Since the exercise donations ha ve increased, though th at was not one of its aims.

Some of the injurie s and task s set in the exercise may seem to have been rather unlikely for St John personnel to be involved in, until one remembers the number of grasstrack and 'banger' race meetings which the more country divi sion s

frequently attend. The calls on their knowledge and expertise may be quite different from those required of an innerc it y division and their training must be s uitably orientated. Another larger exercise is planned for later this year.

Vilal

Conclusion: Realistic training s vital. Shortly after this exercise, Soham part-time firemen we re cal led to an accident to cut free a trapped occupant of a car. Also since then, Soham's Nursing Member Elizabeth Fu ll er (hysterical on the bus), who is doing her nursing training at St Bartholomew'S Hospital, ha s received news of t he Commissioner-in-Chief's letter of commendation for saving a young boy's life by resu scitation while on duty at a water festival in Ely; one of the exercise ambu lance drivers, Transport Sergeant Gerry Lawrence, was the ambulance driver at the duty and is to receive a similar letter from the County Commissioner J D Phipps County Staff Officer, Cambridgeshire.

SJA Nursing Bursaries

DIYI IONAl Nur ing Officer Frederick Hancock, of Bodmin Combined Divi ion Cornwall, and Mr s Patricia Hay, an Area Staff Officer from Durham, came to london on April 8 as winner of th e SJA nursing bur sarie , each worth £250, which were pre sented to them by lady Moyra Browne, upt-in-Chief.

The bursarie s , in s ti gated in 1980 as pan of the JA Year of Nursing, are open to Brigade member s and are in three categorie - pro fess ional nur se , non-profe iona!. and profes ional nur e working in occupational health. A nursing project ha to be ubmitled which is designed to widen their own nursing e'<perience and thereby ultimately benefit the Brigade.

Mr H ancock, who is a nurse tutor lecturing in mental nur ing training at the St lawrence H ospital, Bodmin, wi ll use his bur ary to investigate methods of improving th e teac hin g of first aid in gene ra l nur ing training.

Mr H ays, a civ il e r vant who joined the Brigade in 1976, will use hers to study the equ ipm en t used on St John course and its impression on a cia The third bur ary for work In occ up a tion a hea lth wi ll not be awarded thi s year, but Smith a nd Nephew, the co mp a n y which funds the bursary, will in s te ad donate £500-worth of trainin g mater ia to SJA. The other two bursaries are funded by the National Federation of 18 - Plu s Groups of Great Britain.

Detail s of application for the 1982 awards appear in Brigade Orders for May 1981 .

Mrs Patric a Hays ASO from Durham , and D visionat Nursing Of1l c er Frederick Hanco c k of Bodm n came to London to c ollect their bursaries

D of E Award Scheme's 25th year

19 81 marks the 25th anniversary of the launching of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme for young people. To celebrate the occasion Prince Philip will be makin g a tour of t he English Region from June 22 to 24, as fo llow

Monday, June 22 a.m.: North Ea s ( Yorkshire - H arrogate howground); p.m : North We (Cheshire - The Roodee Racecour e Chester); evening: t'-lidland s Bingley H a ll Showgrollnd. Starford)

Tuesday, June 23 a.m.: outh We (Somerset - R oya l Bath & Wes Showground. Shepton Mallet); p.m.: Ea tern (CambridgeU.S.A.F. Base, Alconbury)

Wednesday, Jun e 24 a .m. outh Ea t (Kent - H ever Cas tl e, Edenbridge)

A number of event and enterpri es to celebra te the Year have been planned on a

national and international basis, one of which is a personal tribute and gift [0 The Duke of Edinburgh of a et of volumes containing the ignatures of as many GOLD A WARD holders as po sible So will any St John Ambulance Gold Award holders please send their signatures, as soon as po ible [0 Mr Vicki Beevor at ationa! HQ, if they have not already ubmitted them to local collection point. Preferably, the signatures hould be on white paper which an be cut to the required ize, making ure when posting that there i no fold across the ignature

A major two-day R ally for London ' will take place on Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11, at the GLC's Burgess Park, Albany Road, Camberwe ll SE5. There will be many outstanding display and attraction throughout the two days.

CADET QUIZ

The final of the first SJA London Cadet Quiz was held in March at Edwina Mountbatten House, with ten teams from the five London Areas taking part. More than 50 teams had competed for a coveted place in the finals.

The trophies for the winner and runnerup were donated by District Vice-President Princess Helena Moutafian, who asked former TV newsreader Robert Dougall to present them.

After being introduced by Deputy Commissioner John Gerrard and presenting the trophies to winners , Coulsdon and Purley Nursing Cadet Division, and the runners-up, Clayhill N C Division , Mr Dougall said he was honoured to be shown London District's new headquarters, which he was sure would be a great acquisition to SJA He had been fascinated by the Magnus Magnusson-type competition and, because he used to run cross-country races over Farthing Down in Coulsdon, naturally he had rooted for the winners.

He considered it a fine idea to spread the teaching of first aid particularly as part of the curriculum in schools, for it was an important subject. You only had to watch the news these days to see so much horror and disaster, and he wished he knew more about first aid himself.

JOYFUL JOY

The Metheral Cup 1980 was presented to SJA Cornwall by Olivia Potts to commemorate the Year of Nursing, and it was to be presented annually to a member or group of members giving outstanding caring service to the community. Members not holding the nursing certificate and Auxiliaries qualified.

This year the cup has been awarded to 17-year-old N / M Joy Day of Par Division, who joined the Brigade in 1975, and has a Special Service Shield and the Grand Prior s Badge.

Here is the trophy commendation for Joy:

'I cannot speak highly enough of Joy Day. She really is an exceptionally kind and considerate gi who has the gift of being able to communicate and work with the disabled, especially the mentally disabled

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

AB HI

BY THE EDITOR

who are probably the most difficult with which to work. For the past two year s Jo y has been giving up most of her Saturda y mornings and helping us at Polkyth Recreation Centre to teach disabled children to s wim. The Young Dolphin s is a Red Cross project, s o she has joined the opposition, as it were, for a few hour s a week Joy has formed a close bond with t he children.

'For one week a year we use t he Red Cross minibus to take the children out every day from Monday to Saturday This year, because of my wife' s ill-health, Joy came and helped us, leaving home at about 10 am and not returning much before eight each evening. Joy also helps us at our monthl y meeting for the disabled.

'We hear so much about vandals , hooligans, muggers, punk - rocker s etc, t hat it is a pleasure to write about such a good ,

RITA'S HERE

Hartlepool hou s ewi fe Rita C o s tin can s till remember st ruggling o r eco ver from a n illne ss which le ft her feelin g dep ress ed and unable to make the e f fort t o go o ut.

Her daught er , Lesley, a member o f C le v eland 's Hartlepool Di v isi on , wa s an x iou s to help and as ked her o enrol with her on a fir s t-aid cla ss Rita ag r eed bu t ha d no intention of joining the divi s ion Now , 15 month s la ter , s h e s not o nl y o n e of

AGAIN WINNERS

I hear that Nonh a mpton s hire 's Cy tringan N u r ing Cadet ha ve won a youlh challenge trophy for the eeond yea r running. The team made up of member s from S J A Ke l terin g, took the enior liLie in the recent compe l i ion run by th e Kelt e ring Area Community Youth Offi ce. W e ll done gi rl !

INSTRUCTORS SEMINAR

Th e SJA A ociation of I n s tructor s (London) will hold it th annual se min a r for qualil ied in s tru cto rs at Whit e la nd College, We t H ill, Putn ey, SW 15 , on Sept 5 and 6. ccommodation i ava ilab le from lhe evening of epl 4.

Subje ts to b e pr ese nt ed ,He: First A id for Chi ldren; Fir st id 1'01' Di able d

Children; Helicopter Re sc ue Hi story of Anaesthetics; Toast Master; Future Training Aspects of St John; and an exhibition of commercial films.

Costs: residential, Fri and Sat, £34; Sat night onl y, £25 (all inclusive). Nonresidential, Sat and Sun, £16 and £12 (depending on m ea ls).

Feed-back

One of he things that I find mo s t difficult about w ri ti ng this monthly column is the a lmo st total ack of 'feed-back' - either bouquets or brickbat s - from its reader s, I say 'al most total' becau se it would be ungenerous and ungrateful o omit the 'almost', especially at thi s very moment w hen as I star t writing t hi s para g raph, a reader has just rung me to say that la s t month' s 'At Random" about nurse s and ho s pital s was one of the best ever, and to make anxious enquiries after my health!

(I'm getting on fine, thank you very much, s lowly but ste adily returning to normal with much kind help from many friends incl udin g local St John members, both adult and cadet, who kindly insi s ted on c uttin g m y grass, weeding my garden and pruning my roses - while for good measure

( Left) A Supt W. F. Shaw receives a L a erd a resuscitator from Soropt i mist International Trent Valley presid ent Mrs Minta

Closing date for reservations (numbers are limited) is August 15. F ull details from:

Mrs J. M. Higgs, 71 Meadway, E n f ie ld EN3 6NX, tel Lea Valley 763071.

WOT NO MEAT?

I thought t h e final question in the Association B ranch's comments to In st ru cto rs' Chat (this co lumn la st month)

the Di v is ion a l Surgeon, who h ap p e n s to be a r e lation, came over with his w ife and children on t he afternoon of Good F rida y, and after we'd all d evo ur ed hot c ro ss buns he cut down a d ead tree n my s mall front garden, while the ot h ers t rimm ed the branches, stacked the brushwood and log s and lef everything 's hip s hape and Bristol fa shi on I hope that b y the time yo u read this I sha ll be ready to resume my occasional v sit s to Grosvenor Crescent; bu t it 's a 22-station tube journey each way, with a change at Holborn - not to be ligh tly undertak en till con valescence s almost a thing of the past!)

And there's been another c h eeri ng exce ption to the 'a lmo st tota l lack of feedback' - all the mor e cheering becau se I received it when in ho s pital. It was a personal letter from a 20-year-old Ambulance Member, thanking me for 'hitting the nail on the head' in what wrote in March about the rea son s why we lost s o many y oung members f rom the Brigade and adding that he had, alas, see n many leave for the very rea s on s that I s ta te d. But the cheering effect of that letter would be

The C- in - C M aj Gen Sir J o hn Younger pre se nts Kent 's Cty Supt Mrs C F Jewiss w th he w ar rant of appointm ent a the county comp e tition s held a M ai d s o n e in April. (Photo

Lt d, Ashford)

very appropriate o n ot u s ing techn c a l ter m s in first a id inst ru ction. At least I did until a reader ran g to say he'd asked his butcher for a s capu la of mutton . What did he get fo r dinner? No meat - just a shou ld er bone. Obviou y you mu stn't a s k a butcher w h o know s hi anato m y

COME TO OUR COMP

SJA Ashton-under-Lyne send Out an in vitat io n to all member s to come along a nd compete in their annual fir l a id co mp etition, which is to be he ld a t W es t End School, A s ht on-under-L y ne o n Saturday, Sept 12, and Saturda y , Sept 19. So here ' s your c h ance to gr a b s om e of Ashton s hand some troph e s and indi vidual pri zes. Application form ar e avai la ble from Mr s A. Merrill, 33 Sandy Lan e, Dukinfield , C he s hir e SK 16 5NL.

overtaken by di i llu s ionmenr and depression if nobody paid the s li g htest attent ion to my warn in g So may I a s k you, please, to refer back to March 'At Random' a nd tr y to eliminate a ll of my ten DON'TS from yo ur divisional programme s a nd Brigad e act ivities, a nd to include a s man y a s possible of my fourteen 'DO'S'

P eop le wi ll flock to jo in s omethin g that they know about, and think hi gh ly of, and ge nuinely beli eve t h at they will enjoy b e longing to. 1f lot s of A ssoc iat io n and Brigade memb er s a ll ove r the country d id eve n a ittle to ca rr y out the s ugge s tions put forward b y my se lf in March and by Major Malcolm in May, I 'm absol ut e ly co n v in ced that by the c umula tive effect of our efforts we s hould turn th e tide of Brigade re c ruitment and m em ber s hip within a very few month s. Our future s ind ee d in you r hand s

Another exa mple of the c umula tive effect of a lot of people eac h doin g a littl e is in u s in g the Review to provid e interest a nd enjoyment t o a wider range of readers and at the sa me time helpin g it to make en d s

n c ial ly. He re ar e a few w ays of doin g lhi :

Gi ve awa y one fr ee c op y of t he R ev ie w to eac h s uc ces fu l ca ndid a t e wh e n ce rtifi c

id (or o th e r) c our ses.

And f y our bud ge tin g i 0 ti g ht t hat you really c an t aff ord, out o f th e c our e fee, the pri ce of one in g e is ue of th e R ev ie w per candidat e, R ev e w S a le s \- ill frequentl y be abl e to uppl y you with copie s of rec ent back numbers at no co to you beyond t h at of po tage

2 R e view ub scriber who e pro fe s ion require them to hav e a waitin g room' (and thi doe s n't only app ly to the medical profe sion) a n w th advantage leave their copy, a f ter reading i t among th e magazine t h a t are u s ually to be found on waiting room ab le s I know that quite a lot of doctor s , in c ludin g th e H osp ta lt er of the Order, a lready do thi s but 1 01 sure t h a t ots of other profes s iona l men a nd women co uld d o a g reat service to St John by fo llowin g the ir exa mpl e. We are apt to be very b ad at adve rti sing o ur ware in St

s ignifi ca n t in c r e a se in o f both m e mb e rs a nd ub c rib e r Onl y la s t we e k I m e t a sec r e t ary who, ha ing di c o vered th e R ev ie ll' i n thi s wa y , f ound it 0 inte r es tin g th a t s h e t oo k o ut a yea r' ub sc ription. Su c h thin gs ca n happ e n aga in!

3. Gi ve a y ea r 's s ub scr iption o th e R e view a a Chri tma s or birthd ay pr es en t to an yone who you think \ ould b e ge nuin e ly int e re st ed, inc l udin g y oung exc a det who are f or th e t me b e ing un a ble t o continu with adult memb e r hip or a dul m e mber who ha ve to re ign for a v arie ty o f good rea on onne ted wi t h their work or fa mily commitment. I ha ve fr e quentl y done thi , and indeed am s eldom without at ea t one or two s u c h gift s ub scription s 'on the go' 1 have alway s found them to be appreciated , and at the end of a year the ub scription i sometime renewed by the recipien t. Bu t in an ca se uch a gift s hows that we are 'a c aring fami ly and increases the chance s of the per son who receive s it

Mirway

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE

Going Sailing

YES, A SCHEME TO GET THE DISABLED AFLOAT AS CREW MEMBERS OF A DEEP WATER SAILING VESSEL

THE BENEFITS o f meeting the challenge

on equal term s, o f the demand s a nd ex hilar a tion o f li fe a t sea. The s hip

The Tru s t 's s hip ha s been de s igned b y o n e of Bri tain 's f o r e mo s t de s igner s C o lin Mudie , who wa s res pon s ible for the d es ig n of Brita i n 's onl y f ull y s quare - rig ged trainin g vess el in ser vice oda y T.S.

Roy al is t. The Jubilee Sailing Trust 's vess el wi ll be lar ger t h a n t h e Ro ya is t, ha ving an overall len gth of 135 ft. Sh e is to be barquerig ged, t ha t is, h av in g s qu a re sail s on t he main an d fore m asts, and fore-and-a ft sail s on t he mi zz en T h e s hip w ill be built to Llo yd s cl a ss 100 A 1. Repr es en tati ve s from b o t h the Depa r t m en t of Tr ade, and Llo yd s, ad vise t he Tru s t 's De si gn C ommit tee

S pecial Features: (I) All-round wi de de c ks t o a llo w for sys tem of tra c ks for w heelchair m o dule s (de s gned b y Tru s tee C. Poulton ) (2) Hoi sts or lift s enablin g th e di sab le d to go f rom on e d ec k to anoth e r wit hou t di ff icult y. (3 ) Wheelchair ac ce ss to the s teer in g po s ti on, c hartroom , galle y, pi nra il s a nd e ve n th e bo ws prit. (4) Spe c ial toile t, s ur ger y and laundry ac c ommoda ti on (5) Dif fe r e ntia t ed s urface s throughou t s hip to a ss is t the visu a ll y handicapped. (6) An a udio-compa ss and speciall y adapted radio- telephone o e nabl e the blind to s tee r and t o ope r a te RT equipment.

The Crew: Perm a nent offi ce rs will include: ma s ter , ma te , en g ineer , cook bo sun and medical o ffi cer. Accommoda t ion will ex ist for 30 trainee c rew of which half will be ph ys icall y di sabled, a ma x imum of 8 bein g wheelchair c rew. T hi s repre sents a minimum o f 1,200 trainee s each year of w hi c h 600 ma y be di sabled

o f the Briti s h Is le s and Northern E urope , though t he s hip its el f w ill be cap a ble of tr a n s -ocean vo yag in g. The ve sse is ex pected to be in c ommi ss ion f rom Mar c h to No vember , about 40 week s of t he ye a r , with an a n nual laid - up period durin g th e winter month s.

The cost It is ex pe cted t h a t th e c ost o f c o ns tru c tin g the Jubilee S a ilin g Tru s t 's s hip , to geth er with a ll spe c ial ise d gea r, and allowin g f o r

in fl a t o n , w ill b e in t he reg ion o f £ 2 milli o n.

What do the handicapped think?

Some f ir s thand c ommen ts b y th e h a ndic a pped w ho took p a rt in the Pilot

Sc heme s aboard square-ri gged s hip s in t he

En gli sh C h a nnel in 197 9: get a g rea t f eelin g of ind e pend e n ce. I was s urpri sed ho w mu c h 1 could do with o ut ass is tanc e . I may so me tim es need h e lp , but n ot too much he lp t he cre w we re ext remel y helpful and kind a nd co ns idera te.

The y trea ted us like human being s, which s what a lo of peopl e don ' do .'

Thi s schem e w ill be a g re at ad vant age to all di sabled pe opl e. W o rd s cannot de sc ribe ho w fanta s tic it's been I feel t he s tr en g th in m y leg and a r m mu sc le s no w -a nd t hi s is what 's got to be done. Th e re a re p e opl e

Thi s so rt o f tr ip pr ovides he rig h t ki n d o f s timulation .' - Fr a nc s (n o rmall y co nfin ed o w hee lch a ir s in ce r oad acc id e nt) Mu c h o f th e u ccess o f th e J .S. T. ve sel will d e pe nd o n s tr ikin g a ba la nce . O n t he o ne h a nd, equ ippin g th e s hi p so t he w des t ra nge of di sa bl ed per o n can become usef ul c rew- me mb ers, a n d o n t he othe r h a nd no overdo in g i t a nd 'w r app i ng th e h a ndi ca p pe d in cot to n woo l'.' - George ( pa rapl eg ic s in ce p o li o in tee ns)

A s th e g r o up wa s s ma ll , beca use of t he s ize o f

re di ff ic ul t w h e n i t was m ov in g. I e njoyed t h e weeke nd very mu c h .' - Fra nce (b lind

nd th e m ore he ac ti vi ti es o n boa rd are s ha re d th e s tr o n ger will be th e sc h e me. T h e sq ua reri gger h as m a i n ained compara ti ve ly labour- int e ns ve c h arac ter ist cs a nd fro m th e d isab led poi n t of view, har ing act u a l work t o be done is better th a n me re ly s ha rin g eac h o t her's compa ni onsh ip.'Ken ( parap legi c in ce acc ide n t , yet RY A qua li f ied sa ilin g coac h) 'T h e key to ucce wa s in the m ix of t he c re \ Eac h s h ip had a va r iety of disab il ities p lu s a balance of professiona ls and partt me enthusiasts. The greatest p rob le ms exper ienced were mobility and privacy. Whi lst the (J .s.T.) hip' equipment m us t reduce the s ignif icance of i mmobi ity to a minimum, i wou d be a g rave m is take to des g n -o ut t h e e lement of effort, achievement and inno ation. Just a th e h ip wi ll be a devia t ion from accep ted procedure , 0 my a titude to rehabililation are perhap omewhat unorthodox For example:

A ST JOHN SCHEME

Sy mp a th y s hould b e fo und o nl y in th e We bs te r (c hr o ni c as th ma t ic since the age of di c tionar y 13).

Ind e pe nd e nce is o f on e's ow n c reati on What did the s hip 's pe rman e nt c r ews think ? a nd

would like to

your

individual who

been

tricted

lp rai se the £2 million needed? from most outdoo r act ivit ies, sa iling h a s Donations s hould be se nt to The

rce of

njoyme n t a n d Secreta r y, J ubilee Sailing Tru t, Knoll re laxatio n th at I cou ld n ot otherw ise have Wood, Beacon Road, Crowborough, East had. I b el ieve p r ovid in g an op p o rt unity fo r Sussex. d isab led peop e t o sa offs h o re will g ive th e I f you o rganise a fund - raising event, nece ary boost to confidence n their ow n however simple, please let HQ know about ab ili tie , and perhaps open up a whole new it by vvriring to Mrs Chri tine Best, Staff dimen ion to the ir li ve.' S h e lley Office r to the Supt -in -Chief. f'

Club for Disabled

IT wa in 1970 that we fir became invol ed with the disabled, w hen a few of u go t to get her to ee what we cou d do for the loca l di sabled peop le. The re s ul t wa s what is now known a The Dronfield & Di s tr ict D isab led C lub, wh ich is off icia ll y reg tered wi th t h e Derby hire A s oc iat ion for D i ab ed. At f rs t it wa a very hard s log, with no fi nancia l backing, but I'm p lea ed to say th at e e en year later we are a pre t ty sou nd c lub For e ight yea r I wa c h a ir man a n d n ow se cretary, and th e c u b ju t can't thank St Jo hn e n oug h for th e ir va lu e d he lp, whi ch n ow co m e fr o m t h ree amb ul a nce and fou r nu r in g me m be r The c lu b has a to ta l of 70 m e m be rs.

O nce a mo nth we bri ng th e loca l d i a bl ed peop le to the Civ ic H a ll by coac h mini bu s a nd a m bula nces for a day o ut , taki n g th e m in to th e cou ntr y o r th e ea id e durin g th e s umm e r. To cove r th e co n id e r ab le cos t of t hi s we run t he usu a l raf fl e, a les a nd oth e r eve n t. I m g lad t o say th at oca l co un c il s are n o w al s o g iv in g u a littl e fin a n c ia l he lp.

On e ta lk s abo ut sc h e mes for th e di sa bl ed; in o ur case it mi g h t b e be tt e r t o ta lk a bout ch e min g, fo r th at i wh at we

are doi ng a ll the ti me. S in ce Ja nu ary we've bee n try ing to get the Counci to let u have the hall free of charge a nd we've ju t heard t h at we've u cceede d for t h i yea r. N ext year? - We' ll ju t try aga in We a l 0 succee d ed in a rr a ng in g for a erv ice for th e di sab led a t our loca l c h urc h it was he ld in Ap r il.

O t her sc h e me were to ge t t he loca l counci l to lowe r so m e o f t h e pave m e n ts t o enab le w h eelc h a rs easier access to s h o ps, etc, and we've s u ccee d ed. A lso in th e pipe lin e is a pu bli c toi let for t he d i a bl ed n ea rb y th e ma in r oad.

W e've ju st los t our Pr e id e nt du e to pr e s u re of ot he r co mmitm e n t, bu t we' re h o pin g o ur Di v io na S up e rint e nd e nt w ill r ep lace him.

Ye , h ere a re m a ny thin g we c h ern e a b out in th e c lub , fo r m o ney a lways sca rce. I've b ee n t o va ri o u mee tin g r e late d t o th e Intern a tion a l Year o f th e Di sa bl ed 1981 But wh a t wo rri es m e i w ha t wi ll h a ppen nex t ye ar a nd th e n ex t ? I in cere ly hope th a t en o u g h int ere t i c re a e d to m a k e thi a be tt e r wo rld fo r th em - for A L WA YS C W rig ht D I O Dr o nf ie ld A II1 b ulall ce Di l' isi o n_ Devon s Colyton Nursing Division organised a two -day exhibitio n of aids for the disabled during Apr il. The eq u ipme nt oaned by friends and ocal firms is

New HQ for Ipswich

h

B i shop of t Edmundsbury and psw

Rt Rev Jo hn Waine, and the Rev H G. Eade, c hap ain of the Order. Dur i ng h is to u r of the p r emises the Duke viewed t h e Edwina Mountbatten Memorial R oo m , w hi c h wa furni hed by the Edv ina Mo ullt batten Tru t and wi ll be u ed for Co un c il mee ti ng and by the Associat on.

T h e D uke p r ese nt ed to the o u nty

D recto r Dr S. T. G. Gray, a framed certif cate to mark the centenary ast 'ea r of t he St John Association in Ipswich. The citat on, igned by iJ r P. A. Lingard, JA Director-General, recorded with appreciation the 100 year during wh ch the I p wich ce n tre h ad carried out t raining of the pub l ic in f rst-aid thereby erving humanity in the hi g h tr ad iti ons of th e Mo t Vene r ab l e

O r der of St John .'

T he open ng of he new centre i the cu m nat i on of many years of hard work in raising money to get the project under way

T h e H eadquarters replace s the old centre o n the same site. The re-building became vi a near y a decade ago. n 1974 the ha ll had t o be vacated a had become uninh ab it ab l e and o nl y t he garages were l eft in u se, t h oug h eve n they were in need of atte n t i on. T h us th e activ tie. of t J ohn

A m b u la n ce in I pswich became di persed t hr oug h out the town.

Th e re-bui l di n g has cost a bout £90,000. A great deal of th i s has been found, in clud i ng a gra n t of £1 1, 125 r om I pswich

B o r o u g h Co un c il. About £ 10,000 i needed to avo i d t a kin g u p a cos tl y oa n T he s te a nd th e or i gi nal bu il d in gs n Sa mu e R oad, were or g in a ll y the gift of Mi ss Mary Co ul c h er who wa s a con sidera bl e benefac o r as wel as a str enuo u s wo r ke r o f S Jo hn A m b ul a nce in he ear y pa rt of thi s cent ur y. One of th e former Nursin g Di v i s o n s was a l 0 n amed af t er h er un ti was co mbin ed w it h a n ot hc r Divis i o n in Ja nu ary 1979 t o o rm he p rese n t O r we ll Di v sio n Th e re- buil t H Q co m p ri se a m ai n h a ll of 144 squ are me tr es, fo u r eparate t ra inin g! m ee t n g r oo m eac h o f app r ox im a t e y 36 squ a r e m etr es a nd su pport in g s o r age, ki c hen a nd o Fri ce space.

PAIN w ill a l ways, no do u b t , rema in a m yste r y. W e kn ow it s n eccssa r y as a n indi ca ti o n th a t some thin g s a mi ss w ith th e hum a n mind o r b o d y, a n d i n t h a t and o he r r es p ec ts it h as ts posit i ve s de. I t takes m a n y for m s, b ot h p h ysical a nd mental, and in some way, eac h is wrapped up in t he o th er. We a ll react to i n different ways.

M y r ece nt stay i n h osp i ta gave me amp l e o p po rtunit y t o observe patient s' reactions, but sh a ll beg n w ith my own, and i t here s space go o n t o de cr i be t hose of my wardm a t es.

I ca n say, q u e honest l y, hat I have no f ea r o pa in I do not enjoy it, but that is d fferen t from being afraid. Some years ago t h s was not the case, and I was afraid on many occas ons. The rea so n for thi s c h ange, I be ieve is due to three factor s

• I a l way asked the per. on treatin g me to te ll me exactly what they were doing and w h y, 0 hat I could co-operate full y, and make l ife ca ier for us all. The fear of the unknown u uall y one' s greatest fear

• The urgeon and nur si ng staff, were very kind and under sta ndin g, and treated me a a rea onably intelligent person! The y would discus. my cond tion with me. Kindne sca n overcome physical pain, and instil con fidence.

• Bein g medically minded, and ha v in g a bump of curio it y, I was in a that went on, especia ll y Ie t. that were ne\.\' to mc. Being inqui si ti ve took my mind off th e pain I was subjectcd to.

Provided these thr ee rac tor s were present , I \\'a able to cope \ ith th e pain e ement.

Perso n a l ex p e ri ence

O ne of the inve tigation was an X-ray known as a myelo g ram. A dye s inje c ted into the spinal column u sua lly by mean of a umbar J)unctu re. Th e patient s then tipped and tilted in all direction on the X-ray table, in The first time I had this wa s terrified I wa told not h ing, and no one poke to me - and it wa. no t a su ccess. y n ck i very deformed and the d ye wou d not run h rough The nex t time I knew it had to be a ucces s for my future depended on it. s the dye en ered m y neck and back of head the pain became a mo unb earab le - but I had to bear it, for it wa so important. The re ief I felt when I knew th e dye had gone t hroug h a nd they were ge ttin g goo d picture s, he ped me to put up with the acute pa i n. Throug h out this procedure th e doctor

The Enigma of Pain

by ALWYN M LAW, SRN

t o d me every step, a nd what he wa n ted m e to do. After two h ou r s t h e ordeal was ove r - but not h e pain.

During t h e next f ve days had to lie flat. I was exceeding l y rest l ess, but cou d not he p t. had freque n t shaking attacks, l ike a seve re rigor. A ll I wanted du r ing this type of pain was to be left quietly alone. couldn't think. Some, but by no means al of the nur si ng staff were unkind. This caused me con siderable di st ress, so the physica pain was much harde r to cope with. A s I improved, thi s menta l di stre ss le sse ned , and I was aga n ab e to bear the ph ys ical pain. Mind over matter again. When I recovered sufficiently I was able to observe the reactions of other patient s in the ward.

Trigemi n a l ne ur a g ia

Thi excruciating pain in the fifth cranial nerve which upplie s the face. Patient o n admission appeared pa l e, weepy and withdrawn. A thougr a ll owed up, she spent mo s of the day sitting on her bed. She wa s so afraid that talking or eating wou d bring on an acute attack of pain that she avoided people. The attack s were sudden and dramatic, she cried and screamed with pain, burYing the affected side of her face in her pillOW, her hands banging frantically on the y cou l d reach. She would top JU as suddenly when the pain ceased and li e .o bbing and exhausted. She was very afraid, and desperately looked for relief. She \ as in bu nes , and these attacks were not only frightening, but embarrassing. After the fir t injection he had another attack, and was even more di strauaht becau e she thought the treatment had failed. With more injections and much rea ura nce, she accepted that gradually the attacks were Ie frequent and le ss painful. With acceptance, he ga i ned confidence, began to talk and eat, and left hospita l a much happier person, physically and mentally.

Subarac h no id h ae m o rrh age

Thi s bleeding into the ubarachnoid pace, that between the two innermo t of th e three membrane covering the brain. A yo ung married gir , on admi sion comp a ned of evere pain n the back of

QUES TIONS and ANS WERS: 8 (Answers)

did people shout so, bang door s, crash bedpan s and leave tap s running? All thi s increased her tension, and her pain. Gradually, as the pain l es se ned, she became more set ed and able to cope with these irritations. She said she had to get better and try to stick it, for the sake of her husband and little boy Drug s he ped her to rest and sleep more.

Ce reb r a l Catast r o p he (ca u se n ot kn own to me)

Another young married girl, very afraid on admission, quite the contrary to the previou s case. She was obviously very ill, flushed and restless. The night before her operation she became very di st re sse d and talkative 'Oh! God!' she kept crying in a loud high-pitched voice, 'Take t he pain away - why have [ so much pain -I can't stand it any more. There were tears s hed for her in the ward that night but no nurse went near her. could stand no longer , and felt I mu st try and help, so I walked down the ward with the preten ce of going to the toilet, and stop ped be side her. She was re s tle ss and hot, and her bedclo he s were all awry. straightened her sheet and held her hand and let her talk. She was so terrified and fighting de spe ratel y against her fears. A nur se sho uted at me not to wake her! When I returned , she was sleep ing and remained qu iet for a few hours. it helped that somebody cared. Deco mpr ess io n of spi n e and di abetes me l litus

A well-built woman, very co-operative, down-to-earth and uncomplaining. She ju t wanted to get back to her family and on \vith her job. She \ as in the next bed to me. On return from theatre , she was placed on her side, the normal procedure and soon given a post-operati ve drug. She vomited copiously during the evening dutifull y cared for b y her de oted family. When the y had gone he was turned on to her other de, she said her back was sore, but she was u ed to that! During the night she became more restle s, and kept calling me so spent mo of the night attending to her need. I a ked if she had much pain. Oh, yes,' she said, 'but I'm not worried about that, it' thi ickness , can't under tand iL

A [ left later that day she \Va about to have an intravenous tran fusion. because of her. d i abetic condition, and inability to retain fl Uids and she just took it all in her stride.

S umm ing u p think it is evident that in all the e ca es of phy ical pain, it the state of mental harmony or di sharmony that al 0 exi ts, that helps the patient to cope, or otherwise to give way. With kindne , rea urance a nd understanding, all pain is bearable.

Con t ra ri ly, t he effect of unkindne s and humi l iation, magnify phy Ica pain , often out of all p r oportion. Me n ta a n d p h y ical pa i n a r e ery much tied up with ea h ot her and cannot be eparated.

(Rep"IIled frolll CaS/lOlly Silllllialioll. Iile uumal 0/ Caslwlnes VIIIO".)

1 \ s id e nex t t he doo r. By h is mean s s he wil l be in t h e fre s h a ir and avo id that whic h haV ing passed over th e m,a y be contaminated With Infecllou germ In th e c h apter on 'Details of ur s in g 'the au th or has tro ng iew s on nurse:' those w h o make BAD NURSES we find ma n y c lasse. For in tan e, rhe NO I Y. These, a thoug h they may be k nd and loving, are con ti n u a l ource s disturbance to the sick. They wear creaking boot s or e l e t h ump a long on their heel s ; th ey lam doors ratt le cup , knock 0 er bottle add in the noisie m a nner and a together keep t he unfortunate r>atlent a tate of nervou expectancy , wondering when the n ext cra h \ i ll occur. 'There is al s o an 0 TENTAT IO LY QU l ET CLA?S th.e se s tea l about on tip-toe wit h fInger on II p and contll.1ually mur m ur ing " H ush -s hu s h". Ev e r ythIng J. whispered and the sen of th.e r>atl e nt are kept at fu ll ten ion, tryIng to fInd out whal is goi n g on. The cat-like al.s o keep s the patient continuall y wond enng In what part of the room the nur se will turn up next.

'A n other cause i THE FUS Y What mi ght be done slowly a n d quietly i hurried in to prom in e n ce, to the a l:no yance of the patient Cont i nua l InquJne s a s to how a h eadache is, cont in u al h l ftlng of pillow s w h en t h e on ly desire is to be left a lone, repeated visits on t ip-toe to see if a s leep a re attentions most wearISome to the patient.

H avi n g got th e right ort of nurse, the a u thor dea ls with her c othe s :. s h o ul d be made quite p lain, WIth the s kIrt n o t lo n g e no u gh to be t rodden on O R NA M ENTS are o ut of p lace o n a n u r e th oug h a b r ig h t rib b on bow may be worn at t he thr oa t to give var ie t y A PI NCUS HI ON and P A IR OF SC ISSORS hung at the s ide will be u sefu l'. Under M a n agement of Nurse's Own

H ea l h th e aut h or says: 'A n ur e need not be ex p ected to be a teetota ler b u if s h e fi nd s t ha t b ee r o r w in e m akes

1880

- and leave. W h e n he seem to have go ne and s just c o in g the door, to re-open it in order to ay someth in g e lse is es pecia ll y aggravat i ng. All t hi s wavering and indeci ion i bad for the inva lid'.

On 'Admini ratio n of Medic i ne ': 'CA TO R-O I L can be be t taken in t r ong m il k le s coffee COD- L1 VER 0 1L i o me t ime bes taken with a lit t le salt. But a bet ter pla n is to g ive it w i t h s ard i ne at break fast'.

O n 'Apr>lication of Loca Remedie ': 'Can t har ide s o r pani h F ly i the genera l basis of BLI TER I NG PREPARAT IONS. When app lied to the k in they cau e ting ling, marring a nd a en s ation of heat LEEC H E are u ed for the remova l of blood They can be used in ca s es of acute in fl ammat ion when cupp i ng would be too painful. The MED I I NAL LEEC H i th ree to four in che long An averagesized leec h ab s t racts abou t a tea s poonfu l and a ha l f of b lood'.

On 'Per s onal and Fami ly Hygiene': '{\ I ora l ity, cl an l ines s , temperance, regu larity, e'(erci se , s leep, \Vho le ome and sufficient food, pure water, fresh a ir a nd proper c lo t hing are al l in favour of hea lth

Al l c las s es are affl i ted wi t h di ease, ari ing fro m the fact. and prej u dices of t he i r su rr o u nci ings, ma n y of t hem be i ng a lt ogether avoidab le. T he POO R \.vou d do we ll i f they wou ld give up spending money o n dr ink s which only give temporary and dece itfu l timu lation, s pe n d it instead on improved home, food and c othe. T he

RI C H wou ld do we ll i f they wou ld re member a n d act u pon Dr Abernet h y' a d v ice" I f you wo ul d wi h t o be h ea h y, li ve o n ixpe n ce a day a n d EA R N ".

Th e n arrow c h e a n d ill -deve loped

mu sc les th a t res ult from neg lect of p r oper exerc se in you th a re t he s tr o n ge argu me n t in favo ur of uni ve r al mil it ary erv ice.

Eve ry b oy a nd m an wou d be be tt er fo r

sy te m a ti c drillin g o r t ra inin g.'

F in a ll y, t h ere are two pages of a dv e rti seme n ts fo r un fo rm for nur si ng

unit s: N ur s in g Sis e rs' bo nn e ts cos t 9 6d

Nurs in g Of fi ce rs' d itt o 10/ 6d , Nur s in g S isters' dr es - e ng th dr esses cos t 3/ II d , a n d

N u rs in g O ffi ce rs dit to 4/ 3d. (Wh y wo uld

b o nn e t cos t m ore t ha n d re ses?) Nu rs in g

O ffi ce r f ull - e ng th w int e r coa ts cos t

2S/6 d , a nd umm e r coa ts 3 1/ 6d. ( A n ot h e r a no m a ly, s ur e ly? )

E. C. Crove , K S rJ

Illustrated by JACK

Le ec he and th e use or

Our illu (raror JA CK supplied LIS with some addirional information on rhe use of leeches, some of ir published nor s o long ago eirher:

An e tract from Mr Beeton' Book of H ou ehold Management, new edition 1869:

To a ppl y Leec he s. Should they not bite at once p u t t he s pot of blood obtained by a light pr ick of the finger on the place When filled they u ua ll y roll off; bu t if it is neces ary to detach the m the y mu t not be pulled, but a litt le sa lt mu t be haken over hem which wil l make the m re lease their h o ld. S h ou ld too m uch b leeding follow, app y a litt e a um.

An extract from ewne H ou ehold

Encyc opaedia , 193 1 Leec hes, o a ppl y

The pan where the leeches are to be applied should be washed a nd a litt le milk smeared over the place. I f they will not bite, the skin may be pricked with a needle. Leeche s should never be pulled off, but allowed to drop off; s prinkling alt on them will make them come away. Sometimes leech bites will not top bleeding; a pad of cotton placed on the bite and kept in position by pressure from the finger will ah ay s top the bleeding. After the leeches have been removed from the flesh, place them in a olution of sa l and water (one - ixteenth per cent of salt). They sho u ld then be immersed eparate ly in wa r m water a n d gently squee zed unt il c lean. T he n p lace them in clean co ld water for future use Rene"v the wa ter daily. (Edit: This \ a pub lished in 193 1!)

SJA Medical Conference NOTTINGHAM 1981

AN INNOVATION at this year's conference was an 'ice-breaker' after the group meeting s at which the organising committee offered the delegates a glass of vino and the opportunity to mingle. This was an inspired idea and we all hope it will become a conference tradition.

On Saturday, after the usual good breakfast, we found our way to the Physics Department for the opening session. An exhibition of aids for the disabled in the entrance hall proved to be most interesting. One item new to me was a device which warned the blind housewife that rain was on the way, so enabling her to bring in her washing before it got wet!

The conference was opened by Mr P H Newman, the chairman, who is chairman of the SJA Medical Board.

The morning session was devoted to the Disabled Person and the first talk was given by Professor 0 S Lees of Nottingham University, himself a polio victim who had undergone a spinal graft. He made the important point that direct experience can be limiting as well as rewarding. He said that public attitudes towards the disabled had slowly changed and they were no longer hidden away as in the past. Spurts of special interest occur from time to time or adverse attitudes may develop. There had been some statutory improvements. Architects were definitely the enemies of the disabled and they have a thing about stairs. As one who has had the greatest difficulty in getting wheelchair patients in and out of loos in public buildings , I endorse all Professor Lees said on this matter. He added that with more imagination a great deal could be done to make public buildings more accessible to the disabled. The disabled want to be treated like the rest of us ordinary people. Time and time again during this weekend we heard this important truth being hammered home.

Professor Lees stated that with unlimited cash and unlimited goodwill there would be no problem It is when one has to choose between certain courses of action that the difficulties begin. Choices may mean that less cash for the Disabled may mean more for the Universities or for the Medical Schools, and even each individual group amongst the disabled themselves may be competing for the ' available limited re so urces. All thinking and planning mu s bear in mind the financial cost. The vital role of the voluntary societies is to help the fa milies of the disabled with their many non-financial burdens.

Professor Lees ended with the following 4 conclusions:

1. The 1980s will be a gloomy decade for the disabled.

by KATE PFISTER Part One

2. Public expenditure will be less than generous.

3 Private agencies will not be much help

4. Voluntary organisations such as St John produce a ray of hope.

This conclusion must give all of us in St John a great deal to t hink about and a challenge to do as much as we can for our less fortunate friends.

The next speaker was Mrs Topliss, of the University of Southampton, whose topic was 'Assessing the need '. She began by saying how difficult it was to get realistic statistics as the definition of disablement or handicap was somewhat restricted. The definition in the United States was much broader and more comprehensive. We really don 't know how many handicapped people we are dealing with in the UK.

In assessing the needs of the disabled, an element of moral choice was neces sary and they must be encouraged to ta ke risk s occasionally. Are their needs self-perceived or must they be as sesse d by a professional?

This is a difficult question, as needs vary according to age and background. Older people may not ask for all the y need and may accept a level of di s comfort not acceptable to other younger people.

Lack of knowledge also limit s the expression of need Congenitally handicapped people are less likely to ask for much, but those damaged in later life by trauma or severe illne ss will u s ually be more articulate and more demanding. Many disabled are ignorant of the services and facilities available. Some areas of need are still unmet. Lonel i ness is a case in point. Many handicapped people would welcome visitors, especially from the voluntary organisations Another area of need is support for fa milie s caring for a di sa bled person at home and much flexibility is needed in doing thi s. An over-protective attitude is a mistake and the tendency to deny them freedom of choice. This was another important truth that we were to hear over and over again.

Finally, before the coffee break we heard from Mrs Elizabeth Roger s and her husband Michael, a quadriplegic following a virus infection. Mr Rogers, speaking from his wheelchair, told us that there were some 600 to 1000 spinal injuries in the UK each year, road traffic accidents accounted for 50% of them. The immediate care of the casualty is all important and standards have certainly improved. Helicopters are often used to bring casualties to an Accident and Emergency Department or to a Spinal Unit.

Mrs Rogers described the initial nursing care. Often other injuries were present and must not be overlooked. A neurological examination was carried ou t. A Stoke

Mandeville a turning and tilting bed was used. Turning every three hours was needed at first and a ventilator might be required.

Mr Rogers then came in again, telling us that 21 years ago he spent his first s ix months in hospital on a ventilator. At first everything seemed unreal, like a bad dream. Then reality hits one like a thunderbolt. Also the severe humiliation of having all one's natural functions performed for one.

Gradually as time progresse s comfort comes from one's family, the staff and other patients. Incidentally, Mrs Ro gers had been Michael's Ward Sister. It was now her turn to take over and tell us about the mobilisation programme, first while the patient is still in bed and later when he is allowed up. All therapy is given: Physiotherapy Occupational Therapy, Hydrotherapy. Sports. Aids to dail y li v in g. Group therapy sess ion s. The final di charge is about 6- 12 month s after admission.

On-going care will include the GP, the Community Nurse, the Domiciliary Phy siotherap ist, t he Home Help Most patients join a voluntary organisation catering for their special needs.

Michael added that going home was a real challenge. Some so-cal led frie nd s don't want to know you, the general public is often embarrassed a nd m any GP s ha ve no idea of the problems facing paraplegics or quadriplegics. Job s are hard to co m e by and the disabled must be very patient and tolerant. A daily routine s essential and must become well e s tablished. A real problem is the prevention of boredom so that s timulating activity must be provided. The volume of applause wh ic h greeted this contribution to the conference s howed t h e great appreciation of t he del egates and their admiration for the courage and c heerfulnes s of Mr Roger s and the devotion and experti se of Mrs Ro gers. We also much admired some of the paintings done by Michael using hi s mouth and the fact that he writes and speaks on hi s di ability to many and various groups.

After coffee we heard about two St John project s to help the disabled. First Mr D H Robin so n, a Divisional Vice-President in Dorset, described a sc heme whereby the ca det s of the Broadway Division helped lo ca l deaf children. The two project eaders who began this sc heme in 1978 were on th e platform : Wendy and Susie, and very s m a rt they looked too. The first need was expensive electronic equipment, so fund raising started. A party was held for the deaf children which was entirely without noise, so very different from the normal children's party, and there seeme d no way of communicating, which po se d a great problem. But the cadets were not disheartened and they continued to meet the children often and to take them on outings and to pantomimes and partie s. Slowly they learnt to communicate. The deaf and dumb alphabet, which the cadets learned, was no good if the child had been born deaf and this was a problem f or the parents too. Sign language varied

up and down the country and the importance of li s tening was s tressed. About 30 deaf children are being helped in this way and as the older ones leave new ones take their place. The loneline ss and iso lation of the totally deaf is hard for us to imagine and it mu s be most rewarding for the cadets to feel that they are s lowly breaking throu g h this barrier and making contact with these seriously deprived youngsters.

Mr C Dempsey, Divisional Superintendent of the Upton-onSevern Division, de sc ribed his quadrilateral Divi sion's scheme in caring for blind person s in an area of J 00 sq uare mile s aroun d U pton-on-Severn.

Everyone concerned in this project was made to reali se that t hey would be dealing with people at a grave di sa dvantage Uniform was no t worn but an identity card was carried. The first object was to di scover the needs of the individual blind per so n, so me 25 in all, and then a meeting with all concerned bodies was held. Most of t he blind in this project were blind through old age, not through trauma or f rom birth, so their other se n ses were also le ss acute and Braille was often not possible for them. Loneliness was a very common problem. Three case hi sto rie s were described in detail and explained the s imple , direct way help was given. Members were becoming thoroughly experienced in this s pe cia li se d type of welfare work. Both these projects s how ed how St John can play i ts part in helping the handicapped and the great importance of good planning and of u s ing a ll t he available resources.

At the end of the morning se s ion the Commissioner-in-Chief Major Gen, Sir John Younger, presented Miss Baile y with the second bar to her Service Medal, Mis Gribble with her Service Medal and Dr Ian Fletcher with the 4th bar to hi s Service Medal. May we offer ou r incere co n grat ulat ions to them all and wish them many more year of St J ohn activity.

In her s umming-up at the end of the morning session, Miss Bailey aid that nurses were often gui lt y of wanting to take deci s ions for their patients in tead of letting them be involved in their own care. It was an important les on for us nur ses to le arn to li s ten to patient s and to do what they wish if possible. (Continued next month)

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NEWS from SCOTLAND

THE new Angus Branch of the St John Association, under its energetic chairman, Col T. M. B. Lamb, remembering that this is the Year of the Disabled, is pursuing the possibility of giving practical help to the patients at Stracathro Hospital.

On Sunday June 14 the gardens at The Burn, 'Glenesk, will be open to the public during the afternoon under the Scottish Gardens Scheme and a percentage of the money taken will go to the Angus St John Association.

The Helensburgh Branch of the Dunbartonshire St John Association held a successful wine and cheese party on February 26 with two aims in mind. One was to greet and welcome new or potential members, and the other was to raise funds for the new Home for the Elderly in Glasgow, which is one of the major undertakings of the Order in Scotland just now. The function was successful in every sense. Several new members joined the Association and about £150 was raised for the Glasgow Home. Guests included

Provost James McKinley, Councillor George Hood of Dumbarton District Council, A. G. Crichton, Chairman of the Order Committee in Dunbartonshire (front row, second from right in the photograph), and William Gilmour, Chairman of the Dunbartonshire St John Association.

Prisoners to the rescue!

The 40-foot barge, St John Crusader, was recently released from prison, where it had been fully refitted by some of the prisoners in Edinburgh's Saughton Prison, thereby saving its owners, the Seagull Trust, about £5,000. The barge has provided trips on the canal for 3000 disabled people since it was presented to the Seagull Trust by the Edinburgh Branch of the Order of St John two years ago.

Work on the barge gave a 6-week break from the routine jobs in the joinery shop of the prison. The St John Crusader is now completely renovated; the steel hull has been refloored, repanelled and newly painted, and was 'launched' on a low trailer by crane, to be taken the six miles to its home on the Union Canal.

Mr Hills, the prison governor, said the project was the prison's contribution to the International Year of the Disabled. 'We are engaged,' he said, 'in community service, and are pleased to have been approached to do this work.'

WALES

NINETEEN successful candidates received their first aid certificates in the Priory at a special presentation, which was given by the Sub-Prior for Wales, Colonel Sir Cennydd Traherne.

This was no ordinary first aid class. It was made up of Members of Council, various committee and even members of staff from the Priory for Wales

The six week course was held at Priory House, the headquarter s for the Order of St John in Wale s, and the medical lecturer was none other than Dr D. W. William so n Chief Surgeon for Wale s. The la y instructor s were Mr Keith Dunn Occupational Fir s t Aid Training Officer Mr Desmond Kitto, a Superintendent in the Brigade, and Mr s Richard Davie s, County Organiser for St John in South Glamorgan. Among tho se receiving certificates was Sir Cennydd's wife, Lady Traherne

W. Glamorgan

On March 29, Skewen Division, We st Glamorgan, held an enrolment ervice for eight new cadets. The ervice was conducted b y Vicar Lake, and the enrolment ceremony was performed by Mr Lewi s, Chief Cadet Officer for Wale 0 present were Mr L. R Harrl Commissioner, We t Glamorgan; Mr. H Launder, Trainin g Officer, West Glamorgan; a nd Mr Conway Gillard, Cadet Officer, West Glamorgan. Cadets enrolled were: John McVeigh, Leigh Co uch, Aly on Bowden, Susan Saunders, Andrea Jone s, haron Lloyd , Ann Hut c hin gs and Nicola Davie s 1

All those who knew him, particularly at the Overseas Conference and at Mytchett last

year, will be saddened by the new s that Mr Kassim Shabani died on April 19 after a s hort illnes s He had been Secretary of Council in Tanzania for many years. More than that, he had provided t he driving force that kept SJA in Tanzania a viable organisation, ba se d mainly on the Railway s of which he wa s an employee, in the face of untold difficultie s. He will be very greatly mi sse d in Dar-e s-Sa laam and there will be widespread regret that he will no longer be joining us at international function s in the UK.

At Helensburgh Branch 's wine and cheese party that had two aims (Photo: Helensburgh Advertiser!

News from Divisions/ Centres

(3), 14. Open sore of s k in or mu cou me mbra ne in pa inful cerv ix (S) I S, Di sagreement about e r u c tation ? (4) 16 Net wit h un u ua l h e ms (4) 18, In se ns ibili y nd uced b y d ru gs (8) 21. Ab so rbin g s tr uct ur es of t he small in te s t ine (S ). 24. B u r y in v rg in e r r it ory ( 5) 25. Re tu r n i n stra nge o d o u rs s me lli ng o f burnin g t iss ues (8) , 27, H a rb o ur er of pa ra sites cou ld be s ho t (4). 29. Girl 1001 \/2 (4). 3 1 S k i n take n a

I ndi a n trop h y (S) 32, C heat with di e in t he mac hin e ry (3). 33.

Ca mera s hyn ess of pati e nt with ce re br a l irr ita ti o n ? ( 11 ) , 34. Spo il broke n a r m (3) 35, Re latin g to th e eye lid s a nd feet (6), 36. 2 Dow n (8) , D ow n I . A n up per chambe r of t he heart (6), 2 , Medi ca l ca re c ha rac ter ised by watchf uln es s bu t minimal acti ve tr eatm e nt (9) 3 , T a ke p ace f ro m office r co mm and in g do g (5 ) .4 Supp lie r of o rga n for t ra ns pl a nt (5).

6 , Anatom ica l p pe- li ne (4) . 7. T e mp e rat ur e r ite becomes hack neye d (5) , 8 Ca r pal bone f o r med from a co d 's hip (8). 9. T iss u e fill ed with b lood or other bod y fluid (8) 12 P a ras it e's egg fo un d in fu rnitur e (3) . 17 But i t is not the end of th e c ri c ket matc h (4). 19. Pr ese r ve a ca ll osity (4). 20. Pro m ote s t he f o rm a tion o f Vi ta min D in th e s kin (8). 22 Ma li gnant b lood d isea se in wh ic h numb e r o f w hit e ce ll s is

grea tl y inc rea sed (9) 23. T he main e ve nt is a pimp le on 3 1 Ac ro s ?

(4-4) 26 E n thu s iam for alco h o lic p rep a rat io n o f a d r u g (6).2 8 Tra il of a n a nim a l (5) , 29. As sist the s u rgeon b y kee p ing t he op e ra tion fie ld f ree f ro m bl oo d (3) 30. Rob es di s heve ll ed a nd not und e r th e in fl u ence of drink (5). 31 Co ll oquial lan g ua ge (S), 32, Co mplet e lo ss of co n scio us ness (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 5 (81)

Acro ss : 1 Ep id e rmi s ; 6. Spe ll 9 , Ha tc h ; 10 G e r ia t ri c ; 11 Ra re; 12

We a k ; 13. F la ir; 16. G lo bulin 17. Br ea st ; 20 , Sutur e; 2 1. Blan c hed 23. A lla y; 25 Arc h ; 26 F la p ; 29 In d uct on; 31. To xi n ; 32 N ig h t; 33 A na lges ic ,

D o wn: I. E. th e. r 2 . I nte rco s ta ; 3. Echo; 4. Magn es ia; 5 St roke; 6. Sca rf ; 7. Ea r ; 8. Lace, rate d ; 14 Anap h lya xis; 15 Burr; 16. Ge.sta tion ; 18, Rent; 19, P lacen ta; 22, Sa l. va ; 24. Yac h t; 27 P,inn. a; 28. Stag; 30 D og

1981 DIARIES - 18p each

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You

ST JOHN REVIEW

Mounting Service

Medals and Medal Ribbons

Customised

Diagnostic

Paramedic

London

Questions

Around

Order

Cadet

THREE ITEMS in the Re v ie w

months have caused some prett y

the past

-s e archi n g among some of our readers - no t in it se lf a b ad t hin g, as it 's what the writer s no doub t ho p ed would h appe n A little heart-searching from time t o time is good for us all, provided that we re not left i n a state of unresolved perple x ity, and m y aim this month is to try and clear up at least two misconception s w hich all too often befog the issue.

The three items w ere: (1) To all Lay InstructorsFirst Aid at Work', by S. H . Glenny (March , p. 59); (2) 'London A ssociation training to ex p a n d ' (April, p. 85); (3) 'Our Future in Your Hand s', b y Mer v yn Malcolm (May, pp 98-9). And I m yself h a ve cl ea rl y raised the pulse ra t e of some of the hear t - searc he rs by m y remarks in this column (Februar y and June ) about increasing Brigade recruitment by offering po t en tial members wh a t they're looking for when the y join , a n d then en s uring that they not merely get it but enj o y it.

Much of the anxiety caused b y the s e it e ms is due to lack o f communication, or und e r st andi ng of the correct facts , and when once these ha v e b ee n acc u rat el y established there is good hope that th e cause for w o rry will disappear - not nec essaril y o ver n ight, f or it ' s no easy task even for the most clear and im p artia l min d to readjust to fresh evidence and to vie w p rec o nc eiv ed ideas in their true perspective. Th e two ma j or misconceptions that seem to ha ve arisen a re :

1. We cannot hope to increase Brigade mem b e r sh ip s o long as we are compelled to make s u c h exorb i ta nt charges for the qualifying first aid course

Forgive me if I start by sa ying t ha t p hrases like 'compelled to make such ex orbitant c h a r ges are deep ly emotive and border on the hysterical. Le t u s look at t he facts:

(a) There are two distin c t c a tegor ies of f irst a id course , designed for two different t ype s o f can di d ate, Conrinued o n p 154

London District Finals

their First Aid compet tion In seeking a reali s ti c loca t ion to s tage 'accidents to te st th

s kill of h e competitors, someone had come up

the bright idea of approaching Bri is h

a il. The general manager of Southern Re gion was so taken with the idea th at h e immediately offered the u se o f C annon Street Station, plus a train pulled in to one of the platforms in order to add more realism. And station s taff happil y c ooperated to the extent of e ven s upplying a British Rail fir st - aid team to s tage a demonstration for the benefit of St John Ambulance members !

As well as the u sual awards Southern Region's general manager , John Palet te, announced that there would be a s pecial prize of a free travel warrant for two for a round trip anywhere in the Briti s h Is le s b y BR The lucky winner , with the highe s t individual score, was Nur sing Member Francine Kelly of Harrow Di vision. Wh e n asked if she was taking her boy friend on the trip, she said that s he didn t have on e at the moment , but we feel sure there will be no shortage of volunteers to keep her company Francine says that she wa nts to use her prize to visit Scotland.

Mr Palette presented the awards, and he in turn was presented with a copy o f the history of the Order of St John as a memento by London District' s Deputy Commissioner John Gerrard. Harry A Farbey

RESULTS

e s kin is dr y

3 In Diabeti c C oma th e fa ce is flu s he d

4. Insulin s produced b y the li v er.

S. E pil e p sy o c curs onl y in th e y oung.

6 Th e Authorise d Manual s tate s th a minor epileps y ma y be due to the a ddict taking an overdose of s timulant drug.

7 The ca s ualt y ha s no warning w he n a major epileptic fit is about to ha pp e n.

8 S trok e (apople xy ) has onl y one c au se.

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS by Roy Jackson and Bruce Coltman

9. A good des cription of co ncu ss io n s Brain S haking'.

to. C ompress ion s onl y ca u se d by a depress ed skull fractur e

I I. The 'S teriod Card indic ates th a t t h e casualt y is taking dru gs o re du ce t h e clotting of the blood,

12. In th e Authori s ed M a nual e n co m mon c au s e s of uncon s ciou s n ess are des c ribed

13. In the Authori s ed Ma n ua l thr ee types of ner v es ar e de s cribed N M Mand y De w ar rec eives the Househo ld Ca valry Troph y for Peckham Divi sion from Br g P

14. In th e Authorised Manual the co mpl et e nervous system cons sts of h ree p a ts IS. Scalds are caused by dry heat.

16. Only acids cause corrosive burns.

17 The Authorised Manual descr bes four in which poisons can enter t h e bod)

18 The Authorised Manual sta tes h at travel sickness tablets cause excitement at first, depression later.

19. Infants suffering from may have PINK hands, face and feet.

20. In the elderly and infirm, suffering from hypothermia. the pulse is slo\\, weak or mperceptible. (Answers on page 163)

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A GREAT wit once said that a St John Ambulance Division without an ambulance is like an undertaker wjthout a hearse. In one case it is a matter of saving life, of course; in the other, it is a terminal situation. Hence the saying is not quite applicable.

However, at Surbiton we often get requests from old peoples' homes, the Association of Disabled People and other local organisations, for the use of an ambulance. But, alas, we have no ambulance, and until recently did not have enough funds to purchase one. While no Division should ever make an ambulance its first priority, the fact that a Division's ambulance is able to help the community, and the vehicle is seen in the area with the name of the St John Division on it, helps to raise the morale of the Division and assists its membership drive

In Surbiton we set ourselves the task of raising enough funds from local charities to purchase an ambulance. We were lucky, as Kingston and District Charities, the first we approached, turned out to be very sympathetic. They immediately granted us £500, a good beginning, but £500 is not enough to purchase and equip an ambulance, even a one.

Mount a project

As we were considering which charity we should approach next, my friend Peter Escott came out with a brilliant suggestion. 'Mount a project of your own to raise the money.' One immediately thinks of jumble sales and whist drives, but they take a long time to raise enough funds for an ambulance. 'Why don't we organise a snooker match', said Peter. The bandwagon started rolling. We got a team together: somebody to be press officer, somebody to be responsible for selling tickets, somebody to be in charge of finance, somebody to run a raffle and an auction, somebody to be in charge of publicity and printing, etc - all

Charity begins with • • • HOMEWORK

has authorised me to say that he will give a special concession to anybody from St John Ambulance wishing to go to Malta, and greater concessions to parties from St John Ambulance.

I can't say enough about our two players - Doug Mountjoy and Steve Davis. They gave their best, as if they were replaying the championship. But all the tension of Sheffield was in the past. They played a serious game in a very friendly and lighthearted manner. Not satisfied with giving a first rate performance, they both gave an exhibition of trick-shots. Doug was really superb at it. The two players stayed on to sign programmes at a pound an

Doug

volunteers with no administrative costs.

The team had the unenviable task of choosing a pair of snooker players who would draw the crowds. The past champions would naturally demand high fees so at the end of the day there may not be much profit. So we opted for what we thought were the 'middle weights'. In November 1980 we wrote to the agents of Doug Mountjoy and Steve Davis to arrange a match. It was fixed for Friday, April 24, 1981. The next problem was to find a suitable venue. There is a number of suitable halls in the area, but they are expensive to hire. We picked the hall in the local Recreation Centre, and agreed to pay them 50 pence for each seat sold. This was perfect, as we would not have to pay for unsold seats.

Glued to TV

As the world snooker championship progressed we were all glued to our television sets, hoping, but hardly expecting, that our 'candidates' would do well. Quarter-finals - yes, they were both there. Semi-finals, they both made it. Now we were biting our finger nails. Who wjll be the champion? But by this time, to us it did not matter. One would be champion, the other runner-up! On Easter Monday, that cool, calm and collected Steve Davis became the world champion at the age of 23. Both were billed to play for St John Surbiton Division the following Friday! Now all hell was let loose. The local Mayor, who had been invited in November but declined because he would be too busy in April, got his secretary to phone to ask if he could come in his civic regalia. The Chief Education Officer rang to ask for four seats And so it went on

All 560 seats, at £4.50 a time, were sold out within 24 hours! We asked the hirers of the hall to put in 50 more seats - which they did also adding 100 standing places at £3.50 each. Mrs Thornton, the Surbiton

Vice President Rusi KerrWaller explains how Surbiton Division's fundraising idea just grew and grew .

Division Superintendent, was answering her telephone round the clock. Peter Escott's secretary was driven round the bend (and so was he - almost) and I just about threw the sponge in. The whole organisation was thrown out of gear. Extra tickets had to be printed; extra programmes, at 25 pence each, had to be produced; tickets and money to be collected from various sources; and so it went on.

But by Friday morning the storm subsided. We began to take the situation in our stride. Surbiton Division, in conjunction with Divisions from Molesey and Teddington, took charge of manning the hall in the evening. Dr Brotherhood attended to two casualties. Mike Sauvarin took charge of 'guess the break' and made £148. Janet Bonfield organised the raffle, which was drawn by Graham Roope, England and Surrey cricketer, and Ronnie Jackman. They made the princely sum of £420. Ted Bonfield, perching himself on a vantage point, complete with his money bags, collected all the money. As I was rushing around somebody stopped me in my tracks: 'I'm Carm Zerafa.' 'Good for you.' 'I'm the Managing Director of Medallion Holidays and also of the Maltese Movement (U.K.).' 'Best of British luck.' 'I want to present you with four holiday tickets to Malta, air fare, hotel and car included for one week. Would you like to auction them?' You could have knocked me down with a fleur de lis. The special relationship between St John Ambulance and Malta had prompted him to make this generous offer. During the interval Robin Jackman, the England and Surrey cricketer just back from the Caribbean tour, did the auctioning. He first auctioned two cues presented by the Kingston Lions and signed by Steve Davis; they fetched £160 Four holiday tickets to Malta produced £500. Mr Zarafa came to the stage to say that he had decided to extend one week's holiday to two weeks How lucky can you be! Mr Zarafa

autograph. Our very grateful thanks to them both.

Our snooker evening turned out to be an outstanding success. Naturally, we cannot expect to be as lucky every time. Fundraising is not such a marathon task as some people believe. However, to 'raise money for the Brigade' is not enough. You have to establish a special purpose for the fund.

£1,500 required for repairing the roof of the headquarters, for instance, or £600 for buying furniture and fittings, will get a far better result. Then look around for charities in your district. Citizens Advice Bureaux always keep a list of them. You could go and see the secretaries of ten

different societies, reque s ting a tenth of the total sum required from each of them If you need £10,000 to build a headquarter s use the same procedure. Con tact the managing director s , or general manager s of Building Societies, Bank s , In s urance companies, and manufacturing and commercial houses in your di s tri ct. The li s t is inexhaustible. The se i n s titution s us uall y recognise the work St John Ambulance does in the community and are willing to help. Also to give £1,000 is cheap publicity for them.

Don't wait for charity to come to you! It always begins at home But i demand s a terrific amount of HOMEWORK.

Cadets • In

24-hour sailing race

SIX cadets from London District's Kingsbury A I C Division, who have been taking canoeing and sailing lessons towards their proficiency badges, took part in a 24 - hour sponsored sailing race at the Welsh-Harp sailing base on May 9 and 10.

The race, to raise funds for the sailing base, involved teams of four to eight young people, aged between eleven and eighteen, sailing 15 dinghies round the % -mile course from noon to noon.

The six ambulance cadets, aged 15 and 16, started the race on two-hour shifts, two sailing the boat, four ashore. They cut this back to one-hour shifts, but when night fell they reverted to two-hours again.

There was little wind for the first day, but during the night rain deluged down for hours, with the cadets afloat keeping up their spirits by singing Christmas carols.

The rain cleared by morning but the wind became even lighter and by noon, 24 hours after the start, the SJA boat crossed the line after completing 85 laps (63 miles), to finish 6th out of the 11 boats in their class. Only three of the cadets had sailed before. They were: Sgt Robert McKinnon, 16; Cpl Crysis Soteriou, 15; Cpl Ricky Boreham, 16; Cadets Mark Burton, 15, Alan Pullinger, 15, and William Beardon, 15. Mike Burton,

D I G CIOO Kingsbury

Surbiton

D vision's Supt

Mrs C. Thorton, and Vice President

Mr Kerr-Wa

(Above ) Some hing has gone wrong with the boat s gear Cadets Robert McKinnon and Ricky Boreham sort it out at the stag ng, with Alan Pullinger in the boat

'YOU want to gabble?' queried the Italian voice over the telephone. I corrected the mistake with a graphic desciption of a gavel.

'Oh yes, we have one of those you can borrow,' said the hotel manager. 'I'll see if we can find it and ring you back.'

Three telephone calls and a personal visit later, I held the precious item in my hand. It was just one of the articles which Headquarters had requested for the Public Relations Officers' conference in Guernsey in April. I had diplomatically refrained from suggesting that a gavel would not be needed if Director of Public Affairs

Geoffrey Meek was coming with his commanding voice.

A few days later it was Mr Meek's voice which spoke on behalf of fifty public relations officers, thanking the Bailiff of Guernsey, Sir John Loveridge, for a warm welcome to the island.

The Bailiff is President of St John in Guernsey and, together with Lady Loveridge, who is Yice-President, he entertained the visiting delegates at a Yin d'Honneur on their first evening in the island.

Those who drank the toasts a little too heartily were shown no compassion the following morning when the conference sessions began in earnest at the Cobo Bay Hotel. Following a welcome by Harold Touzeau, Bailiwick Commissioner for Guernsey, Geoffrey Meek promised delegates a conference with a practical bias.

First in the batting order was Mr Peter

Mrs Hay is well-known as a writer and broadcaster, and specialises in PR in the voluntary sector. She gave the delegates many tips on how to make the most of opportunities for publicity. County PROs should have a basic plan, with a list of objectives projected over the next two years, and should aim publicity at those objectives. The morning's session ended with some useful advice on how to approach the media, and how to maximise local publicity.

Those who were hoping to sleep off the effects of lunch were foiled when the next speaker turned on two television sets. John Henwood, Head of News and Features at Channel Television, used his own medium to illustrate how St John could get publicity on the small screen.

PROs annual get-together in Guernsey

(Top) Some of the delegates while visiting the Little Chapel in the heart of the island. (Above) Director of Public Affairs Geoffrey Meek says thanks, and hands them a St John tie, to guest speakers (L to R) Geoffrey Young, Mrs Jocelyn Hay, and John Henwood, News and Features Editor of Channel Television

Garland from Headquarters, who spoke about the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. 1982 is the Hospital's centenary year and to ensure its future in the Middle East, the Order has had to establish an endowment Fund with a target figure of £5,000,000. Support in this direction has already come from London-based Arabs, a London Committee called the Friends of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem and an organisation called Lionheart Tours. The tours, which offer a fascinating 12-day guided visit to the Holy Land, are primarily for St John members and their families. With every booking there is an inbuilt donation to the hospital. Mr Garland refrained from divulging any useful phrases in Arabic for fund-raisers, but he did briefly describe the 'Outreach' project planned for this year. Using two Mobile Units, one for treatment and the other for teaching, the hospital personnel aim to offer the rural communities of the West Bank a basic programme of health care with emphasis on the eyes.

Shaun Glenny, the Association's Training Manager, spoke next. His subject was 'Intensive First Aid Training for

Commerce and Industry'. There is likely to be a mild explosion in this type of training soon - metaphorically, of course - as soon as new legislation to be included in the Government's Health and Safety (FA) Regulations comes into force. The most likely outcome of these regulations will mean more people to be trained in first aid and more organisations authorised to issue certificates. So the Association cannot afford to let standards drop. To this end, the Association's new First Aid at Work teaching package will shortly be introduced throughout the country; the objective being to raise teaching standards to a consistently high level.

After a break for coffee, the conference turned to public relations itself, and could have no better authority on the subject than Geoffrey Young, Hon FIPR, a founder member of the Institute of Public Relations, Chairman of its membership Committee, and an independent public relations consultant.

Mr Young emphasised the need for a professional approach to public relations in St. John. Once a PRO had been appointed, his Commissioner should back him to the hilt, and keep him fully informed of what was going on.

Mr Young advised on how to cope with the reporter who asked about an incident of which the PRO had not been informed -a sympathetic murmur was heard around the room - and on how to deal with bad publicity, before handing over to his colleague from the Institute, Jocelyn Hay.

were presented with Friends of St John ties by Geoffrey Meek as a mark of appreciation.

Still hotly debating the afternoon's topics, the delegates evacuated the conference room to change for dinner, as this evening they were hosts of St John mem bers from Guernsey.

Guests of Honour were Sir John and Lady Loveridge, who were thanked by Mr Meek for the warmth of their welcome.

In reply, Sir John did not miss the opportunity of reminding the visitors that Guernsey, as part of the Duchy of Normandy, had conquered England in 1066. He hoped the conference would be the most successful on record, and that this would be the first of many visits.

He allayed the fears of those who felt that TY was too big to be concerned with local St John units; while the technology grew more complicated, the companies were becoming more communityorientated. To show the delegates the ways in which St John could interest TY channels, Mr Henwood presented several video clips of news items which had publicised St John on his station in recent years. He stressed the need to contact news editors personally, as routine press releases often found their way to the WPB-file, known in technical jargon as the waste paper bin!

One of the main functions of a conference such as this is the interchange of ideas, and following Mr Henwood's talk, four St John PROs were invited to give the delegates the benefit of their own experiences.

MYTa Meredith, from Avon, began by dealing with the basics of the press release. From General principles to small details, MYTa gave the delegates a complete course on how to write for the press, and avoid the WPB-file!

Peter Jackson , PRO for Leicestershire, then spoke on press photography, giving advice on the most suitable backgrounds, the best size for prints and so on. His point on maintaining flash equipment in working order was well illustrated when his own flashgun failed to work. An illuminating example, one might say, which produced several light-hearted comments - and a few bright ideas!

Following a break for tea, Robert Shaw, from Northamptonshire, put in a word for the journalist. It was important, he said, to treat the press reporter as a guest at any function. Someone should be assigned to look after the reporter or photographer as soon as they arrive, and to supply them with any information they need. When I told this to my own press reporter later, he ignored me, but nominated Robert Shaw for a knighthood!

Frank Davies, from Oxfordshire, then spoke on 'The Problems of a St John PRO'. With a subject like that, he deserves congratulations for finishing before midnight! Nods of approval greeted his comment that a big problem is the authority of the PRO. Commissioners should trust their PROs with information. Ideally, he felt that PROs should be civilian. To be kept informed was essential, but extremely difficult.

A questions session rounded off the afternoon, an? the three guest speakers

seemed as resistant to solutions as ever.

'How can the PROs get hold of information which is sent out from London?'

'My secretary never passes on any circulars from Headquarters.'

The following morning, the delegates were transported, somnolent or otherwise, to the St John Ambulance Headquarters.

An insight into the work of the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service in Guernsey was provided by a film on the stranding of an oil rig on the island's west coast in 1978.

This showed dramatically how the St John service was involved in the rescue of men from the first grounded oil rig in the western world.

After a short church service, the visitors were taken on a conducted tour of the St John Ambulance station. Some were surprised to learn that St John provides the only ambulance service in the island, answering emergency calls, and providing a host of rescue services in the area. They were even more surprised to find that it is one of the best equipped services in the world.

The control room and first aid theatres were coveted by those with a knowledge of local Health Authority stations, and after being shown the cliff-rescue equipment, breeches- bu oy apparatus, diving equipment, inshore rescue boats, lighting equipment and cutting gear, the visitors began to realise the scope of the service.

Training was under way in the decompression centre, and delegates were able to see some of the staff taking the place of 'bends' victims in the pressurised chamber, and ask questions of those operating the complex control panel.

St John Ambulance & Rescue Service staff are not able to play cards while they wait for the telephone to ring. Delegates could see why when they were shown the maintenance rooms of the service, where electronic equipment, radios, vehicles and other items are repaired or maintained by the staff.

The rehabilitation aids department surprised some of the guests with the wide range of aids housed in one building. Here also are stored the supplies for the emergency oxygen service which St John operates.

The most modern item to be seen was the world's first mobile radar unit, and although not at the station, the famous ambulance launch 'Flying Christine' was viewed at the harbour by some delegates during the weekend.

After walking what seemed like miles around the ambulance station, the opportunity to sit down for lunch was welcome, but the afternoon's open forum soon had delegates on their feet as usual.

Most questions received satisfactory answers, but a few perennial problems

The melting pot of queries boiled down basically to lack of communication. Mr Geoffrey Meek had even had to tell one county secretary who her PRO was, as she didn't know! One fact which did emerge was that Teresa Wellesley, Press Officer at Grosvenor Crescent, keeps a veritable information bureau of leaflets, facts and figures, and photographs, for use by PROs. Another was that most information from HQ is sent to county secretaries, and it is up to them to pass relevant material on to the PRO, or up to the PRO to extract it! As usual, some counties were worse than others; it seems we all have our problems. Even Headquarters has an occasional hiccup!

After a draught of tea had soothed the throats of the more vociferous delegates, a coach tour of the island was laid on to round off the conference. A visit to the northern headquarters of St John, a look at the picturesque Little Chapel in the heart of the island, and a stroll on the cliffs in the teeth of a force nine gale, sapped the energy of the youngest among us

There were two consolations . One was that while the weather had been alternately rainy, cloudy, stormy, windy and rainy again, at least we hadn't been knee-deep in snow as much as the UK bad been that weekend. The other was that after an extremely interesting but exhausting conference , we'd soon be going back to work for a rest!

All the delegates seem to have enjoyed and found the conference useful. The occasional airing and sharing of views and experiences from different counties is to everyone's benefit, and all seemed to have learned a lot from the weekend

Janice Fittall, HQ's Special Projects Officer, even had the courage to ask delegates to judge the conference by filling in an assessment form Janice did an enormous amount of work to ensure the success of the weekend; the almost universal praise is due largely to her organisation of probably the best public relations conference to date.

I have only one complaint. I didn't hear that gabble - sorry , gavel - used once!

Neil R. Tucker, PRO , Guernsey

Editor: We were surprised to learn that the Review was not mentioned in the open forum ton the question of communication within SJA. Some three years ago we started a PR-column but because of lack of material its publication ceased So we'll start it again this month (see p. 162) with an article on Press Photography by Peter Jackson, PRO Leicestershire, based on his talk at the PROs conference.

This column, aUhough primarily for PROs, is open to anyone who has anything interesting to say, or information to pass on, on [he subject of public relations. Copy date is the 1st of the month preceding cover date. Let's start communicating. It need not be a perennial problem. The channels already exist.

Sir John Paul, the new Director Overseas Re latio ns

WHAT'S GOING ON INTHE WORLD OF ST JOHN ME!

Sir John Paul, GCMG, OBE, MC, took over f rom Sir Leslie Monson as Director Overseas Relations on June 24.

After serving in the Royal Tank Regiment during World War II, and spending some time as a prisoner-of-war , Sir John was called to the Bar in 1947 and almost immediately joined the Colonial Service He held a number of posts in the UK and in Africa before becoming Governor and Governor-General in, successively , the Gambia, British Honduras and the Bahamas. His last appointment before retiring in 1980 was Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.

Sir John has been a Knight of the Order since 1962. He lives with his wife and three daughters at Sherfield-on-Loddon near Basingstoke.

LADY POWER

Commander E. A. Morrison, chairman of the Order Council for Hampshire, writes:

St John suffered a great loss recently by the death of Lady Power who was a most dedicated and tireless work er for St John, mainly in Hampshire, for over 30 years.

Her initiation to our work was in Malta, through the late Lady Mountbatten, when her hu s band wa s commanding the

to the children of Guernsey s Swissville Nursery. (Photo: Guernsey Press) Mediterranean Fleet. After his death she took an active part in the Brigade in Portsmouth and later as County Superintendent for some seven years, becoming a Dame of the Order in 1975 She w.as a Member of the Hampshire St John Council and finally among the first ladies to be appointed to the Chapter General of the Order of St John.

In recent years she fo ught ill health most courageously and insisted on continuing with her work for St John as far as possible.

HARVEY-LESS Anyone who has seen the Chief Nursing

Officer'S showpiece Mis s Bailey produces a magical number of nurs ing items from a suitcase (ending with her toy rabbit Harvey) to show how mobile you can be - will be delighted to hear that, through the generosity of the Edwina Mountbatten Trust, a fully-equipped suitcase (but less Harvey, I should add) is ready to be donated to each SJ A county.

The aim of he exercise is to demonstrate that virtually all the equipment needed in Brigade nursing training can be carried in a suitcase. With the exception of a bed, of course.

AB U

BY THE EDITOR

MUSICAL SOCIETY

After the success of the inaugural concert organised by the Order of St John Musical Society last October, a second concert has now been arranged for Thursday, October 22, 1981, at London s Guildhall. The Ladies Guild of the Order of St John formed the Musical Society with the prime objective of raising money for the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem.

Last year, the National Westminster Bank kindly agreed to sponsor the concert and this year the gesture has been repeated . It is hoped that these concerts will now be an annual event featuring international artists, singers and mu s icians Last year, Jose Carreras, the di s tinguished Spanish ten o r and the Engli s h Chamber Or che s tra gave out s tanding performances to an almo s t packed hou se. The ECO will be pla yin g a gain in th e O c tober 1981 concert bu t a s yet no other principal artists have been named.

Sir Kenneth Co r k , former Lord Mayor of London , is Chairman of the Guildhall Concert Committee and Sir Claus Mo ser, Yehudi M e nuhin and Tilo Gobbi are all patron s of thi s enterpri sing new Musical Society

Further information and ticket prices will be publi hed when available.

1000 THANKS

Mrs E. A Smith, nursing member of Bromborough, Eastham and Port Sunlight

John Heasman, 37 married with

A I M John Heasman of S E. London's 346 Hatchin Division, was on relief duty in The Mall at the Trooping the Colour ceremony on Saturday , June 13 As he was going to ask some members if anyone needed a break, nearby guardsmen lining the route came to attentionthe R oya I procession was approaching, so he stood to attention too. As the Queen came by on horseback he sudden.IY heard shots ring out from his left Turning, he saw a man with a gun in his right hand. A Special Constable standing nearby went for

the gun, and John grabbed the man's right arm. They pulled the man towards a barrier, where a guardsman took over, who was quickly joined by more police

John was asked to go to Cannon Row police station to make a statement, and then returned to his first aid post to report he was on duty again He w as taken home in one of the Division's ambulances.

As the world was soon to know, a man was later c harged with discharging a blank cartridge pistol at Her Majesty

The C-i n-C Majr-Gen Peter Leuch ars Iright), was a the rece nt opening of SJA Honiton's new HO when Area Commissioner East Devon, Dr T. Glanvill, handed the key to D S John Brown

Division, Merseyside, recently received a letter from the other si d e of the world about her Year o f Nursing project in Rome last year, Mrs Smith attended an eld erly Japanese lad y w ho had collapsed and then took her to hospital. The letter ca me from the lady's daughte r in Japan, and read: Dear Mrs Smith: How are you gett ing on? I think you rem ember the accident in Rome last summer. I 'm the dau ghter of the Japanese old woman who fell sick in front of St Pietro. Thank you very much for your kindness. My mother became very fine after pleased with it. My mother and I will never forget your kindness f orever. A thousand thanks again Sincere ly Yours, Sachiko Shibusawa. ALL PASSES?

sw im recently at the local phy s ically handicapped swimming club

I hear that a first aid weekend for 25 medical students was held at the RAMC Depot , Mytchett, during May, culminating wit h an examination. Certificates may be presented at a small reception at Headqu arte r s. I a ss ume they all passed

that. We could visit my sister in Greece and NOT IMPOSSIBLE have ni ce holida ys. I hear that the Vice-President of Chasetown

This gift is from my mother in token of Combined Divi s ion , Staffordshire , her gratitude. This small fan is for tea- Cou ncillor John Walker, who is a ceremony, a kind of Japanese traditional paraplegic virtuall y paralysed from the

John , who learned to swim at the club, was escorted in relays by di vis ional member s during the 8 \I2- hour mara t hon which set a clu b record and rai sed fund s for the club and Chasetown Divi sio n A great vice -pr es id ent, o bv iou s ly.

INVALID CARE ALLOWANCE

The Department of H ea lth and Social Security's in va lid care allowance, which was previou s ly avai la bl e only to a carer related to the disabled person, ha s been extended si nc e Jun e 1 to include everyone caring for a severely di sab led person. The presen t allowance is £ 16 .30 a week (£17.75 from ne xt November). A leaflet (NI 212) on the subject is available fro m Local Social arts. We should be very happy if yo u 'd be waist down, made a wonderful six mile

indu st r y at cut-price rates by usin g money given to us by the public for the relief of the s ick and s uffering.

A new ambu lan ce for Barnsl ey Area, S & W Yorks is dedicated with members of the Ba rnsley Committee of the Top Firm Compe it on, w hi ch raised the money to buy it

Security offices.

WEEKEND

Ha ve yo u booked for the SJA Cambridge carava n convention on October 9 and 1O?

This se lf-cat er ing weeken d, with a varied programme of intere s tin g events, is open to St John member s and their immediate fa mili es w ho ha ve a ca ravan, motor caravan, traile r tent or tent. The sugge stion

to meet special eme rgenci es and local need s.

is for members of counties within 100 miles of Cambridge, namel y, east of and including Hampsh ire, Berk s, Derb ys hire , He refo rd and Worcester, Gloucestershire , S ta ffs, Notts and Humber side.

Cost is £6.50 per pitch. Booking forms are available from County HQ s or di rect from CSO Ian Phipp s, 7 Bo w Cottages, Station Rd, S utton-in-the-I s le, Ely CB6

2RN (stamped addressed envelope please).

OUR CLUB

A reader writes: 'No comment section. When attending the Medical Conference at Nottingham last momh heard two delegates saying: Oh yes, I come each year. There are so many people to meet. It's the best club I know.'

though having an identica l syllabus. For simplicity I will call them 'Industrial' an d 'Public'.

(b) The 'Industrial' course is normally a 4-day inten sive course held during workin g hours and attended by employees in industry to s at isfy the statutory requirement s for providing 'First Aid At Work' in factories, shops and offices.

(c) For the se courses the fee is necessarily high, s ince all the lecturers, instructors, demon st ra tors and examiners are professional men and women who are providing their services during normal working hour s in order to oblige industry, and industry is prepared to remunerate them in accord ance with our current sca le of profes si on al charges. Other expenses, too, need t o be carefully cos ted - rent, heating and lighting, cost of first aid manuals, HQ registration fees, hire of films, wear and tear of eq uipment and apparatus, and even tea and bi sc uits ! And if you're tempted to say that when the course is held on St John premises and using our own equipment we need make no charge for rent , heat and light , wear and tear, etc. , YOU ARE MISTAKEN. It s no part of the charitable duties of the Order of St John to provide indu stry wi th technica l training at subsidised rates, and we should be very gravely at fault if we were to train

(d) St John Ambulance, having calculated in bu sines s overhead terms the true cost of running these Indu str ial l:Ourses, pro vide s guidance on the minimum recommended course fee. This guidance is given in the form of a strong recommendation though not of a 'rule' or regula tio n '; thus there is a certain element of elastici ty in it s interpretation , though by and large it is very clo se ly followed. The current recommended minimum course fee is £50, though in s ome place s a smaller average s ize of clas ses means that a larger fee mu st be charged to avoid lo ss.

(e) The important point to note is that this see mingly high fee (which is cheap in comparison with normal commercial training fees) is paid by the firm s and not by the candidates, so it could f10t possibly have an adverse effect on Brigade recruitment. If anything, it s hould affect recruitmen t favourably, s ince the candidates are receiving their qualifying training at no charge to them selve s. True, very few of them join, but I'm sadly convinced that that is mainly because so often nobody remembers to tell them anything about the Brigade, despite strong encouragement from Association HQ that this should be done; but where Brigade pUblicity is well put across and, in the case of those showing interest, supported by a follow-up from the local division, recruitment much more f requ e ntly occurs.

(g) Though much of the a dmini strative paper work for h ese cou rses is don e by Association Ce n tres, the co ur ses themselves are mostly run b y Bri ga d e Divisions as part of their training, public rela tio n s and recrui t ment programme. In this matter t he Association and t he Bri ga d e are working together as one, which is as it sho uld be; the tragedy is that too many people try to keep them in wate r -tight co mpartment s.

(h) As re gard s the course fee ch arged on Public courses, St John Ambulance HQ don't even recommend a specified minimum, so it can't pos s ibly be claimed that we are compelled to make any particular charge, exorbi ta nt or otherwise! The furthest that HQ go in recommending minimum fees is to advise division s and other bodies organi s ing courses to ensure that they don t pitch the fee so low that they 'run into the red'. Districts and counties may be more precise about what they recommend within their own boundaries, but these are still only ' recommendations' and may be subject to elastic interpretation

(f) The 'Public course, held at times when the public is normally available (eg, on one evening a week, for, say, eight weeks) s a much less cost ly affa ir. That doe s not mean that its sy llabu s is le ss d etai le d or its st andard of instruc tion in fe rior ; in eac h type of course the quality of instruction s as good or as bad as the instructors' capacity to 'put it across' (w hi ch is not the same thing as the ir capability as exper ien ce d do cto rs or lay first-aiders), and we are all the time striv in g to make the quality of instruction o n all co ur ses of a m ore universally high sta ndard in putting across the knowledge of basic first aid; we a r e not trying to turn our c andidate s into 'second-aiders' or paramedi cs.

(i) It s u s uall y fo und to be po ss ible to run a cou rse of not less than 2S candidates, paying all ex pe nses (including lecturers and examiners' fees) a nd without running into the red, on a course fee of £10 a head, which is closely co mparable in real terms to what we u se d to c harge for course fees in the thirties; but with less than 25 candidates t his would be a bit of a gamble.

U) Con trar y to what man y people imag ine, quite a number of lecturers (professional and la y) are st ill very generous in waiving their fee s. But (apart from the duti es carried ou by Brigade Surgeons within t h e s phere of their Brigade appointment) the y have every right to charge these, and many could not afford to do otherwise. However, when the fees are waive d, this is normally intended as a contribution to the funds of the division and not to th e pockets of the public so it's quite in order to include them in the 'costing' of the co ur se.

(k) It is also perfectly in order to use discretion in reducing the course fee for certain categories of candidate, such as students in full-time education, candidates for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, member s of youth organisations taking the course as an official part of their training , and members of any organisation which provide s accommodation or other facilities that r educe overhead expenses. And in the ca se of courses sponsored by Brigade Divisions I hope there s no need for me to s tre ss (i) that St John Cadets seeking to qualify for adult membership should be given the course entirely free, and (ii) that members of the public who subsequently join the division should have their course

fee offset agai n s t part of the cost of their uniform.

2. It is totally contrary to all the traditions of the Order and a far cry from the instructions to the early Knights of St John to serve our Lords and Masters the Sick that we should go out into the market place and sell first aid . Again we are faced with what amounts to an accusation which is loosely expressed in deeply emotive terms. So let u s once more look at the facts:

(a) Nobody is 's elling first aid - in the market-place or a nywhere else. All members of St John Ambulance, both Association and B r iga de , render first aid in s tantly to the s ick and injured in any emergency, whether they are on or off dut y, without imposin g any conditions o f remuneration, and irrespective of the colour, race, sex social status or creed o f those who they serve. But when we are invited to carry ou t public du ties b y the promoter s of what are often very pro fita bl e sporting and other events, we are per fect ly justified in asking for programme pUblicity and a donation to cover our o verhea d expenses. Countless spectators, and even some promoters , still imagine that Bri ga de members are paid (though nobody seems to know by whom!) for doing public duties , and if we fail to disillusion them we are merely behaving like doormats, which is no t part of the honoured tradition that we have received from our medieval forebears.

(b) What we are selling is the experti se that enables individuals to give the right basic first aid treatment in moments of emergency. 1 hi:' is s omething that industr y, statutory and voluntary organisations and vast numbers of the individuals themselve s

are prepared to 'buy', Just as they 'buy' other for m s of expertise through courses of training in, say, computer programming, shorthand typing, pottery making, French literature, car driving, badmimon - you nam e it! Many of these, including first aid, ha ve a special market value because they can help their possessor to get a job, or a bette r job, or a higher wage; and those who d esire them are prepared to pay a fair price to whatever training orgarlisation they consider provides the 'best buy'. And that is w h y we, who believe ourselves to be leaders in the fie ld of first aid training, must look to our laurels.

(c) Nothing that have said so far would in any way prevent St John Ambulance in one of our areas of high unemployment from running a first aid course for unemplo ye d persons at a drastically slashed course fee if the local SJA could afford to run it at a small lo ss and lecturers were ge nerou sly prepared to waive their fees. Such a course would demonstrate the ela s ticit y of our interpretation of the principle that while we always render basic first aid to the injured without discrimination , conditions or charge, ,ve normall y protect ourselves from financial los s b y training people in the skills of first aid on a well -accepted commercial ba is.

And so I return to my conviction that Bri ga d e recruitment is not being crippled b the ' high cost of training course, and that vhat we need to do to stimu late re ruitmem is to impro e our PR approach to the candidates on fir t aid cour e and, when th ey join u , make quite certain that they enjoy what we gi e them to do.

GUE RNS EY: A retirement gift of gardening toels for D Comm Dennis M oore (centre), with Mrs Moore and a happy birthday to Comm Harold Touzeau (left)

Loveridge . Right)

John Loveridge, the island's Bailiff and

President. Photo Guernsey Press)

ORDER INVESTITURE

Miss Adam s (Cleveland).

Gladys Evelyn, Mrs Bryant (Hams).

Be ry l, Miss Holland (Wores).

Irene M rs Beacher H umberside) Ruth Rosemary, Mrs Bareham (London)

OFFICER (Brother) Philip Ja mes Wadsworth (Cheshire)

Col Cyril En sor Knight, MBE (Norfolk).

H erbert William Basford (London).

Lawrence Byford (Linco ln Christopher Frederi ck Pa yne, QPM (Cle veland)

Wg Cdr Henry H oward Drummond AFC. DFM (E ssex). William Frederi ck Shaw (Nolls). Joseph Edward Durham (Staffs George Lorenz Desmond de Sil va (London).

Wg Cdr Howard Munro Sherriff MB ChB FRCS (Cambs).

Kenne th Wi ll iam

Oyston (Tyne & We ar).

enry Fowler (N York s).

Bennington (Nott s)

William Franklin (Oxon).

William Metcalfe Wood (Salop)

son FC (Buck s).

D onald Miller Macka y, MB, ChB FFCM, FRACGP, FCCP

M RCGP MIBiol (Lond)

Willie Alfred George Palmer (Norfolk)

Wg Cdr David Ga net Malthews LDS RCS Bu cks).

L eslie John sto n BA, B(Comm)S c L ncs

Denni s Victor Woodhams (Oxon)

Cyril H ollinshead (Glos)

Sqd n Ldr Thoma s Maxwell Jo hn son Hill (Leicester).

Major Andrew Napier Norfolk)

OFFICER (Sister)

Eleanor Betty, Mrs Carey (Glos).

Morag Nada, The Lady Stafford (S taffs). Margaret Jane, Mrs Wat son (Co Durh am).

Meryl, Mrs G less ing (Su ssex)

Audre y Elizabeth, Mrs Lawson (West Mid ands).

C hr istine Mary, M" Sea rl olt (Suffolk)

Mollie Mi ss Lambert, SRN, RFN SCM, QNS, HV (Norfolk)

Dorothy Ma y Louisa, Miss Clisby (London).

Sheila Ro ss, Mr s Fielding (Cheshire ).

SE RVING BROTHER

Walter Cos tar (London).

Robe rt Brim e ow Balmer (Che shi re).

William Donald Clarke, BS c, MEd, PhD, (Herefo dshire)

Neil Chr is t opher (Glos)

Vernon Charles Cowdell (Sus sex ).

Joh n Colledge (Merseys id e). John Franci s Erskine, MB, C hB DIH (Ke nt) Thoma s Victor Brown (Lanes Richa d H

(North Yorkshire).

(Hants).

(London).

(Tyne

SJA Medical -Conference 1981

THE AFTERNOON was devoted to four seminars, each with its own chair man and rapporteur, who reported to the full assembly after tea My personal seminar was concerned with St John competit ion s, a subject dear to my heart. The first seminar was on St John communications and the first comment on the subject was: Avoid gobbledegook. Some points covered included communicating with the general public and with our own members in the educational field. The relationships between the Doctor s and the Nurses were not always as good as they ought to be, often due to poor communications, and the same applied to the way the public views St John. Furthermore the conflict between the professionals and the ordinary St John members may be a cause of wastage. Personal contact is of the utmost importan ce. Communication with new memb ers is not a lways what it shou ld be especially regarding the wearing of uni f orm and other St John details, s uch as the various rank badges, etc Words used must be simple and s traightforward. The very fact of senior rank may alarm some members and may not be understood by lay people without clear explanation. The Divi sional Superintendent is a key cog in the St John machine The skills of getting peopl e to co-operate are of the utmost value. Notice-boards must be kept up to date and a newsletter might be handy and keep everyone well informed. May I make a plea for people like myself who are on the

KATE PFISTER (Part Two)

Pool to be kept in touch with current St John events. I am very fortunate i n this res pect, but I fear others in a similar position are not so blessed.

Seminar B was concerned with Health Education in First Aid and Nursing. The time allotted to the courses obviously limits t he amo unt of Health Education that can be given, During nur si ng courses the sy ll abus may be more easily modified to include major health education topics. Assistance from experts in various fields might be needed and visu al aids would also be helpful. Accident prevention is an important aspect of health education that could be stressed during First Aid co u rses and one which s hould intere st Brigade members, Some parents, such as heavy drinkers or smokers, migh object to t hese topics being raised when teaching cadets and so might some ante-natal mothers. From my own pe rsona l experience I have a lways fo und it pos si ble to i nclude vario us aspects of health education quite naturally in both First Aid and Nursing lectures

Seminar C dealt with The Way Ahead in St J ohn. Membership was declining and there were fewer doctors and trained nurses to train new recruits. More la y ins t ructors we re needed and existing ones should be reassessed every three years More lectures should be given in schools and GPs also

need educating as to the value of St John. The final conclusion of this sem inar was that it is the personality and work of the Di visional Superintendent wh ich makes or breaks a Di vis ion Serrunar 0, the one I attended, was on St John Competitions and our cha irman , Mrs Field, had given us some provocative questions to set the ball rolling. After much discussion certain conclusions were reached:

1, More realistic staging was necessary and if possible real settings s hould be u s ed In some of these competitions uniform should not be worn. Casualties should be well brie f ed as well as well trained. We thought written tests were not of much val u e but that short oral questions at the end of the competitions "vould be useful.

2. Composition of teams More flexibility was felt to be desirable, to include ca dets, a nd in some tests even SRN s, SENs, stude n t nur ses an d doctor s, as many of these professionals know little of first aid or home nursing and competition work would improve their standards in these subjects ,

3. The Tests We d is cussed \ hether tests should be prepared b y an experienced team and kept in a bank '. We finally decided that the best so luti on was for a team to prepare tests which would then be subrrutted to the judges concerned who could modify them as they wished and who would have the final \vord. Some thought that judges needed training and acting as a steward during competition helped many

OUR FUTURE from Clark Balague, Divisional Officer

I was very pleased to see the article 'Our future in your hands' by Mervyn Malcolm (May Review). All the points put forward have a great deal of bearing on the problems that we are having at present in Henley.

We have been trying hard to increase our membership over the past three years in order to keep up with the demands for our services. We have worked closely with our County PRO when organising our recruitment campaigns, indeed, we are in the process of planning another for the forthcoming autumn, yet we are still lacking something which is needed to attract the right people.

Mr Malcolm was right to say that local situations would also influence recruitment. The biggest headache I have is trying to cover public duties. Not so long ago our duties were dominated by scrambles, banger racing and autocross, all exciting and, more important, a great deal of experience in first aid was to be found. Now, however, we are covering nothing but horse shows and the like. Wh ile I appreciate we are here to give service, this sort of duty is not as exciting or interesting and, although my members are loyal to the cause there is reluctance to volunteer for boring work.

Thi s has prompted me to move into another field of work. For a number of years one of our vehicles has been used weekly to transport the community's housebound to a local Day Centre. To expand this welfare work, over the last nine months we have also organised three outings for these same people. A river trip,

Ch r istmas shopping evening and a trip to a theatre, as well as a party f or them which was organised by the cadet divisions. The rewards from t his type of work are mainly threefold The people we look after benefit, the Brigade's image and good name benefit from the publicity, and, most important, we as individuals benefit from ac t ually doing something for someone else.

Ev e ntually it s hoped to strike a happy medium between routine duties wel fare and transport duties, and social activities for our members. Combining this with interesting training evenings, and hopefull y in the winter months divisional training days, will help put u s on the road to increased membership However, there still seems t o be something adrift.

Over the past few months I have realized that our training and First A id Manual may be presenting another recruitment problem. We are s till required to t each methods which use 'planks of wood and pieces of calico' to immobilize fractures. This does not give us the sort o f image we need to go into the 21st Century, therefore could put forward the following suggestions:-

1. Simplify the requirements of the first aid course for members oj the public, hence simplify the Manual, perhaps leaning toward s Emergency Aid. (Keeping the pieces of wood and calico a s part of a chapter on improvisation).

2. Clas sify separately the course and manual for Industrial First Aid , going into far more detail than in 1 above and bearing in mind the proposed changes in legislation by the Health and Safety E x ecutive, we need to lead the field.

3. Again, have another classification for a training manual and course for uniformed members, including all approved ambulance equipment and its uses, a more detailed section on anatomy, a section on nursing and a badly needed section on diagnosis (a book called Diagnosis before First Aid, written by Neville Marsden and published by Churchill Livingstone, is a fine example) Compiled in loose leaf form would make amendments ea sy

All the above suggestions are for application in this country, where member s of the public, seeing an ambulance, do not differentiate between St John and the local ambulance service. They therefore expect the s ame standards of expertise and equipment and it is our re s ponsibility to give the public these higher standards.

I realise that we have divisions which do not have ambulances and in those that have some members may not want to get involved' with ambulance work. This being the case I would suggest a two-part certificate. Those involved with ambulance work required to have both parts be f ore being allowed to crew a vehicle, thus attaining a higher standard.

I realise these suggestions may have people howling, but I am sure they will agree if they look carefully at our position. I am not prepare d t o lis t en to the argument about cost, as I have always found t h e public support St John very well, if we give the community the ser v ce it require s

The last point would like to comment on is public awareness. Many people still believe we, as individuals, are paid; still they believe we operate the local ambulance service, and still they take us for granted by expecting us to pick members from trees in order to attend their functions. We need to put our situation plainly to the public. We need to get into their homes and teU them

While we can do this to a limited degree at local level, feel we need a national campaign to put our case, using the national Press and Television. This would in turn reinforce our local campaigns, but it should NOT be mixed with appeals for funds.

You will see from this letter that we are constantly looking at ourselves and our future. hope Brigade HQ is doing he same We have been waiting at least 6 years for a compulsory list of ambulance equipment. We have been waiting over 4 years for a training manual for members. We CANNOT wait that long for increa sed membership. So Headquarters - please pull your finger out!

Henley-on-Thames (A) Clark Balague

from Adrian Rutter, Divisional Superintendent

I was interested to read the article by Mervyn Malcolm (May Review) concerning Brigade training, and although I agree whole-heartedly with his comments would like to take one step further and ask what are we going to do with all these highly - trained members?

As with most members, I have been on-duties when we haven t had time to think of stopping; I have also spent several hours putting plasters on cut fingers, and directing people to the toilets / tea tent / way out! I have recently been arranging duties for my cadets, since they don't always get the chance to do much when we go out with the adults, and I believe one answer is to look beyond the traditional 'show' type of duty and encourage members to do a s many different types of duties as they can.

Many members do thi s already; but do all our members get the chance to do escort duty, hospital work, welfare visits displays - at fetes, shows, club meetings, etc? Do they all join in with teaching at first-aid classes, or train with simulated casualties and at outdoor exercises?

And dare I suggest that our more energetic adults try some of our cadet adventure or proficiency training?

All of these not only bring our activities more to the notice of the general public - who are our future recruits and 'customers' - but also provide us with first-class training, interest, and the satisfaction of putting our training to good use

And isn't that why we joined the Brigade in the fir s place?

Camborne

OUR IMAGE

from E L. E Hearne, Area Staff Officer

Adrian Rutter

Once again the question of uniform changes rears its ugly head (March Review). No one would disagree that the cost of our uniform is high, but we do have white overalls for dirty duties and we can now wear the NATO-type pullovers, and in hot weather short-sleeve order, so we're not wearing those expensive uniforms all the time.

A/M Drew asks (March Review) that we follow the Scouts by modifying our uniform, but I wonder if he knows what the word uniform means? Uniform means the same, unvarying. We in the Brigade need to look the same so that anyone needing our aid can

recognise us. The black and white of our uniform has been seen for nearly a hundred years and most members are proud to wear it. Windsor E. L. E. Hearne

CADET PROFICIENCY SCHEME

from Miss P. J. Bishop, Divisional Superintendent

In May it was three years since the new system for badge subjects was introduced, and I feel it is a good time to consider the advantages and the disadvantages. In general, I think that the new system is much better and has certainly introduced variety. There is, however, one big problem - the age limits! When we are trying to keep the older cadets in St John it does not seem reasonable to have a system which prevents them taking many of the subjects. From a practical point of view it is difficult to arrange subjects for a small group and in some cases could be expensive if fees have to be paid. I have noticed a drift of subjects from the 11-15 to the 15-20 age group. I would like to see all age limits removed.

The experience of the Divisional Superintendent and the Examiner, or the Instructor, would be used to match the cadets to the subjects. The Examiner would use his discretion in examining cadets of different age and ability. After all this has to be done in the case of Rambling, which can be taken by a small 11-year-old or a large 20-year-old. If necessary a graded system, as in Athletics, could be introduced. The idea of the new system was to introduce a greater challenge Thi s could be done by adding an extra section for the more able (not always the oldest) cadets A distinction could be given for a pas s in this section.

How I wonder were the subjects allocated in the first place? A subje c s u c h a s Woodwork is, am told, covered at school, but has been put in the 15-20 group, while Language in the 11-20 group require s an A level standard How many under-ISs could qualify for this? The different s ubjects should I think, give the cadets a chance to do something new. The chance to 'Have a go'. We should be considering effort and advancement rather than just the standard achie ved.

M y s uggestions would be I. Do away with all age limits.

2 Make Nursing and Knowledge of the Order compulsory.

3. Make three se c tions : i General, ii Hobbies, iii Physical Recreation Adventure.

4 Move A s sociation and Welfare into i.

5. Move Mapreading and Camping into iii

6. At least one from group iii.

7. Not more than two from group ii.

S Not more than two from school subjects.

Would it be u s eful to carry out a survey of the badge subjects which are being taken? The Divisions could send to 'Cadet Chat' a list of the subjects taken in 19S0 wi th the number of passes I would find it interesting to see a league table. How many subjects would have a zero rating? These could perhaps be eliminated

My la s t suggestion is that we could have a Cadet Handbook similar to the Guide Handbook. This would give new cadets a chance to see all the subjec t s that they could take.

Ipswich

Pamela J Bishop

Brigadier R F Semple, Chief Officer Cadets, writes: I have read with considerable interest Miss Bishop's letter on the Cadet Proficiency Scheme. The Cadet Advisory Committee has already discussed the need for its revision now that we have gained some experience in running the Scheme At our last meeting the committee made it clear that any comments and ideas which may help to modernise and update the scheme would be welcomed. I personally have always been rather concerned at the arbitrary divisions of subjects into certain age groups, which is not in keeping with Cadet Life in the Eighties The grouping of subjects also needs examination. I appreciate also the need for a Cadet Handbook which would give some additional guidance on the syllabus for each subject.

If any other member has any helpful suggestions such as those expressed by Miss Bishop, will they please write direct to me at 1 Grosvenor Crescent.

INSTRUCTING

from G. J. Joyce

It would be interesting indeed to know from Mr C. H. Roman (Around and About, May) just which 'less than three dozen words' would give us the ability to 'sling the bat' and so impress each other

THERE was an excellent attendance at the Glasgow St John Association Annual General Meeting in the City Chambers, Glasgow on May 6. The guest speaker was the Very Reverend Professor R. A. S. Barbour, Prelate of the Priory of Scotland, who in a stimulating and encouraging address expounded the crusading, chivalrous, healing and Christian aspects of the Order, and how they can be relevant in today's world.

The chairman, Brigadier John e. Balharrie, revealed the generosity which had already been shown in support of the new St John Hospice in Langside even before the official appeal had been launched. The total required is in the region of £155,000, of which about £70,000 remains to be raised.

The chairman presented a beautiful piece of Caithness Glass, inscribed with her name and the badge of the Order, to Mrs Yvonne Leggat Smith, DStJ, in recognition of her splendid service to the Association as chairman of the Women's Committee since 1966.

The Chancellor, Mr W. A. P. Jack, also addressed the meeting assuring Glasgow Branch of Priory's wholehearted support. Festival 1981

By the time this is in print, the Annual Festival of St John should have taken place at St Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen, on St John's Day, June 24 Those expected to be invested are:

WALES

Up in the hills behind Eglwysfach, there is a secret retreat where members of St John Ambulance can corne · from all corners of the kingdom to get some peace and quiet, do a little practice and enjoy the rural sc ene

The house Dynyn is tucked away on the mountain top and can only be reached on foot or in a sturdy Land-Rover, and was part of the estate of the late Major General Lew is Pugh. In 1967 SJA Wales were given a 16-year lease on Dynyn, which was just a shell at the time. The boys from Machynlleth Brigade struggled up into the

(Right) The St John Crusader, after

NEWS frol11 SCOTLAND

Commanders (Brothers) (On promotion) Brigadier John Charles Balharrie, MBE, MC, TO Alexander Urquhart Cross, TD, MA , JP , DL Lt. Col. John Davie, MBE, MC

Thomas Alexander Ross, BL PhD Andrew Clement Wilson

Officers (Brothers) (On admission)

Alexander Conn Collie, MBE, JP (On Promotion)

Peter Douglas Bell

Dr John Anthony Calvert, BSc, MBChB, DObst. RCOG

Dr John Lamont Cameron Dall MD, FRCP(Glas)

Alasdair Buchanan Gillies, BDS

James Clement McLeod

John Hannah Forbes Macpherson, CA

Thomas Clarkson Ogilvie

Officers (Sisters)

Miss Ann Cooper Brown

Mrs Thelma Blaikie Gibb Bruce

Mrs Dorothy Mary Jack

Mrs Kathleen McLeod Raeburn

Mrs Jane Beveridge Wilkie Thomson

Servi ng Bro thers

James Sellar Christie, CBE, FBIM

Robert Millar Collington

Frederick Charles Andrew Gordon, Dip.RMS

Alexander Green FIA

Charles John Hunter, BSc, GRSC Andrew McNab Lawtie

Rt. Rev. Lawrence Edward Luscombe, DLitt. CA, FSAScot

Robert McAlpine

hills with all the building materials and tools and worked for two years to turn it into a rural home-from-home.

The water supply is a little spring a few yards from the house and the electricity is provided by a small petrol generator

Cooking is done with bottled gas and heating, the best facility in the house, is by means of huge, old -fashioned log fires.

This year should have been the last in which the first -aiders could use the house, but the new owners, while unwilling to renew the lease, have granted a one -year extension. The problem facing training chief, Peter Harries, is where to go next. He is certain that something similar can be found and he came down last Spring w th

In addition, Colonel A J Watt and Mr Archibald Russell have been promoted to the rank of Knight, and the following, although unable to be present at the investiture, have been promoted and admitted:

As Officers (On promotion): Major Simon Campbell, MBE; Mrs Mary Lyndsay Orr; The Hon. Mrs Helen Service. (On admission): Air Marshall Gordon Wakeford, KCB, MVO, OBE, AFe.

As Serving Brothers: Andrew Robert Farquharson; Gabriel Jerdan: George Littlejohn McGinn; Peter McMahon CA.

As Serving Sister: Miss Katherine Margaret Young, MA, DIPEd, FEIS. The Prelate of Scotland, the Very Reverend Professor R. A. S. Barbour, Me. ChStJ, DO, will be presented, during the investiture, with the star to mark his appointment as a Sub-Prelate of Chapter General.

a party of 14 lads from north and south Wales to repair the ravages of winter, to apply a lick of paint and to chop up logs to provide fuel for the season.

Until the school holiday, the St John members come up only at weekends, but in high summer parties come for a week at a time They learn map-reading, mountainwalking and enjoy outdoor sports, as well as brushing up their first-aid techniques. There are four bedrooms, furnished sparsely with old hospital beds, blankets and sleeping bags. There is a store room in which plates and cutlery, maps and torches, knives and stretchers are kept. With such difficult access, the boys and girls who use the house travel light and make use of the

{Pho tos: Patrick Smith Associates Machynllethl items left in the place.

The working party that came to get the house ready for use was made up of young men from the steel towns of north and South Wale s. They give up their time and provide the materials out of their own pockets. Many of them have been coming for many years and alJ are worried about what happens when the house is no longer there for them to use.

If the right son of isolated property could be found, even if the facilities are primitive, St. John Ambulance would try to purchase it as they do not wish to find another place on lease, only to lose it again at some time in the future.

Most of those who struggled through the snow of April, will be back in the area again in August, when they participate in the com petitions for first-aid team s in the National Eisteddfod. They are a very dedicated bunch and they all acknowledge the debt owed to the Machynlleth men who bore the burden of getting the place shipshape in the early days

(Right ) leg - and 'patient' gets some expert help from the Gaer (Newport) Nursing Division team in the Gwent County SJA First Aid competition at Risca Comprehensive School during March , (L to R) Sarah Higgins 11; Nico a Chappell, 11 and Ruth Jones , 13 (Photo Western Mail) (Right) Occupational First Aid training officer Keith Dunn presents certificates to employees of Dow Chemical Co of Sully, Penarth , who recenty completed a 4-day intensive first aid course in Cardiff organised by the Prio ry for Wales. (Pho to : Don Jeynesl Flowers (lef t from 11 -year-old Cadet Angela Humphr ies for the Duchess of Gloucester, Commandant-in-Chief of SJA in Wales when she arrived at a Cardiff theatre for the St David 's Day charity concert in aid of Order of St John Funds And (right) a goblet commemorating Cardiff's 75 years as a city from the Lord Mayor Cllr John Edwards OStJ , JP

(Left) The Prelate as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (1979) wearing the scarf embroidered (by the Limner) with the Arms of the Priory of Scotland.

(Photo: Church of Scotland).

(Above and right) Getting the home·fires burning again after the winter at the St John get -away house in Wales - which they may shortly los e

News from Divisions / Centres

Rear Admiral Sir Rowland Jerram , KBE, OSO , OL , KStJ , retired County Commissione r of Cornwall. Memorial Service h eld at Bodmin on June 10. ESSEX TRAINING WEEKEND

Am I a Masochist?

I THINK I mu st be because if I'm invited I s hall be going back to Brooklands tra inin g weekend ne xt year. I mu st be a glutton for punishment, if yo u co n sider that during the I was taxed both physically and mentally. There were times when I cou ld ha r dl y keep awake, and yet I enjoyed m yse lf. You may ask what we did? We fi rst learn t ba sic map reading, a ge ntl e introduction to what lay ahead. Then came the rude awakening; a t hump on the door at 6am and a ye ll t hat there was an emergency. About 15 minutes later some very sleepy people assembled for a briefing. The re had been a serio us accident, the ho s pi ta ls were f ull, we were to set up a reception ce n tre, and r ender first aid until t he hospitals co uld deal with the casualties. We co ped so mehow , and the lads f rom the local AP C who acted as cas ualtie s did no t suffer too much from our miru st ration s. The le sso ns learnt will not be fo rgo tte n in a hurr y, and hopefull y will be passed on to our own divi s ion s.

We were also instructed in t he u se of ambulance equipment, and the necessit y for proper maintenance if it is to be used effectively. We h en practised manhandling a Furley stretcher over rough g round with a patient lashed to it. The members who volunteered to be patient s were in my opinion very brave. They survived and so did we. It wasn't all work, there were lighthearted moments. We also met and talked with members from other divisions. We co mpared notes on the problems we have at divisional level. It appears we have similar problems, so maybe we can learn from that.

The frie ndly atmosphere ge nerated by West Essex Area Staff and s ustained b y the rest of the group, made for a very enjoyable weekend. So if I'm asked to go again the answer is:

General

this type of fracture (8), 10 The great toe (6) 12. Bone involved in dislocation of the ankle joint (S). 13. A hundred copy part of nurse's uniform (4). 14, Part of uvea v isible through the cornea (4). 16 Wheezes from the chest (7). 19. Bundle s of hay make support s for herniae (7). 21. Small lump of butter for boy or girl (3). 22. Gain examination success and become unconscious (4-3). 23. Digestive ferment of intestinal juice present in peer s (7). 24. Tubular organs conveying liquids (4). 2S. This part of the mouth is the palate (4). 26. Infectious di sease causing sulks? (S) 29 , It has blood surrounding thyroid swelling (6). 30 Cloudy above the plaster (8). 31. Showing feeblene ss of body or mind wit h advancing years (6). 32. Complication of 26 Across in males (8).

Down

1. Inability to extend hand due to paralysis of forearm muscles (S.4).

2 Take plane for an Asian country (S). 3 Se lects disease of liver or a dementia (S). 4. The pharmacist dispenses with this instruction (12), 6 Ra is e right ear (4). 7. Hardening and lo ss of function of organs due to o ve rgro wt h of f ib rous tissue (9), 8. Sees about ten males and females (S) 11. Discovered a pyrexial illness? (7 ,S). IS. A French priest to re store to health (4), 17. One boss is producing persistent recurring compulsive thought (9).18. Stupid person makes the blood coagulate (4). 20. After si n with us it is a co mplication of the common cold (9) 24, Tenth cranial nerve (S). 26. Month for a metatar sa l fracture (S). 27. Had in mind average temperature (S). 28. Drug preparation to be taken by mouth (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 6 (81)

Across: 1. Adenoids; S. Ad ,i t.us; 10. R,i.p; 11. Conjunctiva; 13. Fit; 14. Ul.cer; IS. Rift; 16, Mesh; 18; Narcosis; 21. V illi ; 24; In,ter; 2S, Ni.dorous; 27. Host; 29. Mi.ss; 31. Scal p; 32, Cog; 33, Photophobia; 34. Mar; 3S. Tarsal; 36. Pregnant.

Down: 1. Atrium; 2. Expectant; 3 Oc.cur; 4. Donor; 6, Duct. 7 T.rite; 8. Scaphoid; 9. Suffused; 12. Nit. 17. Over; 19. Corn; 20, Sunlight ; 22 Leukaemia; 23 High-spot; 26, Spirit; 28. Spoor. 29. Mop; 30. Sober; 31. S lang ; 32 Coma.

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For

ST JOHN REVIEW

A Random, by W atkin W Wi ll iams

Annual

Foundat

Address

Brigade

Around

Le

Questions and Answers:

International

Chief

Readers'

News

Na

News from

CONGRATULATIONS

to the three members of St John Ambulance who were honoured on The Queen's Birthday in recognition of their long and outstanding service in the Brigade: Mr Lewis E. Richards (a Commissioner on the Chief Commissioner's Inspectorate, Priory for Wales), who received the MBE; and Mr D. Teify Davies (Deputy Commissioner for Mid Glamorgan, Priory for Wales) and Mr Frederick W. Witch (District Staff Officer (Public Duties), Greater London (Prince of Wales's) District) , each of whom was awarded the BEM.

Mr Richards joined the Brigade 44 years ago as an Ambulance Member in the Bedwas Division, Gwent, and after successive promotions became Deputy Commissioner for Gwent until in 1974 he was appointed to the Chief Commissioner's Inspectorate He is also Standard Bearer of the Priory for Wales, a founder member of the Hospitallers' Club of Wales, a member of the St John Council for Gwent and technical adviser on the building and maintenance of all ambulance HQ's ill the county. For good measure, he is not only a very active and experienced competition judge but also an expert in the staging of competitions and accepts responsibility f or staging all the major first aid competitions in the Priory.

Mr Davies joined the Brigade as an Ambulance Cadet, and after 37 years' service in various appointments is now Deputy Commissioner of the largest administrative county in Wales. He has a special flair for teaching first aid and other kindred subjects to members of a wide range of youth organisations, and has been the driving force and inspiration of the Cefn Cribbwr adult and cadet first aid teams which have over the years had many successes in the Royal National Eisteddfod, the Br igade F inals and the Grand Prior ' s Trop h y competitio n . Tireless in his St John work, he is also deeply involved in choral and dramatic societies, by w h ich means he has been very active in raising funds for charities.

ANNUAL SERVICE AT ST PAUL'S

FOUNDATION CONFERENCE

THE St John Ambulance annual conference was held at the County Hall, Westminster, on June 26 - the day NHS ambulancemen staged a 24-hour strike. And the theme of the confere n ce, Home De fe nce coul dn 't have been more appropriate, for in the Hou se of Commons the previous day major c han ges in Britain's defenc e poli cy had bee n announced.

Durin g the morning sessio n t he three gu est speakers gave delegates an insight into areas of Home Defence wit h which they were associated , and indicated the contribution they believed St John Ambulance could make. After a brief introd u ction by the Chief Commander, Major-Gen Peter Leuchar s, Major-Gen Der ek Boorman, Director of Military Operations for the Ministry of Defence, d escr ib ed t h e way in which our defence syste m is organised and spoke of the vital part that St John could play in helping to evacuate cas u alties in time of war, whether conve ntional or nuclear. Voluntary aid. organisations like St John would be needed to help direct the civi li an population as well as to adm ini ster fir st aid.

Mr George Harri so n, Principal of the Home Defence College, who spoke next, outlined Home Office plan s for casualty prevention, li fe-saving and s urvival

e's Egypt ia n Hall for the Annua General Assembly of the Order.

( Photo : Glen Harvey)

meas ure s in the event of a nuclear attack.

The main concern of SJA would be with the saving of life, but alJ the peace-time vo luntary organisations - WRVS, British Red C ro ss and St John Ambulancewould play a crucial role in giving immediate help to survivors.

Dr Michael Prophet from the DHSS, was the last of the guest s peaker s. He described the D epartment's plans in the event of war, expanding on Mr Harri s's theme. Hospitals would be cleared as far as possible, and beds made available for the mo st urgent cases. St John would set up and direct first aid pos ts to treat minor casualties and refer the major cases to cas u a lty clearing stations run by doctors and volunteers. In stressing the importance of the role of fir s t-aider s, Dr Prophet said:

IN TOWN FOR THE DAY

'We have a duty to help those who will be struggling for survival.'

Summing up the morning's session, the Chief Commander emphasised a point that each speake r had implied: the shortage of planning, and therefore training time, in the event of nuclear or conventional attack. Plans need to be made now and set aside in readines s, said General Leuchars. Also more first-aiders needed to be recruited. He went on: Perhap s our biggest contribution to Home Defence is teaching more people how to look after themselves - more first aid and nursing Perhaps our best training is to take part in disastertype exercises; we can see how other services work as well as practising our own techniques. In this way, we can keep these techniques alive and prepare for whatever may happen. '

The Secretary-General, Ir C. McClintock, began the afternoon sessionthis was his last Foundation Conference a Secretary -G eneral - by giving an up-todate account of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. He explained the purpose of both the Outreach programme on the West Bank and the Sight Project in Oman - two exciting new ventures in primary health care, curative and preventive ophthalmology. Spread the Hospital 's story in every direction, urged Mr McClintock, and encourage maximum f und-r aising.

Mr P A. Lingard Direct or-General, then reported for the As ociation. He concentrated on the new Fir t Aid At Work teaching package, explain ing that it was vital for St John to retain its reputation as well as its primac y in first aid instruction. Therefore the q ual i ty of teaching ha to be enhanced and raised

Sir John Younger, Commis ioner-inChief, reporting for the Brigade, first praised the conduct of St John Ambulance divisions in their tactful handling of the continuing ambulance di pure. He then

(Above) The Lord Prior and Lady Dorman enter the Cathedral. (Above ri ght ) Coming up Ludga te Hill

w th a mounted police escort the St John Banbury Band leading the parade The SJA Southwick Band paraded between the Ambulance and Nursing Cadet contingents. (Below The parade entering St Gl en Harvey)

Major -Gen F. W. Fursden, Director of Ceremonies leading members of Chapter General in to the Mansion Hous

fixed firmly on the pasL. Our s trength, in that it gives us a sense of contin uity and doggedn ess, tha t puts the present and the fu ture in to their proper per s pective.

After the fa ll of Jeru salem in 1291 and your move to Cyprus, it was Fou lqu es de Villaret who in 1310 settle d the Order in Rhod es as a group of armoured and dedicated men who were prepared to die in the service of Christ.

Foundation Conference (cont.)

spoke about the forthcoming celebrations in 1982 to commemorate Diamond Jubilee year of the cadet movement. Celebrations would be at both national and county level, and would include a Cadet Jubilee Job Fortnight; t he objective being for each cadet to raise at least £2. It is hoped that a total of £90,000 will be achieved, which will go to the Ho spital in Jerusalem. As everybody in St John must know by now, 1982 is also the centenary year of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem.

Sir Leslie Monson, retiring as Director Overseas Relations, wound up the afternoon session for St John Ambulance with a resume of some of the major changes he had experienced during his term of office.

Concluding the conference, General Leuchars emphasised that recruitment to the Brigade was still a major priority for St John, particularly in the light of the conference theme. He also stressed that both the Association and Brigade, while retaining their separate functions, were part of the same St John Ambulance. As such, closer co -op eration between the two would be of paramount importance.

Lord Prior's Reception

SEVERAL hundred guests from home and overseas were welcomed by the Lord Prior, Sir Maurice Dorman, and Lady Dorman, at the reception which was held in the City for the second year running, this time in the Fishmongers' Hall. Just as the Overlord Tapestry hanging in the Overlord Room at Whitbread's Brewery in the City had been a main conversation piece at last year's reception, this year the famous portrait of the Queen by Annigoni provided an interesting focal point.

let us run with patience

by

MICHAEL MANN (leJt), Dean oj Windsor, al the Service oj Commemoration and Rededication in SI Paul's Cathedral.

'Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.'

YOU have just offered at the High Altar the symbols of Loyalty, Honour and Devotion, the hall-marks of the Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem. For many years I served, along with some familiar faces in this great cathedral today, among the peoples of West Africa, both as a District Officer and as a Parish Priest. Most of my service was with the Ibo people

172 of Nigeria. They believe that what they possess in this world does not belong to them. What they have, they only have by virtue of the efforts of those who have gone before them, and what they have they only hold in trust for those who will follow after them. This surely is at the heart of your service to God and to Man. What a venerable and what an inspiring history, going back over 800 years. As Dean of Windsor and Register of another great Order of Chivalry - The Most Honourable and Noble Order of the Garter - it is a privilege to be asked to preach to a companion Order which, to this day, has retained the original concept of an Order of Chivalry in the ideal of Christian Service through a Christian Brotherhood. Indeed,

it was in order to re cover this ideal and give it practical effect that the Knights of the Garter founded St George's Hou se as a Conference Centre in Windsor Castle some fourteen years ago. Starting from a Pilgrim's Hospice in Jerusalem 1,300 years ago, formally established as an Order of Chivalry in 1113, you are still dedicated to serve mankind 'in all works of humanity and charity for the relief of person s in sickness, s uffering , distress or danger, without distinction of race, class or creed'. And we British are an historic and traditional people. It is both our strength and our weakness. Our weakness in that we tend to use the past as a Rule Book, and not an inspiration, so that we go forward into the future with our eyes

It wa s the grand Master Villiers de l'I s le Adam who prevented your Order from disintegrating when it was driven from its home in Rhodes, and in 1530 he re-settled it in Malta, and preserved some of the enth usiasm and fire of the Crusades in the midst of Renai ssa nce Europe. The famous symbol of your eight-pointed Cross has, through your long association with that island, become known as the Maltese Cross, even though it originated in Amalfi. But perhap s the g reate st of them all was the Grand Ma s ter La Vallette who, in 1565, conducted the defen ce of MalLa during the Great Siege. Even though the English Langue was disbanded by Henry VIII, throughout the Great Siege La Vallette's close friend and secretary was an Englishman, Sir Oliver Starkey, who is the only Knight of St John who was not a Grand Master to be buried in the crypt of t he Cathedral of St lohn in Malta. What an inheritance of Honour from the past to inspire the pre se nt. What we have we only have by virtue of the effort of those who have gone before us. Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.

For nearly a hundred year in the British Priory you have devo ted your car in g service to this country, in the continents of Africa, Asia, America and Australasia and, above all, in the retention of yo ur historic origins in the Holy City of Jerusalem itself. The difference bet\\een secu lar care and Chri tian care is that the latter recognises that Man, being made in the Im age of God, is both Body and Soul. Once care becomes sec ularised it s so easy for it to be a Ii ttle more t han bo ssy people doing things to other people. There is a story of a Boy Scout who was very late for Scout Parade. On being asked why he wa so late, he explained that he had been helping an old lady to get acro s a busy traffic jun tion. 'But it can't have taken you all that time,' queried the Scout Ma ter. 'Oh yes it did, Sir, you see the old lady didn't want to cross the road.' The dim ension that Chr istian care ought to give is that of Devotion. All care inevitably mean s a certain amount of intrusion, but Christian care is to interfere s ubtly, in the form of a servant, who suffer for and alongside, so that the bruised reed is not broken, nor the smoking flax quen c hed. It offers an exp lanation to the paradox of Body and Soul in an ambiguous world. 'Wou ld you be like Christ?' 'Then you can only attain it by s haring the pain and [he darkne s , the self-giving and the se f-restraint that Christ's way of being Christ.'

Whether it is caring for eyes in Jerusalem, or casualties in a crowd at a footba ll match, or people fainting at a Royal Wedding, it will be not only your

ski ll , but it will be that added plus of 'looking unto Jesus', as the writer of the Hebrews put it, that gives u s that rare quality of Devotion. That makes those of us who are today' s pilgrims and travellers aware that what we have here is held as a sacre d trust, and that gives u s confidence to face our difficulties. As the poet put it'Fear knocked at the door. But when Faith answered it, there was no one there.' Honour - Devotion - and Loyalty. 'Let us run with patience the race that is set before u s.' We li ve in an age which see m s a ll too often to consist of a disposable, prepacked, throw-away view of society. If a thing doesn't work, you don't repair ityou throw it away and s tart again. If a human relationship is under strain, many seem to think that it is not worth the effort of persistence, and in any case failure is se ldom see n as being personal: invariably it s the fault of so meone or something else for which we are not re sponsible. In this enervating moral climate, voluntary effort becomes even more crucial to the health of our society.

There was a time when voluntary effort tended to be snee red at and discounted by [he professionals. Jt was suggested that it was a poor secon d be s t to the so-called experts. Perhap s after seve ral decades of expertise we are less sure that experts are so infallible. We have too much evidence of their errors and mi stakes. And perhaps the experts t hem selves have undermined our confidence in them, by appearing too often to be more concerned with their selfish preoccupations and betterment than with the people they are meant to serve. We have seen the ick, the old, the injured and those in danger put at risk by professionals, who seem so metimes to put loyalty to themse lves and their co ndition s of service above t hat of tho e in need. But during a period of scarce re ource and of little or no growth, the

voluntary principle has for pragmatic reasons discovered a new popularity. ·The volunteers are needed to supp lement what the profes s ional s no longer have the means to supply. But that is not the importance of volunteers, or of the voluntary principle. The importance of the volunteer is that he or she does it becau se they WANT to, and because they know they OUGHT to. They do not do it becau se they are paid to do it. The health of any society depends upon the amount of altrui s m and vo luntary serv ice that it is ab le to generate. It is the Christian' s practical way of showing that he loves God and he love s his neighbour. There is a story told of a prisoner before the judge who asked him - 'Who will defend you!' The prisoner replied firmly'The Lord is my defen ce.' 'Oh,' said the judge, 'I think that you would be well advised to get someone who is better known locally.' A visitor to this country might be persuaded to belie ve that we are a nation of layabou ts Don't believe it. Today the re is more voluntary effort than ever before, with 200,000 vol untar y organisations, and three million people undertaking voluntary service every week. In good times and in bad, the Order of St John is there, running its race with patience in loyalty to its high calling, and to its traditions. We would be an impoveri shed people without you Loyalty, Honour and Devotion. The inspiration of a tradition of Honour from a glorious past, which illuminates and lights up the Devo tion of loving Christian care in the present , and which is upheld by the Loyalty of those who in good times and in bad hold in trust by their vo!untary service our hope fo r the future. Or, as the writer to the Hebrews so tellingly puts it: 'Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with patience the race thaI is set before u s, looking unto Jesus.'

OUR NOTICE BOARD

From the Director-General

I GREA TL Y we lcome the opportunity of writing a paragraph or two for The Review. One of the greatest problems in t John is communication between everybody involved in our great taskand thi column can help a great deal. It to be hoped that new Regulations for First-Aid-at-Work will be publi hed this year. In the A ociation we must be ready to train more people , and we must do everything in our power to maintain the primacy of St John in first aid training by contacting firms and

The teaching of

t- id-at- Work is part of an overall priority of St John Ambulance to teach as many members of the public as po sib le in fir I aid and allied subjects; and we need to continue to encourage all pos ible efforts to persuade the public generally to accept training.

Next month I hope [0 tell you something of the new teaching package that i being prepared. P. A. Lingard

Director General Chief Commander Commissioner·in·Chief

MUSICAL SOCIETY

The date of the second concert organised by the Order of St John Musical Society in October has been changed from Thursday, October 22, as published in the July Review, to Monday, October 26.

BOLTON COMP

I hear that the annual first aid competition held by the Bolton Centre on June 6 attracted 58 teams from all parts of the North Six trophies donated by local industry were awarded to the three sections - men, women and juniors. The teams dealt with an incident involving a bull attacking some youths and causing numerous injuries; the other part of the competition was a written test of 1 Yz minutes for captains.

Third prize, by the way, was a gas lighter for each team member. They were won by Farnworth Fire Service and North West Gas teams. Obviously they'll be in safe hands.

BUTlIN'S WEEKS

Maurice Harris, Association Development Manager at Headquarters, writes:

The teaching of first aid at the Schools' Venture Weeks at Bognor Regis this year has proved once again to be an outstanding success. As n previous years we were dealing with the 8 to 11 year olds so the same programme was followed, covering the Emergency First Aid course, and leading to the award of the new and specially designed certificate. It was very popular with teachers and children, and the re-written pamphlet on Emergency Aid was equally well received.

Since the introduction of first aid in the Schools Weeks programme in 1978, the number of children including it in their options ha s steadily increased. This increase was larger than usual this year because of the change from a 5-period to a 6-period day of instruction. Last year's weekly average of 536 ch ildren completing the course was incr eased in 1981 to 659. This would have been an even bigger increase

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

the Year Award, a competition organised by t he District Council. Anita, who has some 2,500 hours to her credit he lping the community , hopes to become a nurse. We're sure she ll make a very good one. Photo : Express and Star, Wolverhampton ) but the Butlin s organiser placed a limit on the numbers allowed for each session.

Some schools had to be told that they would have to take alternative subjects as all the places for first aid training had already been allocated. While deprecating the fact that the opportunity to learn first aid had to be denied to so me children, it is most gratifying to know that the instruction offered is so popular with the teachers arranging the programme s for t heir schools that approximately 36070 of the total opted for it. And there were numerous options! The popularity of first aid is shown not only in the number of schools se lecting it as one of their activities but also by the children participating. Of their interest and enthusiasm during the training sessions there can be no doub t, but the reports from the teachers (volunteered, not sought) were glowing in their praise for the efforts o f St John. A number of them made their feelings known to the activities organiser, but to us the most pleasing feature was to learn of the efforts of the children themselves in writing up their diaries each evening, with their own very full descriptions of what they had done with us. It almost seemed that the new Emergency Aid pamphlets, ready to be distributed to the children at the end of their course, were

going to be s uperfluous!

At Bognor we had two 'winners'. Once again we had Mary Whitaker, our deaf colleague, whose assistance was invaluable in dealing with those children similar ly handicapped. Then we had Sarah Gobby , a cadet junior who had come with her father and wore her uniform throughout the week she was with us. Sarah immediately struck

BY THE EDITOR

up with the visiting children just that relation s hip that we s ought, bearing in mind the potential for recruiting on s uch an occasion. It wo uld be impossible to measure the value of her pre se nce.

On the two Sundays we received visits from some of the older cadets from the local divi s ion. Once again, it is difficult to assess the value of their presence, but it mu st be said that they were ve ry smart and did everything they co uld to help. Perhaps the mo st poignant moment of all came at the end of one of the periods of instruction. A little girl came up to the in str u ctor and said that she would like to give someth in g to St John. Not knowing what to expect, the instructor thanked her for her kind thoughts, and it was only then that she realised that the child was offering her what appeared to be a somew hat gru bby piece of paper. It wa folded, but not very neatl y. Not wishing to offend the ch ild the in structor took the folded scrap of paper, sti ll wondering what it would turn out to be, and thanked her once again. Only then, as she started [0 unfold the tiny scrap, did the instructor realise that it was a pound note. Thinking there had been a mistake, the note was offered back to the ch ild , but s he was insistent that she wanted it to be used for St John'. It had come from the pocket money s he had brought with her ! (The money was handed to a Cadet Division which will be sending the little girl

a very s pecial letter of thanks).

Finally, just to prove that some of the instructor s did get a chance to relax on some evenings, Area Superintendent Christine Holmes (of Andover) and Div Officer Joy Colwell (of Newhaven) have returned to their homes with a certificate to verify that they have successfully abseiled down the big wall. Relaxation!

MILITARIA

The St John Militaria Appeal was sent a neck badge and breast star (awarded to Thomas Smith), and another badge and two miniature s of the Order by Mrs Pauline Smith, retired CSO of Hereford and Worcester.

Auctioned by Glendining & Co during June, the y fe tc hed £131.

Mr Witch has , apart from a period of war service in the RAF Medical Branch, had a lifetime of voluntary service in the Brigade which he joined in 1938 at the age of 17.

After holding numerou s appointment s at Divisional and Area level in London he became Public Dutie s Officer for Greater London on January 1 1975, and in that capacity has been responsible for organising - and controlling on the spot - the Brigade's first aid cover at all major ceremonial and public events in London. The latter have frequently included demonstrations, some of which have re sulted in public disorder and casualties, and the outstanding tact and efficiency with which Brigade members have treated and evacuated the injured on the se occasion s has received many tributes from the Police and the Heal t h and Local Authoritie s Mr Witch has also had for some years the highly responsible task of arranging first aid cover at Biggin Hill Air Show, and on two occasions when air crashes occurred his unit s and personnel were very bus ily and usefully involved in transporting the injured

for

Congleton

Item s for the appeal, 50 070 of the retail selling price goes to the di

ision se nding

in, should be forwarded to the A ss ist ant Commi ss ioner-in-Chief Gerald Easton at Headq uarters

SEMINAR

West Essex Centre will again be conducting a Teaching Seminar in Harlow on Sunda y, October 4 1981. Subject s to be covered include first aid for animals, nur sing in accident and emergency, how to set up emergency infusions and medical planning for a nuclear disaster.

Full details and application form from the Centre Secretary, 54 Manor Road , Harlow, E ss ex CM17 OBE. T e lephone Harlow 417573 (5.15 to 7pm). and caring for their distre sse d relatives

Others We would also congratulate other members of the St John family who have received awards for their services in other fields : Mr K. G. Oxford (County Director, Merseyside), who has been awarded the CBE for his services as Chief Constable for Mersey s ide; Dr P. A. B. Raffle (Chief Medical Officer, Association Branch), who has received the OBE for hi s services as CMO of the London Transport Executive; and Dr D. I. Acres (a member of the St John Council for Essex), who ha s also received the OBE for his services to the magistracy in Essex.

Please let the Editor know brief details of any others who have so far escaped our notice. When combing through the long lists of names, inevitably in small print, of those who have received Birthday or New Year Honours it is all too easy to miss even a very familiar name when it appears in an unfamiliar context (e.g for services rendered in some capacity which doe s not seem to have any first aid, nur sing or other St John connection). But we are always glad to be told, and to have a chance to congratulate them, even belatedly.

Miss Pfister's article

I feel sure that others besides myself must have greatly enjoyed Mi ss Pfi s ter's extremely interesting account (June and July) of this year's St John Medical

ALL EX-CADETS

All the m embers in h is photog raph, taken at the 1981 M erseys id e County compe titi ons see Div is ona News for winners) , are ex-cadets Th ey are: 2 Cty Supts 1 Deputy Cty Supt 2 Area Comms, 2 Area Surgeons 1 CNO , 1 CSO ICadets) , 1 CSO ITransport) 1 Area Supt IAl, 1 Area N O, 3 ASOs. 1 Div Surgeon and 1 Div Supt

ARTHRITIS CARE

Arthritis Care is the name , a dopt ed in 1980, to express the aim s and ac tiviti es of the Briti s h Rheumati sm and Arthritis Association. Fo und e d in 1947 b y a yo ung arthritis sufe rrer it has now ove r 200 bran c hes in t h e UK, a we lfare d epart m e nt , holiday ce ntr es, a hom ework divi s ion and a new s paper. Further det ai s from Arthritis Care, 6 Grosvenor C re sce nt, London SW 1

104 THE OTHER DAY A founder m embe r of Gospo r t's Alverstone

A / N Division, Mr F rank Chan dl e r, ce le brated hi s 104th birthday recently by cu tting the cake with the h elp of the Mayor o f Go spo r t. Mr C ha ndler who has live d in

Conference at Nottingham In particular I wo uld like to st re ss a remark s h e made from her own experience as a worker at St Jo seph 's Hospice in Hackney, where she teaches ba sic nur si ng to the you n g auxiliaries who work there : I would like to say ho w important h e presence of these very yo ung people is in the care of the dying. They bring an atmosphere of freshness and cheerfuln ess into the wa rds and ne ve r seem to find th e work depressing.

1 feel t hat many families do not le t their you ng people take ' part in the ca re of a dy ing member and I'm sure this is a mistake: they have so much to offer. '

And I have no doub t that Miss Pfister will her se lf welcome my quoting from a letter fro m Dr Richard Lamerton of St Jo se ph 's , publiShed a few months ago in The Times , in which he says :

' If someone is begging for euthanasia, it is a cry.for help. It is a daily experience in our ho s pice work to see patients who are mi se rable and begging to die. But our response is not to kill them. W e ask why they want euthanasia, and tackle t he causes.

'For two television programmes on the s ubject, we had no difficulty finding groups of dying patients who testified that once they received proper care, they no longer wanted euthanasia.

'What is this proper care?

'It means returning companionship for

Gosport for 97 years, received his nur s ing certificate in 1894 and h is first aid certificate in 1895, p r esented to him by Prince ss Beatrice at Ports mouth Guildhall. H e st ill cl osely fo ll ows SJA activities. Be lated y, I 'm afra id - but Happy Birthday, Frankl CONFERENCE

More than 1,000 d e legates fro m 100 countries are expected to be at the 5th triennial conference (theme: Communicat o n ) of the Int e rn atio n al Ho s pit a l

loneline ss, relieving pain and other distressing sy mptoms, listening to the depre sed and s haring their burden. It is pos ible so to care for peop le who are dying, di sa bled or e ld e rl y, that they are no longer driven to ask for euthanasia. A perso n is not making a free an d rational deci s ion if he is co nstra in ed by torment, is he?'

What about ?

It' s plendid to see a PR co lumn back aswe hope -a regu lar feat ur e in The R ev iew (July pp.162-3). But its reg u larity must d epend on the s upport that it receive s from PRO's and ot her readers. Without that support it becomes impo ss ible for u s to ful f il our function as one o f the most important of St John c hann e ls of co mmunicat ion And I m delighted, to o, by th e inauguration th is month of a special 'Notice Board co lumn for the exclusive use of the C hief Commander, the Dir ecto r General a nd the Co mmi s o n e r-in -C hi ef when they ha ve a n y urgent or otherwise outstandingly imp o rt a nt inform a ti on to pass on to u s. But that does not mean that each - or indeed any - of them will n ecessa ril y u se it every month !

In la st month 's PR column [ particularly welcomed P ete r Jack son 's advice to th e amateur pho t o gra phers among us about th e importance of s upplying our own photograph s to he pre ss, and about how to arrange t h ei r c omposition, lighting and spo nsor ed cycle ride to

ndon 1St John's Gate) a nd back. They raised £200 for SJA Lymington's ambulance fund

Ch ri st ian Fe ll ows hip which is to be held at Exeter University, August 4 to 14 Full details are avai lable from M rs Ruth Reid, 57 Mill Lane , Heswall, Merseyside L60 2TF.

FIRST AIDER OF THE YEAR

For the 5th ye ar running, St John Ambulance in co njunction with John so n a nd John son, manufacturers of Band Aid, wi ll be holding a Fir st Aider of the Year 198 1 competi tion. The preliminary newspape r com p et ition - i n a simple true

captioning so as to increa se the chances of thei r being accepted. But when he said that he h a d examples of prints that have been acceptable to papers, pri nts that have not been acceptable, and prints that he would 'have n o m o re offe red to the paper than atte mp t to fly unaided', it occurred to me how helpful it wo uld be if we could actually see some of these, with brief comment s on why they are goo d or bad And among the bad ones, not so much those that are quite

or false format - wi ll be pubhshed in nine lead ing p ro vincial newspapers. In London, the eliminator will be held through the medium of BBC Radio London, probably on t h e Tony Blackburn Afternoon Show. The newspaper competition will be twotiered - over 16 years and under 16 and the ten bes entries will go forward to R egional Finals in October. Regional prizes will be: fi rst, £150; second, £75; and third, £25. The National Final will be held in London on ov 18, wh en the First Aider of the Year wins £500.

obviously un suitable, but those which at lea st so me of us might in our innoce n ce imagine to be reall y rather good, being una ware of fault and weaknesses that make them unsuitable for publication. And I 'm sure that among these he could find a few which qualified for his third category of utte r (if unsu s pected ) hopelessness, and tell us wh y. What about a page - or e en a doublepage spread - on this subject before long?

THE Le Mans 24-hour race is the world's premier sports car event which tests man and machine to the ultimate . It was here that the Ultramar-sponsored Lola Ford T600 sports car was to compete, an event which would financially benefit St John Ambulance and the Mental Health Foundation, depending on the success of the car.

This generous support of a small number of selected charities came under the Racing for Charities programme devised by Ultramar. Representatves of SJA and the Mental Health Foundation were invited by Ultramar to attend the race, first with an overnight stay in Paris and then on to the racetrack some 70 miles west of the French capital.

Le Mans attracts many different types of car to race for 24 hours around an 8-mile circuit. Anywhere else it would seem outrageous, and certainly highly dangerous for cars to race at up to 230 mph through day and night, averaging over 140 mph, on a track which mainly uses public roads. But this is what happens at Le Mans.

The build-up to the race is unique. The noise, the colour and the crowds combine till the atmosphere is at fever pitch. For this is much more than a motor race; it is a national event. The small town of Le Mans itself grows overnight as over a quarter of a million people flock to it, to the funfair, the small shops and kiosks, and then the race the next day. This year the event proved even more gruelling for the competitors, for as the sun climbed in a clear sky the temperature was soon in the 90s, with only a whisper of a breeze in the nearby pines.

Our car, a Lola T600 powered by a Ford 3 litre engine, had already qualified at the eliminating sessions, and of the 55 starters in the Big Race the impressive green/blue/yellow and white Lola, sporting a St John sticker, was to achieve 12th fastest time against the world's finest sports cars. The German Porsches were predictably faster, hitting a maximum of 236 mph, some 30 mph faster than the Lola, which was driven by Guy Edwards, Emilio de Villota and Juan Fernandes. Much had been done to improve the top speed of our car - tyres had been changed and a new top gear fitted - but still some of the other competitors would be fa , tF'T Thp f:w()lIrite

Le Mans • raises funds for SJ

by BRIAN ROCKELL

was the Porsche 936, with Ickx and Bell at the wheel.

There is always an ominous silence before the start of a big motor race. The multicoloured cars, looking like toys, are spaced out evenly on the starting grid, their drivers concentrating on the marathon ahead And then at 2 54 precisely, the silence was broken as their engine s burs t into life.

The pace car pulled into the pit lane at 3 pm, with our car starting 12th on the grid

The early lap s of such a race rarely eff ect the eventual outcome. The first of many mechanical diff iculties dogged the Lola on the third lap and de Villota brought the car into the pits to rectify a dragging clutch and faulty gear linkage, a problem that was to remain throughout the race. As the 1 Y2 -hour mark came up an ominous silence descended upon the track as the Mercedes pace car was called out for the first of several incidents during the race. No. 82 had left the infamous Mulsane straight at over 200 mph when the front suspension broke Out of control, the car scythed into the barriers, killing a track marshall and critically injuring a policeman. Mercifully the driver survived unharmed. Exactly one hour after the first accident a Rondeau dri ven b y Laffosse went out of control at over 200 mph. The driver was killed instantly, and two other s were seriously injured.

By this time our car had fallen back after more delays caused by a 4-inch gash in a front tyre But good progres s was made over the next hour, improving our posit ion by ten places to 23rd, but still a long way behind Ickx and Bell, who were now leading the field Already 18 cars were out of the race, mainly through breakdowns and accident s But mid-evening the Lola was again giving trouble. Guy Edwards said philo sophically; 'At least we're still going.' 28 minutes were lo st because of a split oil pipe and a loose exhaust, and then another oil leak (which created problem s for following cars) meant a further 45 minutes pit-stop. By early Sunday morning no fewer than s ix oil coolers had been used The leading cars had already travelled nearly 1,000 miles

Two cars put an end to their hopes in a spectacular crash when one nudged the

other into the cra sh b a rrier at 200 mph. Miraculously, both drivers wer e unhu r t. Darknes s fall s late at thi s time o f year in France, but by II pm the track had be come a stream of headligh ts punc tu at ing the night.

Shortly a ft er 4 am our Lola went o ff the road, but the cra s h wa s not too ser iou s a nd the damaged rear bod yw ork wa s qui c kly patched by the team of mech a ni cs and on it s way again. By dawn ess than hal f the car s were still in the race, with the Lola four place s from the la s t.

The las t few hour s of th e ra ce saw few changes in the po sition s o f th e ca rs. The Ickx / Bell Porsch e led b y a comfortable 14 laps, while the r es t cop ed with an assortment of me c han ical probl e m s. The Porsche had not s t opp ed for a m ec hanical fault , only to re f uel a nd ch a n ge driv ers.

Guy Edward s brought the Lola acro ss the finishing Line in 16th pl a ce, w ith o nl y th e 5th gear operatin g. No wo nde r it h a d crawled away s o sl ow y f r o m h e pit s aft e r the la s t fuel stop!

The fini s hing cars got a t u m ultuou s welcome from the c r o wd s. Hu n dr ed s o f people leapt the barr ie rs to greet t he drivers. One car could not even r eac h the line becau se of the c rowd s. A no h er broke down on th e f inal lap

Filmed by the BBC M a n Ali ve t eam, the chairman of Ult r amar, C ampb e ll N elson pre sented cheque s for £3,250 to St John Ambulance and the Ment a l Health Foundation Thi s donation depended upon the po sition of the c ar at var ious stage s of the race, and whether it s tart ed or not. Lola had survived overwhelming probl e m s, a tribute indeed to the skills of t he driver s and mechanics.

First aid facilities at Le Man s are provided at many fir s t aid po s ts (mo s tly tents) by the French Red Cro ss Their equipment was spar se , but their r ange of medication s was vast (a s I discovered when had to seek help for an eye injury caused by a poke from a piece of tinfoil). Their ambulances were rather old and barely equipped, but they made many journeys to hospital flanked by Gendarme motorcycli s t s Thanks, Ultramar, for everything. And better luck in the next event.

The Order of S t J o hn A nnu a l Rep o rt 1980 h as n ow bee n pub li she d Six cop ies of t h e re por t h ave been sent to eve r y Co u nty Offi ce [ f m o r e copie s are required, pl ease co nta ct t h e P R . Department, 1 Grosve n or Cresce n t, Lo n do n SW I X 7EF. An u p-to-date list of a ll Cou n ty P R Os is n ow be in g comp iled. A copy will be se n t to eac h Cou n ty Office a s well a s every County PRO in t h e nea r fut u re . S tati s tical Profil e 19 80 shou ld

1.

arters

9. In tr ea tm ent f o r a fr actur e of th e eg for a long journ ey, w ha ba nd age s situ at ed betow site o f fr ac tur e"? band age.

10. For fr ac tur es o f the lo wer limb fo r a ton g

AT THE SJA West Glamorgan county first aid competitions held at Neath recently 12-year-old Richard Andrews of the Taibach and Port Talbot B team had a tough time in the team test when it came to assessing the extent of the injuries of a bandaged road accident victim. Tension, concentration, determination and near pain showed on his face - until he thought he'd found the answer. All part of first aid, eh fellows? (Photos: Howell Davies, South Wales Evening Post) Test your Knowledge of the Manual : 10

jo urn ey w he e n o sp lints are aya il ab e (a) ba nd age ar e u ed The ba n dage w hi ch s fa t ened !'i s he (b)

1. T he are ve r y - m all blood ves e

12 Th e hea rt s a o gan ,) hi c h ac as a doubl e pum p.

13 orm a ll y th er e are o "hit e co rpu des pe CU mm of blood.

14 T he left co nt rac - and fo r ces b oo d thr o ugh th e a te ri e

15 In a dditi o n o th e b ood cir cu atory sys tem ther e s a so ano th er S) - em of hair- ike tube call ed

16 A ga u ze dress in g - liabl e to (a) to th e W OII nd How ever thi s m a) u st th e (b) of th e blo o d

17 If a dres in g (a) o th e w ound, b) s r equired b efore emova l.

18. Do n o o r o ver th e woun d ] 9. Ba nd ages a e used to: (a) m OH m ent. (b) Pr event

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE

then place buck et by the bath

Collect b a th mackinto s h and bath towel and layout on bed.

Co ll ect day urinal from slu ice and place on end of bed.

bath.' draw curtains, remove pyjama

Ja cke t - If dr y put it on b ack of wheelchair

- .if wet put it in bucket. Put night dramage appliance in bucket.

AWAIT MEMBER OF STAFF. DO NOT GET INTO THE BATH UNTIL DIRECTED.

When in bath, put incon in e nt s h eet in bucke t.

Wash all areas well, w h ilst in b at h Nurse to place medium towel on seat of whee lchair.

Out o f bath carefull y, paying care to feet, not to bang footplates.

Cover se lf with remainder of towel.

Return to bedside with b u cket.

Trar,tsfer to bed and dry body caref ull y, partIcular care to spec ial areas and feet.

Dre ss in normal way and app li a n ce put on.

Transfer to wheelchair.

Return I. Bath towel to hook in bathroom (if so iled put in bucket).

2. Bath mackinto s h to bathroom.

3 Bucket to s luice.

To wash basin for wash, clean teeth.

Comb / brush hair.

Leave bed space tidy.

Appliances

Cadets of Surrey's Combined Di v and Woodham and Byfleet Cadet Di v, people to the annual disabled church service

Spina Bifida and Rehabilitation

by Mrs J. M. LYSTER, Matron

I WORK at a physically handicapped school, where the pupils take CSE '0' and 'A' le vel The is very much educatIOnal establishment, but has r:ursm.g? ca.re and physiotherapy staff.

Spma B lflda IS when a chi ld is born with a fusion of the vertebral arches, w hIch ma y be accom p anied by a protrusion of the meninges, spinal cord or nerve roots limi ts of the spinal cord. ThI s ne cessItates imm ediate s urgery for the cl,? s ure of such a le s ion. Usually these chlld.ren also. ha ve a hydrocephalu s , which reqUIres the msertion of a valve to control t he intracra nial pressure. As may be expected from the damage to the sp inal cord, paralysIs from the waist down, and UrInary and faecal incontinence occur.

The problems the parents and suc h children ha ve to face are enormous. You ha ve a child of school age, paraly se d, who ma yo r may not wear ca liper s or surgical ?oot s, d?ubl y incontinent, and may still be m napple s, a parent who feels very gu ilty at bnngmg suc h a child into the world, and therefore has smothered him WIth love and affection and still treats him like a baby.

182

The boy,. at the age 10 to 12 , now co me s to a spe cia l boarding sc hool for the education and rehabilitation of the ph ysically I wi ll now explain what my role IS towards these ch ild ren

When they arr ive, the mother has done everyth in g for the c hild, because (a) It IS 9ulcker f,?r her to do so, and (b) with hospItal appomtments every six month s, equI pment may not be available and also s he has not been guided.

These c hildren, at the age of 12 often cannot do up a s hi r t bu tt on or tie 'a s hoe lac e, si mpl y becau se the y have ne ver been enco urag ed to do so, so the nur s ing staff have to start at the beginning.

The boy is assessed and a routine worked out, typed, and pinned on to his bed- s ide locker so that h e and part-time s taff can refer to it.

A routine

Staff o gIve chair to child and leave him

Good morn ng!

Place incontinent s heet on chair. Transfer carefull y, watching feet are not kno c ked

Cover se lf with medium towel off lOCker'.

Collect bucket - put in dra w s heet if wet-

a s with Spina Bifida urinary infections are very prone. At lea st 2V2 litres a day s hould be drunk. The child is taught to observe the smell and colour of his urine, apart from urine specimens being regularly sent to be laboratory tested

Circulation is naturally poor, therefore one ha s to make the boy aware of the areas in which he ha s no feeling and to check daily for s ores with hi s mirror If so res develop on the feet , they have to be dre ss ed twice daily, no shoes worn and the c hild kept off his feet. If a sore develop s on the buttock, the child is kept in bed and off the s ore , while it is healing This does not mean they mis s sc hool, for either the bed is wheeled over to the sc hool, or if long term, the boy can lie prone on a special trolley and propel himself along. When c hildren are small they readily accept ca lipers and c rut c he s and will

I ncontinence:

There are many urinary app liances on t h e market, and there again he may not have fItted with a suitable one at a ho spital clmlc.' therefore mo thers keep the child in n apples.

On s im boys, Down s' pubic pressure with a cone and leg bag, are u sua lly

SUItab le Careful checks have to be made to see it fits, doe s no t leak , and not causIng sores on the penis or groin , or backs .of legs from straps At night the unnal IS changed, and a sheath and nig h t dramage bag used - the day urinal is then soaked overnight.

On the r:nore plump boys, or boys who ha ve so res m the groms, a sheath fixed with a sk m adhesive and a day leg bag i better.

These sheaths can stay on for 3 to 5 days before being changed, and the boys are ab le to bath with this in s itu. It is advisab le for the chi d to ha ve hi s own mirror. One on the market now al.though cost y, is ideal as it s WIth the mIrror attached to a flexible arm so that all areas can be checked for sores groins, feet and buttock s.

Care and control of the bowel is another vita l fa ctor, for nothing is worse than a faecal s mell and is also an embarrassment to the c h ild Training can be sit ting on the to lle t eve ry 0: evening and trying to but If Incontinence occurs It IS better to eit h er (I) daily manual dIgItal bowel evacuation (2) Micro lax e nema s da il y or a lt ernate days.

Some c hildr en have s uch a loo se rectal sph incter that a colostomy operation is performed. A diversion s made and a piece of bowel brought to the surface of t h e abdomen. Co l ostomy bags are fitted over the sto m a, and the chi ld taught to c h a n ge them as n ecessary.

With a colostomy, diet is important so that one doesn't get diarrhoea or o n the other h and bunged up! Onions are best avoided.

Plenty of fluids have to be encouraged,

struggle along, but when more adult they u s ually wish to discard them and accept a whee lchair life, for they then present themselves far more attractively.

By the time the boy s 16 to 18 he s hould be totally independent , know ho w to go about ordering hi s own equipment from the doctor and take care of it, be able to do all hi s own washing and ironing, and remember to take pill s, if necessary, at the time s pre sc r bed.

To an outs ider we might seem very hard and even cruel when the paraly se d bo y asks the nurse to get him so me thing he h as forgotten from hi s routine (eg, clean socks) - 'No', s he says, 'Get into yo ur w he elchair and go and get it yourself.' What a struggle for that bo y, but it is the only way to make them remember. The re is not always going to b e a nur se or m ot her around to look after them

little discussed but of great concern

IN C ONTINENCE is a s ubj ec t which, although little discussed, is of deep concern to man y people and a co mmon cause of di stress and anxiety. Tho se affected by the cond itio n their fami lie s, and even the professionals in vo lved in their ca r e can ofte n fee l at a lo ss as to how best to d ea l with the pr ob lem s that arise. Incontinence, is a sy mptom, ca pable of dia gnOSIS and hen of appropriate treatment or management.

The In co ntinen ce Advisory Service of the Di sab led Living Foundation can provide help in several ways; for professionals of all disciplines the Inc onti nence Adviser, Mrs Doroth y Mandelstam, MCSP, Dip .Soc.Sc , holds regular h a f- da y semi nar s on the ca uses, prevention and mana geme nt of incontin e n ce at the Di sa bled Li vi n g Fo und at on in Kensington, a nd also participates in training programmes i n the h ea th a nd soc ial services. Educat onal is ava ilable, as we ll as advisory Itt erature for members of the public.

The followi ng can be obta in ed from or through the DLF

1) Incontinence: A Guide to the Un dersta nding and Management of a Very Co mmon C omplaint. By D Mandelstam.

£3.35 inc. (Published 19 77 b y HeIDemann for the D LF.) An illu strated handboo k of val ue to incontinent people and those who ca re for them.

2) Incontinence and its Management. Edited b y D. Mandelstam. (Croom-Helm Ltd, 1980). Price: £ 10.5 5 inc. A textbook co n sist in g of contri bution s by s pecialists in a range of disciplines dealing with the incontinent patient. Also of use to the informed la yman.

3) Childhood Inconti n ence. By Dr Roger Morgan, Ph.D. Price: £3.85 inc. ( Heinemann for the DLF, 1981). A practical handbook for the parents of incontinent chi ld ren and the professionals assisting them.

These three books are available through DL F (Sales Ltd), Book H ouse, 45 East Hill, L o ndon SW 18 2QZ. Price s are s ubject to review.

4) Advisory Notes on In continence. By D. Mandelstam. (P rice: 60p inc. from the Incontinence Adv isory Service, Disabled Living Foundation, 346 Kensington High Street, L ondon W8 8NS.) The se practical notes are de signed to help and advise those w h o are incontinent. They are of a general nature, and are intended to be use d in conju n ct ion with professional advice The Notes make s u ggestio n s on the use of aids and equipment, and will also be h e lpful to disabled people w h o, although not in c on ti nent , face problems of mobility.

In for mation on sources of supply of aids is included.

Getting involved

Mrs Doreen Speare, Supt of Malvern N ur si ng Division, writes: 'We in Malvern do quite a lot of work with the handicapped, and not just this year.

'Divisions should first look for handi capped or infirm n eighbours, who need help in so many ways. It may only be with s hopping, or popping-in or phoning daily to find out if they are all right. Also give them your phone number to ring in an emergency. For there are plenty of elderly people who do not have the advantage of a resident warden or caring family to look to their needs.

'A lso contact your local Social Services Dept. We have a very good liaison with ours and they are so grateful if we can help out in emergencies, such as sitting with handicapped children when parents are out, etc. In these times of staff cut-backs the y are more than ever de s perate for extra help

'You may also have clubs for the handicapped in your area. And should you have a Council of Community Service do contact them. They have the addresses of local voluntary bodies and the needs of individual groups.

'We at Malvern help at clubs fo r the physically and mentally handicapped, and also help with transporting such peop le. At present we are trying to obtain a ramp for the ambulance so that we can get wheelchair-bound patients to the clubs.

'Yo u will find that once you have become involved with the handicapped, people soon contact you fo r help. The important thing is not to take on too much and be able to cope well with the jobs you undertake. And please - never let peop le down by not doing what you promise. This is so important, not only for the patient invol ved, but also for the good name of St John and all it stand for.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE 1981

Let's hear about your schemes!

THE Chief Commander invites readers to produce schemes concerned with helping disabled people for introduction in their own Division, Area or Count y.

Please send your scheme as soon as possible to Mrs Christine Best, Staff Officer to the Supt-in-Chief, St John Ambulance HQ, 1 Grosvenor Crescent, London SW1X 7EF.

£10 will be awarded to each scheme selected for publication in the St John Review during 1981.

MONEY FOR THE ASKING

NO RISK NO OUTLAY NO FUSS

ONE OF .THIS COUNTRY'S LARGEST PROFESSIONAL CHARITY FUND RAISING ORGANISATIONS WILL ACT ON YOUR BEHALF AND RAISE FUNDS FOR YOUR DIVISION/COUNTY. . SITUATED IN CENTRAL LONDON AND CONTROLLING A LARGE NATIONAL TELEPHONE SALES FORCE, WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER COMMERCIAL FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES ON A REGULAR BASIS.

\..

THERE WILL BE NO CAPITAL OUTLAY REQUIRED AS ALL FUND RAISING SITUATIONS UNDERTAKEN ARE FULLY GUARANTEED AND FUNDED BY OURSELVES . IF YOU WOULD LIKE FURTHER DETAILS AND PERHAPS A MEETING PLEASE TELEPHONE ADRIAN ROMAN ON 01-439-8267 OR WRITE TO HIM AT THE ADDRESS SHOWN BELOW.

Chief Commander's visit to Canada

May 22 to June 7 1981

I V ISITED Canada for 14 days as a guest of the Priory During th is time I was ab le to meet a great many of the main personalities a nd my tour incl ud ed a visit to British Columbia, A lb erta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ottawa and Ontario. During my visit, which embraced a very full programme, I saw a Cadet Fi rst Aid Competition, an d attended a First Aid and Nursing demonstration which included a demonstration of the work of the Ski Patro l. I attended two 'Annual Weekends', one in New Brunswick and the other in Toronto. These weekends consist of an annua general meeting of all members of St John Ambulance who care to attend from the Province concerned, and include an investiture and a Church Service.

In both the Provinces I visited the events were very well attended. The investitures were carried out in churches and the ceremony was most digni fied and impre sive. In addition I attended the opening of a new headquarters in Fredericton, inspected the Saskatoon Corps, vi ited High Prairie and presented a charter to the first ever all I ndian Division to be formed in the Brigade. Throughout my tour I was entertained magnificently and the hospitality everywhere was overwhelming in its generosity and friendliness.

Training

I n general I found the training side of St John Ambulance most impressive and professional. It contains many more paid staff than we have in this country (a total of 120 throughout Canada). They claim to have some 10,000 trained instructors, not of course all full-time paid instructors, but they include instructors in factories, in school, and volunteers. In Industrial First Aid their record s impressive, s howing considerable increases in the number of certi ficates ssued each year. In 1980 they issued 319,000 new certificate Their new course on Home Health Care i being introduced in all Provinces, but in most of the ones I vi ited it seems to have got off to a s low start.

One of the main problems they face, h aving introduced an extremely good product with their safety or ientated fir t aid course, is how to market it, a nd I went into this at some length with them. Those I spoke to said th at the most successful way to conv in ce industry that they needed first aid was to show them that it cou ld produce so m e financ ial advantage to them. T hi s they have ac hie ved to some extent through tr.e experiments they did some w hil e ago. In Ca nada i has b ee n fo und that t h e best approac h s first of all a l etter from so m e se ni or indu st r ia li st outside St John

Ambulance being sent to the firms they wish to contact and containing a reply -pa id card. Those firms which do reply are then visited personally by a senior membe r of the Association and talks and briefing are he ld wit h the senior management of the firm. In contrast so far as the general public is concerned, Canada has found that advert iseme nt s in provincial and national newspapers, and on television, are the most successful means of selling courses. They are now co n sidering an increase in their marketing organisation, and feel that the right answer is a full - time Director at National and Provincial level with possibly an assistant at national level and a number of regional managers in the Provinces. I asked particularly that we s hould be kept in touch with any new thoughts they have on this s ubject, and both Mr Loftu s in Ontario and Brigadier Cunnington in Ottawa have promised to do that.

So far as courses are concerned, they appear to run a series very similar to ou r own. However, there were two which attracted my attention: an advanced first aid course uitable for industry and for the Brigade, and a course entitled. 'Health Care for Seniors'. I have asked that details of both these courses should be sent to us here to look at. They are also working on a Multiple Choice Question package which they expect to be complete in the spring of 1982. They would then ve r y much appreciate an exchange of 'Question Banks' with ourselves.

Their plans for the fut ure are to extend their work considerab y throughout the country, and the Chancellor plans to go to Industry very shortly with the idea of raising some $4,000,000 over the next five years to finance this expansion.

The Brigade

The Brigade in Canada, though small numerically compared with our own, is proportionately stronge r and currently has a ratio of one member to every 1,700 of the pop ul ation. Its current stre ngth is slightly over 14,000 members, all volunteers, organised into 600 divisions across the country. They contribute some 1,700,000 hours of unpaid erv ice each year, and treat abo u t 200,000 case of injury or sudden illnes s. T h e Brigade also fulfils several s p ec ia li ed function to meet commu nit y needs, including a rural Ambulance Service in New Brunswick and part of Quebec, an Air R escue Service in the North West Territories and ba ic eye testing in geriatr ic in stitutions. Unfortunately, I was unable to see e ith er of t he last two serv ices in act ion. All the h eadquarter bui ldin gs I v isite d were most im pressive, a nd many of them were

new. There appears to be a big drive in each Province to increa se the number of building s avai lab le to St John Ambulance. In seve ral Province s first aid in schorns is going well and this seems to help increase the stre ngth of Cadets, who generally are flouri shing throughout the Provinces I v isited. I was much impressed with the intere st and enthusiasm shown in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and the Grand Prior's Proficiency Scheme, both of which were well suppo rted. They have no Casualties Union in Canada, but some enthusiastic 'amateurs' everywhere. One or two officers with whom I discussed the matter seemed to be interested to hear more about our Casualties Union in England. Plans for the futu re include a considerable increase in numbers in the Brigade, for which the sum of $1.4m will be needed over the next five years to cover equipment costs for such an expansion. They believe they should have little difficulty in raising this money and I discussed various methods of doing so with the Chancellor. One interesting idea is that the Brigade should not only charge for more of its sevices, but also charge some £3 to £4 per head for Emergency Aid Courses. They feel that the general public would accept these happily The Hospital

Throughout my tour in each Province I made a point of describing the ork of the Hospital in Jerusalem, mentioning the fact that it was celebrating its centenary in October next year. As a re s ult I had many enquiries as to whether special tours were being run from this country. I told them that we did have such plans and promised to send full details to the Priory as soon as they were finalised. I was much impressed by the great interest shown in the work of the Hospital, and by the number of people who are raising money, albeit small urns, for its future.

Conclusion

In general my impression of St John Ambulance in Canada was of a forwardlooking, thoroughly professional organisation with a rather higher proportion of young people in it than most of the countries I visit. As well as having a mo t enjoyable and intere ting tour, Ie tablished many useful contact and friends for the future. Peter Lellchars

Wing Commander

H. G. Currell, MVO, DFC, AFC

Wing Commander

H. G. Currell, Director of Aeromedical Service at St John Ambulance Headquarter, died suddenly at hi home in Brighton in the early morning of June 18.

Harry Currell, who joined Headquarters in 1978 , brought a rare dedication to hi work with the Aeromedi al Service. He will be greatly mi sed by his many friend in the Brigade.

T.F.

HIGHER STANDARDS

from Dickon Hughes

Although I have completed and passed exams in first aid and advanced nursing and work part-time in a geriatric unit and in the treatment room of my father's health centre, I still do not consider myself as very highly trained.

At a time of high unemployment when young people need valuable training, would it be possible to increase the number of our exams and introduce a higher pass standard?

I appreciate that this would need the co-operation of local hospitals and the medical profession, but until now I have received nothing but help and encouragement from local medical and nursing staff.

In times of great medical advances I think it is important that our exams should be both purposeful and rigorous, since this can only increase our standing with the medical profession and reduce the risk of our being, on the one hand, despised by the highly qualified and, on the other hand, regarded as 'doctors' by the general public.

Any tendency for our members' re-exams to become so formal a routine that a pass comes to be regarded as virtual ly automatic will gravely jeopardise the whole future of our organisation and should be ruthlessly discouraged.

As a very enthusiastic St John member I am most anxious that there shou ld be no risk of our capabilities as first-aiders being ever regarded as a joke, but that we should be respected as a group of highly trained, highly skilled, dedicated and confident persons who, although they are laymen, go about their duties in a professional manner that is second to none. And this, of course, only becomes possible if every member, from the most senior officer to the newly enrolled cadet, is prepared to pull his or her weight the whole time. Harlow, Essex. Dickon Hughes

The Surgeon-in-Chief, Dr J. C. Graham, writes: It is always encouraging to read letters from enthusiastic members of the Brigade like Mr Hughes. I would assure him that we all share his enthusiasm and desire for high standards. I don't think many of the public either despise our standards or regard us as a joke. I think he must have just been unlucky in his experience of this. I must, however, point out very emphatically that our training is in basic first aid and nursing skills and in this our standards should be very high. It is not intended that Brigade personnel s hould be 'second aiders' or 'pa ramedics' or skilled in the use of highly sophisticated equipment which has no part in basic first aid.

I think we shall move more in the future into modular training so that we can add on to our basic training certain additional skills which serve particular needs. Some of these we already have in our instructors' training and certificate, occupational first aid course and certificate and, hopefully in the none too distant future, a public duty course of training. Those wishing to pursue training beyond these limits sho uld probably seriously think of training to qualify as 'professionals' and even than they can still remain and make a very useful contribution as St John members.

COME ON, THE BRIGADE!

from An Interested Oldy

I would like to express my appreciation of the much improved Review. I look forward to my copy and read and digest every word of it.

I realise that members of the Brigade (in every section) are today more challenged than ever, with changing times and the use of new technology, but move with the times is a 'must' for the members of St John I was, however, sad to read in the May Review that the numbers in each section had dropped. I do hope the days of voluntary serv ice are not going to end.

I am now retired after 30 years' service. I found when I took over as Supt of the nursing cadets that this role means very hard work to keep the flag flying. However, I found by sending a hand written invitation to the heads of a number of schools to be put on their noticeboard - inviting girls to 'come along on our practice night to see what we do' - proved a great success, and often these girls brought a friend along. Also I made a point of getting in touch with matrons of homes for the elderly, offering cadets to help out on holidays or weekends. This was also successful and appreciated on both sides, as well as helping cadets gain their 200-hours duty badge.

I must admit I have wondered why I never see a single notice in our 186

local daily paper, or the weekly edition which has a large sale, of St John activities. The Red Cross, however, advertise such a lotlectures, coffee mornings parents and friends evenings with cade t displays So come on the Brigade, surely every member can gel one new recruit! The motto of the Order is still as worthy as ever. West Country An Interested Oldy SPECIAL TRAINING

from Three London Ambulance Members

We three were sponsored by St John Ambulance to take part in specia l SJA Outward Bound courses where the empha sis wa s on re sc ue and specialised first aid. But since returning from the cour se s we have not been brought together by SJA to practise and train in the ski lls we acquired.

We would all lik e the opportunity to continue to develop the se skills with reference to problems that may develop in the London area.

We believe that this type of activity will give added int e re s t to our service with SJA and help maintain interes in the Brigade at a time when membership is falling, and also help to attract re c ruits

To try to put our ideas into practice, we would like to hear from people interested in developing this type of activity 167 Carson Road, Terry Jones (326 West Ham) London E16 4BG Derek Wright (401 Becton) and Calvin Mason (405 New Southgate Div.) UNIQUE?

From Henry Baxley County Staff Officer (R)

IN SJA Music Makers (May Review) there wa s a photo of the Gwent Band Division at Newport's Remembrance Day parade, with the question 'Is hi s Band unique?' As this division holds the u s ual F A. classes, my comment is that if the member s did not hold the certificate they could not wear St John uniform. You say every member of the division is in the band, but as they have 50 member s and the picture shows only 30 this cannot be so.

I founded the Dronfield Cadet Band in January 1937 and by Easter they were on parade, having obtained their P.F.A. certificates and learnt enough marches to parade in roughly 3 month s , not 3 years. Since 1937 there has not been a break in the continuity of the band and their buglers have sounded the Last Po s t on Remembrance Day since 1937. I was the Div / Supt and band master for 23 years, then in 1960 I was promoted ASO (A / C) and Peter Butcher, who had by then joined the senior Division and had been my bugler, was appointed Div/Supt. He took over the band and made a wonderful job of it. The band is always in demand at fetes, galas, and parades and inspections, etc.

Besides their band commitments, they also have their first aid night and proficiency subjects; they have two Grand Prior Cadets. They have twice played in the St John parade to St Paul's Cathedral, in 1979, and in 1980 they led the parade.

To sum up: while in no way detracting from the sp lendid work they are doing in keeping the St John flag flying, I do not see anything unique in the Gwent Band.

should add that the Dronfield Cadet Band is performing at this year's Royal Tournament on July 27, which is the first time a St John band has been invited to appear at the Royal Tournament - both an

honour and unique in the history of St John. Sheffield Henry Baxley

Tom Quinn, the writer of SJA Music Makers, replies: I'm gl.ad Mr Baxley raised the above points, but having discussed them WIth the c hairman of the Fed SJAB Bands, Mr Minney, I must make the following comments.

The wearing of certain items of SJA uniform is permitted in certain cases where the members have not yet attained the PFA, for instance, St John Juniors.

Not all members of a band attend each function. One must allow for holidays, sicknes s , examinations, and level of achievement / proficiency so far as band skills are concerned. I would count a lad who ha s been a member of the band for two weeks as a member, even if at this early stage he had not yet mastered the skills necessary to enable him to turn out on a function

Mr Baxley' s information regardng the Royal Tournament is incorrect. While congratulating Dronfield Cadet Band on being cho sen to perform at Earl s Court, I must point out that SJA bands have been attending the Royal Tournament on 'St John's night' for the past four years Dronfield will therefore be the fifth, not the first to attend . I send my best wi s he s for the great day.

Mr Baxley s ays that he doe s not consider the Gwent Band Division to be unique The chairman of the Federation assures me that the concept of a band divi s ion is unique in St John.

AT RANDOM from Three Bucks CSOs Reader s of the Review and the many friend s of Watkin Williams mu s t ha ve been heartened by he fact that, in spite of his recent heart attack , he ha s produced' At Random' without a break. We had the privilege and benefit of working with Watkin for many years in Buckinghams hire, du r ing which time he held appointments in Divi s ion a nd Area , a s Commissioner and Commander, and also as a Count y S t a ff Offi cer fo r Training In thi s latter appointment his long ser v ce with th e Scout A ss ociation proved a mo s t useful asset.

Ma y we, both p e r so nall y and we are sure on behalf of St John as a whol e ex pr ess the hope that At Random wjll carryon for a while longer. Whate er Watkin writes we know comes from s omeone who s conver sant w ith St John life from top to bottom, good point s and bad poin ts , 'Wart s and all'. We appreciate and value it accordingly. Bucks Vincent S Smith, Robin A Bulbeck

OUR HOSPITAL and Nancy M. Sale (Past and present County Staff Officers, Training)

from Mrs Mary Mason, Divisional Officer

Las t year, th e Year of Nur s ing, I was lucky to be chosen to go to our Ophthalmic Ho spital in Jerusalem It was a most marvellous experience and I wa s very impressed by the f riendliness of the staff. It was an honour to work wi t h them I took with me a cheque for the hospital from the Wi s bech Division, money raised by the nursing cadet s on a spon s ored walk , and from the adult division who held a

Mrs Mary Mason receives cheque from two cadets

jumble sa le.

Since returning home I have given many talks on the hospital's work and any money raised is being sent to the hospital next Christmas. At one such talk at the recent enrolment of eight cadets at Wisbech, two of the older cadets, Cpl Sally Houth and Sgt Sharon Ganl, presented me with a cheque for ten pounds, which had been raised by the cadets at a disco. Wisbech Mary Mason

NEWS from SCOTLAND

ALTHOUGH in Scotland here is no St John Ambulance Brigade we do ha ve St John Cadet s Twel ve years ago Mr D. Watson Law formed a club in Denny, Stirlingshire, with the aim of taking young boys off the s treet s and giving them a worthwhile interest. Out of this grew a company of St John Cadets. There are now five cadet companies in Scotland, with a constitution recently approved by Chapter.

On May 9 Denny Cadets staged an exhibition of hand-made toys, which was opened by Mr D. Watson Law, Supervisor of Cadets. Among tho se pre se nt were the Countes s of Mar and Kellie, the Chancellor of the Order of St John, the Lord Lieutenant of StirJingshire the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Order of St John, and the Chairman of the Central St John Association.

The toys were made by the officers and cadet s for the benefit of mentally and phy s icall y handicapped children, and the large variety of craft work on view at the exhibition will in due cour s e be delivered to children's homes and hospitals.

The Annual F es tival of St John in Aberdeen on June 24 was attended by the Lord Prior, Sir Maurice Dorman, and Lady 188

on June 24. (Photo: Studio Morgan , Aberdeen)

(Top left) Denny cadet exhibition of hand-made toys, with (centre) the Chancellor and (to his left) Supervisor of Cadets Mr D Watson La w. (Photo: D. Watson Law)

(Left) New ano aks for Glenshee Ski Resuce team. Th e Chancellor. Mr W. A. P. Jack. with Ion his left) the rescue service's director. Dr Paul Mackenzie

Dorman, Mr N. C. McClintock, Secretary General and Major Hamish Forbes, Secretary of the Order , who were also amongst those welcomed to Aberdeen b y the Lord Provo st and Di st rict Council at a lavish reception in the Town House o n Tue sday evening. About 60 people also took the opportunit y of vis i ing Haddo House, and on Wednesday June 24, n early 300 were pre se n t at the impressive se rv ice and ceremonial in St Machar' s Cathedral. 41 po stulant s were inves ted by Hi s Gra ce the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon Prior of Scotland. Lunch was se rved in the Elphinstone Hall, Aberdeen University, after which the Chancellor, Mr W. A. P Jack, pre se nted Mr N. C. M cC lin tock with

WALES

THE summer months are always busy for St John Ambulance Bri gade, but the la s few days have been exceptionally bu sy for the Pembroke Dock Cadet Divi s ion.

On Saturday June 27 the Cadets s taged a first aid di s play at St Mary' s School, Pembroke Dock. The event took place during the school' s fete and involved fifteen Ambulance Cadets acting as casualties, bystanders and first-aiders. Treatments demonstrated were for a fractured knee cap, cut artery and a faint. The team wa s trained by John William s and the casualty simulation was created by Cadet N COs Michael Edward s and Andrew Davies. A stall run by Mrs Williams, her dau g hter, Mr

an engraved quaich as a gift from the Priory of Scotland in recognition of his ervices as Secretary-General. During the Church Service the Lord Prior pre ented the Prelate of Scotland, the Very Reverend Professor R A. S. Barbour, w ith t h e Star appropriate to a sub-P re late of Chapter-General.

Opportunity was also taken by many, including the Lord Prior, to visit the Sl John Nursing H ome in Aberdeen.

On Saturday May 16 t he Chancellor, Mr W. A. P. Jack, was present at Glenshee Inn when 14 sk i rescue ano ra ks were presented to the ski rescue team. In bright orange plastic, they are we ll equ pped for the protection of re sc u e rs.

In good hands. Cadet Sgts Alison Leeson and Neil Madden, of Gwent Health Authority Hospitals Division. treat a casualty at the Newport District competitions. Photo: S. Wales Argus)

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS: 10

Answers

I (a) A phyxia, (b) Poi oning, (c) Head injuries with brain damage, (d) H eart atlack s (e) Epilep sy, (f) Shock, (g) nfantile convulsions. (h) fainting, (i) Diabetic emergencie (j) Apoplexy.

2. A phyxia.

3. Spasm.

4. Obstruction.

5. An arm.

6. A triangular.

7. (a) Sternum. (b) Cru sh injurie

8. (a) Femur, (b) Seriou

9. Floater ba ndage.

10. (a) Five (b) Figure of eight around feet and ankle.

J. R. Williams a nd the Cadets proved to be very successful.

On the fo llowin g Su nda y the e ntir e Cade t Di v s ion attended the annual Co unt y In spection and Service at Siebech near Haverfordwe st. The inspection inv o lv ed a considerable amount of drill work a nd th e Divi si on is mo st grateful to Mr L. T. Jame s, of Pembroke Dock, for training both the boy s and girls of the Divi s ion Haverfordwe st and Pembrok e Do ck Di vision s held a combined ca d e t enrolment se rvi ce on Thursday July 2 at Trinity Church, Pembroke Do ck, when 26 ca de ts were e nrolled by Mr E. L. Jones, Deputy Commissioner fo r Pembrokeshire.

II Capillar e

12. Muscu ar.

13.4,000 to 8,000.

14. Ventricle.

15. Lymphatic vesse s.

16. (a) Adhere, (b) Clotting

17. (a) Adhere, (b) Careru oaking.

18. Ta lk or coug h

19. (a) Rest ri ct, (b) Swe llin g, (c) Dressings and sp ints, d) Lirt ng or ca r ryi n g.

20. Open weave.

2 1. Loosely woven.

22. (a) Width, (b) Suppo rt , (e) To remai n (d)

The procession on its way to St Machar Cathedral, Aberdeen, during the Annual Festival of St John

Divisions / Centres

OBITUARY

Withe , of Bootie

type of parasitic worm (4). 12. Man of valour is nothing to her (4). ]3, Punitive way to end a school life (5). 16. Cord to use for physician (6). 17. Characteristics imparted by one's genetic constitution (8). 19. Protracted unpleasant noise in Sardinia (3). 20. Narrowing of heart valve or anatomical passage (8).2 1, Asphyxiated by blockage in upper air pas sages (6).23. Parts of the brain and the buttocks (5). 25. Part of the face which can be knitted (4). 26. Patho logical sac filled with fluid in infancy state (4). 29. Drug preparation to remove teeth (7).31. One trip for an essential part of diet (7). 32. Accept t hat one ha s made an error and is now in good erect posture? (5.9).

Down

1. Turn about four in pot (5).2. Extra systole of the heart (7.4).3. In short, Monthly Index of Medical Specialities is a prescriber's guide (4). 4. Disea se affecting those born between mid-June and mid-July? (6). 5. Constituent of 3 1 Acro ss (8). 6. Light-weight animal? (5). 7. Era for a sense organ (3). 8. Working (8). 14. Help a tricky disorder in inflammatory condition of sweat glands (7.4), 15 Do twice for extinct bird (4) 16. Any dope s for distressed breathing (7). 17. Bundle of conducting fibres in the heart belonging to him (3). 18. Sound return for viruses ca using upper respiratory tract infections (4). 19. Suffering from n s ulin-deficiency disease (8). 22. State of diminished consciousness with weak response to stimuli (6). 24. Blemish u sed n h istoro logy and bacteriology (5). 27. Adj u ste d for good radio reception (5). 28. Animal po ss ib y on s kin or in uterus (4) 30 Amount of l q u or for a chi ld (3).

SO LUTI O N TO CROSSWOR D N o 7 (81)

Ac r oss: I. W indpipe; 5. Crisis; 9. Imp.acted; 10. Hallux; 12. Ta lu s; 13. c'ape; 14 Ir is; 16. R h o n c h i; 19. Trusse s; 2 1. Pat; 22. Pass-out; 23. Erepsi n ; 24. Vasa; 2 5 Roof; 26. Mumps; 29. Go.it.re; 30; Ove rcast; 31. Sen le; 32 Orc h itis.

Down: J Wrist drop; 2. Nepal; 3. Picks; 4. Prescription; 6. R.ear; 7. Sclerosis; 8; Se.x.es; 11. Spotte d fever; 15 Cure; J7. Obses s ion; 18. C lot; 20 Si n us.it. s : 24. Vag u s; 26 March; 27. Mean.t; 28. Ora l.

1982 DIARIES - 18p each

TOP QUALITY BALL PENS

The Laerdal Suction Unit

ST JOHN REVIEW

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Th e Laer d a l S u cti on U n it is hi g hl y effect ive: vacu u m o f up t o 25" of m erc u ry and free a ir flow of 27 li tres p e r m in ut e. T here is full v isua l control beca use

tu b in g , co ll ectio n bottle a n d pump w ill not be jammed by acc identa l invas ion o f secretions. Easy to a ssemble and d isassemb le for cleaning without tools

Th e Laer d a l S u ction Un it is e lectrically safe both for pat ie nt an d operator. A circu it breaker pr o t ec ts the m o t or a ga inst over loa d , and in dicator lamps tell whe n u n it is charging and when pow e r is supp lied to th e m o t or.

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on t en t s

At Random, by Watkin W. Williams p. 193

A nation ce ebrates - Roya l Wedding coverage p.194

Cadet Rally at Stockton p 198

Around and About , by the Editor p.200

Traumatic Disabil i ty, by Enid King p.204

New ambu ance fleet for Sussex p.206

Order Investiture , July 9

SOME of our rea d e r

will no doubt have been among the 2,400 Brigade members from all parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands who shared the immense privilege of being on voluntary public duty in and aro u nd Hyde Park on the evening of July 28 and at some p oint in the Cities of London and Westminster throughout the who le of the following day. They were immensely pro u d to be there, doing an essential job of service to humanity on the wedding day of one whose motto means 'I Serve'. And their time was not wasted, for on the evening of the fireworks they treated 1210 casualties of whom 146 were sent to hospital, and on the Royal Wedding Day they treated 1895 of whom 35 went to hospital. This may sound a large number, but I don't think it's really large in relation to the estimated million people in the crowd. The total number treated on both days, some of them for pretty trivial injuries, was a mere 3 in every thousand of the crowd, and the total number referred to hospital was less than one in five tho u sand.

But most of yo u who read this will not have had the opportun ity of participating as first -aiders, though many will have had the thrill of being somewhere in that crowd of a millio n spectators - and I hope you were among the 99.7070 who required no first aid treatment!

And, of course, far the largest number of us were among that invisi b le crow d estimated at 750 million throughout almost eve r y co un try in the world who spent every moment of our free t im e o n J u ly 29 glued to our televisio n sets

And why? Was it to revel in what the Archbishop of Canterb u ry descri b ed as 'the st u ff of which fairy tales are made' - the wedding of the Prince and the S u perstar? Was it to witness a great event in British history of w hi c h t h e lik e h a d not o cc u rred for 118 years? Or was it si m ply to e njo y an u nriva ll ed sequence of pageantry staged a n d pe r formed w it h that perfect prec ision for w h ic h t h e 'acto r s' and their 'company' are re n owned t he w h ole worl d over? Yes, it was all of these, b u t a great d eal m ore b esi d es

Continued on p.202

A NATION

CELEBRATES

And SJA members deal with more than 3000 casualties in London over six days

Wedding Ifever' hits

PLANNING for first aid and medical cover by St John Ambulance for the Royal Wedding began in earnest some two month s before the day

Extensive and highly inten s ive arrangements, which involved many meetings with the Metropolitan and City Police , and the London Ambulance Service, were coordinated by John Gerrard, Deputy Commissioner, Greater London, and Mrs Eileen Jolly, District Secretary. In addition to the wedding, St John in London was required to provide first aid cover for Trooping the Colour, Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show, the children's party in Oxford Street, as well as taking part in full rehear sals for the firework and concert party the day before the wedding.

Three weeks before the wedding, ] 000 copies of a 27-page orders of the day were

Members on duty at the Cathedral.

Helping a wheelchair-bound guest whose invitation is being checked (Above).

Alongside Yeoman of the Guard. issued, plus almost daily notifications of 'last minute' alterations.

Wedding 'fever' which had gripped London since the weekend, exploded into near chaos on the evening of Tuesday, July 28, at the Grand Firework Party in Hyde Park_ A glance at the statistics (overleaf) gives some indication of what can happen when too many people (about half a million) cram into a small area in a state of excitement and tension. Casualties and lost children flooded in so quickly that extra cover soon became vital. Re-inforcements had to be drawn from the ambulance stations already taking up positions for the wedding day.

Designated an 'evening duty', the event began for our members at about 8pm and continued until] .30 the following morning. Casualty figures and the number of people taken to hospital can be seen from the statistics.

Because of this doubling-up exercise, some 650 of our members had to work a non-stop 24-hour day. Breakfast wa s at fi ve o'clock on the morning of the 29th , and a t 6am a further 1750 first-aider s joined the massed ranks of St John Ambulance to prepare for The Day.

Derek Fenwn Commissioner, SJA, Greater London

,(Photos : T.

(Right)

Near Buckingham Palace (Left)

'I'm all right, dear: says a lady jostled by the crowd.

(Right) For one youngster it was just all too much.

Wellesley)

plus

-Yo the Cathedral

THERE were two first aid stations inside St Paul's Cathedral, one in the South Transept and the other in Kitchener's Chapel. Miss 1. L. Robinson, London District Staff Officer (Cadets), who was in charge of the South Transept station, writes:

Wednesday, July 29, was a glorious day which began for me at 5.30am with breakfast at Shell-Mex House. My route to the Cathedral, along the Strand, Fleet Street and Ludgate Hill, meant stepping through and sometimes over hundreds of sleepy, good-humoured people who had staked ou't rights over areas of pavement from which they would not budge. Some were still in sleeping bags, others were breakfasting, and nearly everybody was garbed in fanciful, ferociously-patriotic dress. I received many cheerful 'Goodmornings', and, even better, whoops of 'Good old St John!', which followed me up the street. Inside St Paul's, serenity prevailed . The lighting was magnificent, the flowers exquisite, the carpet the deepest royal red, and the view - excellent.

On this remarkable day, when nothing seemed to go wrong, nothing went wrong inside the Cathedral either - there were no casualties.

While millions throughout the world watched the wedding ceremony on television, I was there witnessing another chapter in the history of England. Something I shall never forget.

A BUSY MONTH FOR SJA

AS we all know, summer is the busiest time for St John Ambulance volunteers. But this year the activity began earlier than usual with the national ambulancemen's strike in early June. Then came a spate of events to cover in the capital. The Longest Children's Party in the World (Oxford Street) on Sunday, July 26; the Dronfield Drum and Trumpet SJA Band's splendid performance at the Royal Tournament (Earls Court) on Monday, July 27; the Grand Concert and Firework Party in Hyde Park, as a curtainraiser to the wedding the next day, on Tuesday, July 28; and then one of the largest public duties undertaken by the Brigade since Sir Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965 - the Royal Wedding on Wednesday, July 29.

Although the bulk of this intensive activity took place in London, there were

A telegram from

GENERAL P R LEUCHARS 5T JOHN 1 GR05VEl\OR CRC:SCENT LONDON Slv 1

PLEASE CGNVEY GUR WARtv:EST

Royal Tournament

SJA representatives from every county at the Royal Wedding, as well as members from Wales Northern Ireland and the Channel Island s. Just as the Lord Chamberlain is to be congratulated on the smooth running of his Royal Wedding arrangements, so too should Derek Fenton, Commissioner SJA Greater London, and his staff at Edwina Mountbatten House, also be congratulated. Through their organisation and the response from St John nationally, millions of people who were in London during July were provided with the best first aid and medical cover - free of any charge.

A tier of the Royal Wedding cake, with a card 'With bes t wishes from their Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales', was later passed by Headquarters to London District.

Street Party

Firevvorks

The SJA Dronfield Drum and Trumpet Band, from Sheffield, which gave a marvellous performance at the Royal Tournament on July 27. Also in the arena for the performance were four SJA ambulances, two from Leytons to ne and one each from Eastham and Caterham. (Photo : Ted Blackbow)

CADET RALLY

,

ON July 11 , 1300 cadets and their officer s from C l eve land, Cumbr ia, Durham, Humberside, North Yorkshire and Northumbria arrived at Stockton Ra cecourse for a rall y in the presence of HRH Prince ss Anne, Commandant-in-

C hi ef St John Ambu lance Cadets.

As the Divisions arrived on an overcast mornin g, a grand s g ht of activity began to unfold as Division s and Areas combined to make up display s of proficiency ubject s and other aspec ts of th eir work.

He r Royal Hi g hnes s arrived at Tee s id e Airpo rt and was enterta in ed to lun ch by the Co mmi ssioner-i n-Chief, Maj or-General Younger, a nd senior officers from all Count ies taking part. Durin g lun ch the rally rehearsa ls were held up by rain for half an hour.

Her R oyal Highne ss arrived at the rall y at 2pm to a fanfare from he C leve land Co unt y St John Band. She was wearing a Oowered dre ss with cream cape and a strawbe rr y pink hat. As s he arrived t he su n broke through and remained with us for the rest of the da y.

Grand Prior A wards

Following the in s pection of the Guard of H o no ur , Her Royal Highnes s presented Grand Prior Award s to:

C le ve a nd

Sleven Holli s (Acklam Combined Cadets)

I an Sulliv a n (Ack am Comb in ed Cadets)

Dianne Res tori ck (Stockton & Thornab y Comb.)

Dian e Clemmitt (Stockton & Thornaby Comb.)

Deborah Clemmitt (Stockton & Thornaby Comb.)

C umbria

Da vid Ben so n (Ma r ypo rt Ambulance Cadets

Step hen John s o n (Barrow Division Amb. Cade

Loui se Whinfi e d (Grange-over-Sands N /C )

The start of the bed making land assembling) race, which was won by Northumbria

Durham

Kate Boxell (Dar lin gton Nur ing Cadets)

Ali on Buckley (Con ett Combined Cadet)

Brian Butler (Brandon Combined Cadets)

Angela Littlefair (Newton Aycliffe omb. Cadet)

Humber ide

Andrew Wil son (Hull North We st A C)

Lee Wil so n (Hull orth We st A /C )

Hayley Bell (Barton Nur ing Cadels)

Jane Ju st (Hull King ston I C)

No rthum bria

En d Plenderleith (Sunderland Comb. Cadel

J ulie Daw on (Shiremoor ursing Cadet)

K aren Doren (Jarrow Nur ing Cade t)

Yvonne Ord (Jarro\\ ursing Cadet)

o rth York hire

Slephen Brailh"alle (Selby mbulance Cade s)

Pauline <:011 (Greal Ylon Cade s)

Deni se Bu hell (Ripon Nur ing Cadel s

Kalhr y n Wil son (York Cily I C) ....

The formal proceedings ove r, the fun ide of the rally commenced with the Be dmakin g Race, which was won by Northumbria.

For almost the next two hour Princ e s Anne vi i red the display, chatting and que s tioning the cadets about their work , during which she was pre ented with oft toy, made by the cadets, for her children.

T hr oughout, Her Ro ya l Highne s howed great interest and appeared to enjoy herself immen se ly.

Prin cess Anne took tea with two cadets from eac h County and then walked a roule lined by cadets to her car, where, fo ll owing three rou in g cheers and a pre entation of a bouquet by Amanda Midd le ma s of Mar ke Nursing Cadet, he s lepped into the car to the s train s of 'W ill Ye No' Come Ba ck Agen' from the band.

.. t _ t

(T op right) Having a good look at Humberside cadets' handicraft display - with Mr B Molloy Commissioner Photos John Seaman

Water act ivi ties display by Cumbria

(Right) Help for the Disabled - Karen Bell assures Princess Anne that the plastered leg is all part of the display

Below) When Princess Anne asked Cleveland s Sharron Tilburn and Vik Carter demonstrating child care, if they had ever washed a real baby (they hadn t) HRH replied with a smile that she had

H e en Parkin (North Wa ln ey Nursing Cadets) r ,; .. ""'.. ., , "If"

Princess Anne sees cadet displays from six northern counties

Deborah Clem mitt, of Cleveland receives he Award

VAT AND CHARITIES

The Deputy Director of Supplies, Brian Rockell, writes:

The VA T (Handicapped Persons and Charities) Order 1981 came into force on March 17 1981 and allows charitable bodies s uch as St John Ambulance relief from VAT, by zero rating, on purchases of medical equipment and ambulances. This will significantly reduce the cost of expensive equipment. For example, the saving on a £10,000 ambulance would be £1,300.

To be eligible for relief a declaration has to be made to the supplier, who must be registered for V AT. Full details have been sent to County Offices , and will be published in a forthcoming edition of Brigade Orders.

LONG RIDE

Staffordshire's new County Commissioner, Col. Gordon Higgs, and Roy Andrews, Supt Eastern Area, are cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats from Sept 16 to 27, hoping to raise £10,000 for County Headquarters funds. They will be passing through Launceston, Bridgwater, Tewkesbury, Stafford, Lancaster, Gretna Green, Queensferry, Blair Atholl, Inverness , Helmsdale, and then on to John O'Groats.

Give them a good cheer as they pass through your area.

POW DIVISION

I received the following note:

My name is Harry Lake. I am Deputy Public Duty Officer at London District HQ. During the war I was a POW in Stalag 383 Hohenfeld, Germany, and was nursein-charge of M.I Ward.

While in this camp I and five other POWs, having all had pre-war St John experience formed a division and it was duly registered in London We trained, and they were officially passed by the camp doctors, over 500 men in first aid, home nursing and hygiene. A First Aid Shield made out of bed boards and home-made certificates from the camp are on display in the museum at St John's Gate. I brought these back from Stalag 383 and would like to contact any of the instructors or

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

FAMILY MUSIC MAKERS

Terry Ashley and his two sons, are all members of the SJA Dronfield Drum and Trumpet Band from Sheffield, which performed so well at the Ro y al Tournament Earls Court, during July , Christopher, and Richard aged 8, who is the band's mascot (and nearly sto le the showl, thoroughly enjoyed showing the big city of London what they could do. Photo Ted Blackbow members from Stalag 383 during 1942-45. I can be found at London District HQ (Tel: 01 258 3456) Public Duty Dept on Monday evenings (or tel: 01 472 5098)

LUNCH FUNDS

I hear that the lady members of Kirklees (S & W Yorks) Area Staff recentl y organised a buffet lunch which raised £260 for the

Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. Area President Mrs D. Altman handed the cheque to the retiring Commander St John, Capt M. Hutchinson.

ANTIQUE SHOW

I hear that a fasc in aling range of antiq ues was displayed and discussed by expe rt s from Sotheby's, the London fine arts auctioneers, at an exclusive even in g held at the Assembly Rooms in Bath during June.

Three hundred guests attended the eveni n g which was organised by the fund rai sing committee of the Council of St John in Avon, and they were encouraged to bring along small items to be examined by the Sotheby team.

After being greeted by Sir John Wills, Lord Lieutenant of Avon and president of the St John Cou n cil, and Lady Wills, SJA County President, the guests took part in a competition to guess the age, country of origin and value of 12 items ranging from £3.50 to £1,500 in va lue

First aid in schools has been a subject much discussed within St John. In 1977, the Wirral Association Branch started a scheme for first aid in sc hool s by awa rding a trophy to the school in h e area from which the highest proportion of pupils gai ned the Essentials of First Aid certificate. This year the rophy went to Gorsedale Midd le School, here with Mr J. C. Akeilurst, Wirral Area Commissioner, and cadets enrolled direct from the school as a re sult of the scheme - probably the first time this has happened in SJA

Mrs Shirley Satherley , wife of Nailsea Quad Division s Supt receive s a book as winner of the antiques competition n Avon (See ANTIQUES SHOW)

The prize of a book on antiques was won by Mrs Shirley Satherley , wife of Mr Peter Satherley, Div / Supt of Nailsea Quadrilateral Division.

Highlight of the event, which brought in over £2,700, was the auctioning ofa copy of Sir Winston Churchill's Wit and Wisdom, personally inscribed by the late Lady Clementine Spencer Churchill. It raised £150.

SEMINAR

West Essex Centre will again be conducting a Teaching Seminar in Harlow on Sunday, October 4 1981. Subjects to be covered include first aid for animals, nursing in accident and emergency how to set up emergency infu ions and medic al planning for a nuclear disaster.

Full details and application form from the Centre Secretary, 54 Manor Road,

St Helens and Knowsley Area Commissioner , Mrs M. Platt , made a presentation on behalf of the Area to Mr N Pimblert on his appointment as Deputy County Commissioner (Photo: S Lancashire Newspapersl (Abovel

DIVISION

Right Southern Area W ltsh re has just formed its second new cadet d vision at Lavington a small town between Devizes and Salisbury Ilast year another cadet division was formed at Tisbury l. And he occasion was marked by a parade through Lavington, headed by the Boys Brigade band , a church service , enrolment a nd demonstrations. Lady Dorman , wife of he Lord Prior, was in the parade IPhoto Wiltshire Newspapers )

(Below S & W Yorks Bradford Met ropoltan Area celebrating the Diamond Jubi lee (50 yearsl of the Bradford Corps with a service in Bradford Cathedra - which also marked the end of the Corps due to reorganisation of the Area (Photo: Bradford Telegraph & Argusl

were li g ht in we g ht. Hi g h h ee s a n d ti g h s kirts w e r e r e lu c t a ntl y

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE

Traumatic Disability

SRN, SCM, HV

'I have been in a wheelchair for 21 years'

'I MUST remember to g et the t y res pumped up the wheel s oiled and the brakes a dju st ed before I go out next Saturda y. No it is not m y car I'm talking about - it's my wheelchair. I have been in a w heelchair for 21 year s , for due to a car accident I am paral ysed from the waist down At the time of the accident, I was married with tw

y oung s ons of 4 and 6 years of a

husband

s

v

and m y two

M

s w ere al s o in v ol v ed in the acciden t. It wa s in Stoke Mandeville Hospital t hat I reali s ed that I would ne ver be able o walk again. My s pinal cord had been squashed a t the level of the II th thoracic vertebrae Thi s meant that I

s

and from

longer

s

concernin

mes s

the action s

of m y body belo w the dama g e. The brain , which can be compared o a Post Office s wi t chboard sending and recei v ing me s sage s , was still functionin g but the me ss age s were no lon g er getting through to m y legs and the lowe r part of t he body because the communication line wa s blocked.

I c ould not feel if my egs were pricked w ith a pin, or if the y w ere hot or cold I

could no t k n o w wi t

l o okin g, if t he bed co ver wa s on o r o ff, a nd I did not know if a ho wa t er bo tt le h a d been placed ag ain s t m y le gs I could no t move m y le gs of their o w n ac c ord. And i t needed th e careful nurse to en s ure that th ere w e re no c rumb s in the bed and that m y po sit io n was c han ge d r eg ul a rl y ever y t w o hour s so th a t pr ess ure sores did no t de velop on m y bu tt o c k s or he e ls. Most

di s tr ess in g o f all was th e oss o f se n sat o n of m y bladd e r a nd b owe ls, o v er w hi c h I h a d no o n ge r an y c ontrol. Unlike s pina bifida or multipl e sclero s s, wher e s imil a r sy mp t om s ma y build up o ve r a period o f m o nth s or yea r s, thi s injur y wa s done in a matt e r of seco nd s but th e d a ma ge wa s perm a n ent. No on e h as yet fo und a cure for s p in a injur y.

A fter s ix m o n t h s in Sto k e Mandev ill e H os pital I ret urn ed home t o a h o u se t h at had three s te ps u p t o t h e front doo r, bedroom s a nd b a thr o o m u ps t a ir s, a n inacce ss ibl e te leph o n e, a n d kit c h e n equipm e nt e n tire ly un suited t o mana g em e n t from a w he e lchair

It w a s a d esp er ate fe e lin g o f f ru st r a ti o n w

ein st ated ( eft). 'Th in k positively , II said he a e Sir Ludw g Gu ttman Fill your d ay with h e t hin gs yo u can do' (Be ow)

t

e co un tryside, spri

g c lean o r take

in soc i a activ i t ies w i thou t mak in g a prio r a r rangemen t w it h an a bl e-bodied he pe r Never aga n cou d I mee t h e c hild re n from school or take them on vis i ts to p laces of h isto r ica l interest.

My dentist's surgery was on the fi r st floor a n d the haird r esser up a flig h t of steps. The si tu at on seemed hope ess 'T hi nk po tive ly, Fi l l you r day wit h t h e hin gs yo u can do, and pu t i nto the b ackg r o un d t h e things that yo u ca n 't.' T hi s was th e very so u nd advice given by the ate S i r Lu d wig Guttman, who wa s the Directo r of t h e Stoke Mandev il le Spina l I njuries

Ce n t r e. I was g r ateful to h e helper s who gave me e n courage m e n and to friends who came r egul a rl y o n ce or tw ice a week without fai l t o cl ea n m y w h eelc h a i r, was h my h a ir do m y s h op pin g a nd take m e for a walk. My c lot h es h ad to b e r e-orga ni sed and I needed ea sy fitt in g a n d was h ab le gar m ents t h at

ient.

M eet in g h e ge n e r a l pub l ic as a n ewlydi sa bl ed pe r so n takes q ui te a bit of courage too. P eo pl e very o ft e n s h out and p r esume t ha t I a m d eaf, or speak to m e as thoug h r a m m e n ta ll y r eta rd ed. T h ey wi ll ask my hu s ban d f I take s u ga r in m y tea, even h o u g h I am si ttin g nex to him Some p e opl e in s is t o n c u tt in g u p my b r ead and bu tte r and I h ave bee n advised not to go o u t i n t h e dark!

Some peop le are frightened of a disabled person and wi ll n ot speak even though there is no one else about. 1 have learnt that I m u st speak first, to put h em at their ease.

Equa ll y di sc oncert ng are the peop le who think they know al l about me. They have a r e la ti ve n a w h ee lc h a i r a n d presume h at eve r yo n e is i n a whee lchair for the sa me reason. These are t h e peop le who grab my c h air, take off t h e brake s and promptly tip m e out at the fir s t kerb they try to n egotiate.

I am a lways g ad when the helper asks me wh ch is the best way to handle my wheelc h air and whether it is better to take m e flo nt wards or backward s up a s tep or in to a bu ildi n g. I alway appreciate the h elner who asks me whether I wou ld like to b e m oved befo r e pus hi ng me to another p ace My ch il dren h ad to learn that they were never to take away my wheelchair and not bring it back if I was in bed or itting on a sofa. They a lso had to learn to dismantle an d fo ld my wheelchair, and to treat it gen tl y w h en p lac in g it in the boot of a car or a coac h so th at the whee l were not b u ckled or the chair damaged.

Sen s e o f humour

Q u ite a lot of peop le te ll me the story of h eir operation and many state that faith in Go d wi ll e n able me to walk again. I am g ad to say that m y se n se of h u mour he l ps me m os of th e t i me.

B e f o r e my sp ine wa inj u red, I was tr a in e d as a State R egistered Nurse, a Mi dw i fe a nd a H ea l th Vis tor. It seeme d to m e t h a t m y tr ai nin g 'No ul d be of no more u se. But in t h e 2 1 years t h at I h ave been n a w h ee lc h a i r a great d ea l h as been done to help th e d isa bl ed take part in t h e c ommuni ty. Th e C h ro n ica ll y Sick and Di sabl e d P e r so n s Act of 1970 ta t ed that wher ever po ss ib le l oca l au th ori ti e s h ou d pro v id e Da y Ce n t res fo r t he h a nd icapped. D ay Ce ntre s mu st b e access i b le for whe e lch a ir which s a m a j or pro bl e m when see kin g e mpl oy m e nt , an d t h is has g ive n m e t h e un qu e opport un ity of combinin g m y expe ri e nce a a di a bl ed p e r so n w ith m y qu a li fica ti on as a n u rse a n d h eal t h vi s i tor. I h ope m y jo b a a Day

Ce ntr e O r ga ni se r s so m e b e n ef t to th e co mmun i t y. I h ave lea rn e d t hr o u g h m ee tin g othe r di sa bl ed peop le t h a t th ere is a d if fe r e n ce b e t wee n be in g a te mp orary in va lid and p er m a n en tl y di sab led. T h e pa t ie nt s u fferi n g from temporary d isab le m ent, such as a fractured li m b, can in d ul ge in se lf- pi ty, accept sy m pat h y and fee l th at a n y service re n de r ed by frie n ds a n d n eig hb o u rs can b e r epai d w h en h ea lt h a n d s tr e ngt h are rega in e

accidents in indu st rial premi ses and the home.

Correct handling and treatment when an accident ha s occurred are vital factor s for the ultimate recovery of the patient. Also important is public awareness - that obstruction s suc h as a bi cyc le le ft carelessly propped against a wall or 'road-up' s ign s on the pavement ca n ca u se a blind person to fal l Access to public building s, to Bank s, Po s t Office s and libraries and ramped kerbs at prede st rian crossings all help to prevent accidents.

To change one's hobbie s from horse-riding and dancing to toymaking and canework is not easy.

The u ltimate goal of rehabilitiation is, I s uppose, for a person to be able to f ind a place in the normal everyday life of the community again.

The requirement s of rehabilitation vary with the invididual and depend upon age, sex, marital sta tu s and financial facilities In conditions of paraplegia, s uch as my own, a new way of life s developed gradually over several years and it cannot be achieved without the understanding and p a tience of able-bodied members of the community and the will to succeed.

For married couples, readjustment of sexual relationship s a difficult problem, very often with the complications of incontinence and uncontrollable spasms in addition (0 paraplegia.

For the ingle person, the chance of marriage eems very remote and t he pro pect of living with parent who will continue to treat the disab ed person a a child make the fut u re seem intolerable

I n mo t case a return to employment, for the male, is the ultimate goal with recreational facilitie for port either a a s pectator or player.

For myself, the role of hou s ewife and mother needed to be r e in tated. Cooking, was hi ng and ironing clothes, and amusi n g the chi dren had to take precedence over wimming se s ons for the di ab led on unday morning, w h ich segregated me from the family, and phys otherapy at the h ospita l, which prevented me being at home when the c hi dren were bro u ght home from sc hool.

W h atever the circumstance, it i to my mind, wort h whi le pe n ding time and energ y in attemp in g to cope with one's own personal hygie n e. To be able to wa h my face, co m b my h a i r a n d clean my teet h gave me a sense of r ea ach ieve m e n t a n d brought back a se n se of perso n a l d ignity and con f idence

Preve n tio n of d isa b ility is vital whether by vacci n a ti on to p r eve nt di ea e, or precaut i ons for safeg u ard in g aga in

In 1974 the Spinal Injurie s Association was founded. It s a charity which deals with t he spec ial problems relating to s pinal injury. The address of the headquarter s is Spinal Injurie s Association, 5 Crowndale Road, London WI ITU. Tel: 01-388 6840 The Director and member s of the committee are themselves disabled and several books have been publi s hed with the help of the S.I.A. including 'So, You are Paral ysed', and a L.I. K. system is in operation whereby a newly-paralysed per on is put in touch with a rehabilitated per son li v ing in the sa m e area. The S LA is also rai sing mone y for research into ways of c uring s pinal injury.

1981 is the International Year of Di sab led People and caring people all over the world are concerned with integrating the disabled into h e commun ty. To do this cooperation between the di abled and their able-bodied friends is essential. It gives lhe opportunity for the disabled to make the public aware of their special needs and for the public to be aware of the abilities and aspirations of the disabled - who knows, it m ay be you in a wheelchair (omorrow!

New ambulance fleet for Sussex

One vehicle was designed, and then nine were ordered

(Top) The new fleet of ambulances, and the County Commissioner Ken Bolton. (Left) Th e 4 wheel dr ive Subaru showing what it can do on ough country

OUR STORY, we feel, is interesting and at the same time proves yet again that St John Ambulance doe s not li v e in the pa st but p r ogresse s with the times and looks to the future.

It started some three years ago, when on a wet and muddy day our County Commissioner Mr Ken Bolton was on a duty, mucking in as usual, when he said 'We really need four-wheel drive ambulances, but t hey mu st be cheap and economical to run.' Everyone agreed that it certainly would be the answer to the embarrassing situation of ha vi ng an ambulance pushed ou of the mud. Little did we know just how far our Commissioner was prepared to go to make that dream reality.

He first looked at conventional fourwheel drive ambulances, but of course they are ve r y expensive and cost a fortune to run (even the petrol consumption would break some division s) so our Commissioner decided we would de s ign our own.

The marke t of four-wheel drive vehicles is very limited; you either wait two years for a vehicle, or they are expensive. Eventually he found a small estate car, which runs on tw o star petrol, does 36 mpg, and is reasona bl y cheap to buy But would it take a stretcher? We all sa id 'never'. We should have su s pe cte d then what was to come. He

set about des ig ning h is own fittings. Of course conventional suppliers were not prepared to change t hei r ba s ic model s to fit such a small vehicle; so me even said he was , (I won't repeat it.) Finally a s m a ll engineering company, D.H.S. of Hastings, was found who were prepared to build to his de signs. They admitted that t hi s was a first for them, but they were keen to try.

So 18 months ago the Subaru agents , Johns Cross Garage, star te d work on a prototype estate ambulance. First they stripped out the rear seat and put in a false floor Covered in the matching original cloth, it extend s to the rear of the front passenger seat, leaving a s pa ce behind the driver's seat for a seat for an attendant.

Problem: you cannot cut a rear seat in hal f, so Corbeau Equipment Ltd, who m a nufactured the false floor produced a specia l seat which al s o reclines, giving added comfort to the attendant on lon g journe ys.

Next the roof lining was remo ved to fi x the beacon, radio antenna and sp ot li g ht sextra lights are needed when cro ss ing rou gh country in the dark - then the lining was screwed back in position

Meanwhile the prototype stretcher had been made, a light and ingeniou s telescopic trolley, so that the front seat can still be used, and beneath it a rack to take a sco op

stretc her a nd mattress. How was it to be fixed and h eld firm? 'Si mple ,' sai d o ur

Commissioner The whee ls run on a track fixed to the floor, with two snap bolt s, a lso fixed to the floor, whic h can be clamped home. When carrying a patient the back of the front seat is dropped and the head of the st retcher lowered into position. The attendant , comfortably seated behind the driver , can atte nd t he patient with ease.

Then there were such jobs as fitting the Nu-pack re sc usitators, Entonox, fi rst aid b ox, asp irat or, radio, spare equipment, airways, blankets (including s pace blanke ts), fluorescent jackets, pillow s, air horn s and various switches for li ghts, etc.

And fina ll y the outside items such as towbar a nd lig h ting soc kets, fluorescent strips, St John emblems, and sign writi ng And f in a ll y, into act ion

But no, t h e Commissioner then nudged the St John Counci l of Sussex to raise money. He wanted mo re s uch veh icl es throughout the county. A great id ea. Bu t co uld it be done? The Cou ncil laun c hed an appeal to raise £250,000, w hich drove the Co mmi ssioner and Counci l memb ers in to continuou s letter wr itin g and s peeche s, back ed 'lY a few tiring bu t enjoyable lunch es and dinner s. The re s ult? Nine ambulances were dedi cated rece n t ly by t he Bi s hop of Lewes at the home of the Marquess of Abergavenny. Amo ng those pr ese nt were HRH Prince Tomislav, C ommander St John Sussex, who handed over the

vehic les on behalf of the donors to the Marquess of Abergave nn y, President of the St J ohn Co uncil Sussex, Lord Rupert Nevill, C hairman and Cou n ci l members. Each division was a lso represented, as well as the donors, so m e of whom donated complete vehic le s (to name a few: the American Exp r ess Staff Sports C lub, Derek Hunni sett, C harl es Hunnisett, Christop h er S. Wa t es and Leo n Tamman, w ho expressed h e wish that the ve hicl e be dedicated to the memory of Sub Lieut Hugh McDonald, who died in a recent helic:Jpter cra h.)

The nin e ambulances are n ow based at Bognor, Ch ichester, Fairl ight (contro l ambulance), Hankham, Hastings, Hove, Lewes, Pulborough, Wadhur s t and Lewes. A spectac ular s ight to see, a n incredible feat of one person's determination to give St John t he best.

What next for SJA Sussex! Well we have a few clues, and we know that our Comm issio ner still ha s n ot achieved his ultimate goa ls. But o n e thing is for surewe are all behind him in Sussex.

C. Westwood

Exercise Mudlark becomes reality

An invita tio n from Fairl ight Auxiliary Coastguards to assist in a c li ff exe rc ise turned not three hours later i nto a real emergency and pro ved the use of the fourwheel drive ambulances in Sussex.

Rye Divi sio n , led b y Supt. Alan Webb, in their K44 ambulance, and a Subaru ambulance crewe d by County Transport Officer Alan Bolton and C ounty Staff Officer Co lin Westwood, rendered first aid back up to the coastgu a rds and ferried patient s o a treatment area a the station. The s itu a tion was that a gro up of young lads and lasses who had been play in g on th e cliffs got into trouble and ne eded rescuing.

real thing

The exercise took up most of the morning and proved to be exce ll e n fo r both sides, and the member s all happily left for home and a well earned rest.

T h e two CSOs decided refre s hment was in o rd er, but after a s hort while they were called by a coastguard officer reque sti ng assistance on the cliff edge. The crew immediately went to the scene, some di stance across wet and slippery rough

SUSSEX PROFilE ----

Meet Jenny, of Southwick Division

DURING the la s t year Jenny Bull, a 15- year-o ld member of Southwick Divi sio n , ha s di stinguished herself by playing in the divisional b and at the Royal R ev iew at R eigate w h her arm in a plaster cast following a games fall at school. Jenny, who plays the trumpet, wo n the Co unt y Indi vidual First Aid Co mp et it ion, ha ving come first in her area h eat, a nd also the Rosem ary Lindley Memorial Plate, a divis onal nursing co mpe t iti on. J e nn y is a very kee n member who re g ularl y goes on dut y at B righton & Ho ve A lbion football ground, scrambles and the beach hut. She is also most helpful with fu nd raisi ng event. She pas sed a promotion test in March to gain her sergea n t's stripes and h o ld s nine proficiency certif ica te s Jenny has been in the division s in ce 1973, when she first trotted along to juniors, and often spor t s a bandage on s om e part of h e r limbs for s h e eems to be acci d e n t prone. A l though s he ha mana ge d to get h erse f knocked down by a car in the street, she ha s ne ve r u ffered

country, to find thaL this was for real.

Three young boys had been playing in bracken when one boy slipped and fell, breaking his right femur. After applying an inflatable splint and securing the limb, he was taken by the Su baru ambulance to the coastguard station, where a regular ambulance was waiting on the road to take him to hospital.

A usefu I exercise indeed.

any ill effects while on St John duty. She ha attended Bexhill camp and been to our own divi ional camp. II in all she is a very good member and her Supt would like another dozen like her.

Jenny Bull with the County Individual trophy ( Photo : AI M Ian Kemp Southwick Division)

ORDER INVESTITURE

vo lu ntary part -time memb er of staff at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala. He is now Vicar of the Cathedral Parish and a part-time lecturer and examine r in Anaesthetics.

by the Lord Prior, London, July 9

COMMANDER (Brother)

Squadron Leader Raymond Mill s (Cambridge).

Frederick Henr y House (Dorset).

Air Marshal Da vi d Will iam Atkinson (London).

Edward Tortell (Ma lta)

COMMANDER (Si ter)

Dame Freya Stark DBE (London).

OFFICER (Brother)

Victor Thane (Che hire).

Major Arthur Rees. MBE (Surrey).

Ralph Ross (Li ncs).

John Carver, SRN (Middlesex ).

Michael Lloyd Lindley (Berks).

Francis Pater o n, FCIT (N. Yorks)

Leonard Kader, MRCS, LRCP , Lr-.ISSA, MRCGP , MFOM (Buck ).

John Kenneth Pove y (Cheshire).

Henr y John Lake (London).

Alfred Urch Pratlett (Avon).

Herb ert Edward Bartram (Bedford).

Frederick Charles Edward Rooke (Mcrseyside).

William Edwa rd Phillip s, I B, BS (Lancs).

Gordon Jes op, BEM (Humber ide).

Ronald Charles Ingrey-Senn , MB , ChB, FRCP sych.

DPM DMJ (Hert s

Jame Arthur Brown (Greater Man che ter).

Raymond Albert Sydney mith Buck ).

George Hill (Slaffs).

Delm ore William s (Cornwall).

William Alfred Cokayne (Derbys).

Walter Baldwin (Greater Man chester).

Edward George Saunders H ants).

Frederick Martineau Cotlie MB, ChB (Lanc ).

Rona d George H enry Timm s (Kent).

Kenneth Gilbert H annam H erts).

Co\. Thoma Victor Humphreys, aBE, IB ChB, BAa (Devon).

Thoma s Geoffrey Cross (Cheshire).

Rev. George KilYo (Uganda)

OFFICER (Sister)

Elizabeth Cameron, Lady Godsal (Berks).

Cathe rine June, Mr Miller (Lanc ).

Elizabeth Joa n Miss Robinson (Avon)

Pamela, Mrs Walli s (Beds).

Margaret so bel. Mrs Allanby, SRN (Camb )

J ll Mrs White , MB BS, DPH, DOH D orset).

Bessie, Mrs Hyde (Manchester).

Doris, Miss Taylor (Berks).

Wilhemina, Mr Lane (Lanc s).

Christine Frances, Mrs Je sso p (Humberside).

Bery Ellen, Mr Green (Berks).

Lola, Mrs Wainwright (Lancs).

SERVING BROTHER

Leonard William H all (York).

Major Kenneth Albert Br ookho ldin g Dawes, TD (Avo n).

K en neth Sparkes (Cambridge).

Joseph Baron (Cheshire).

George Henry Hubb ard (Derbys).

Harold Titkin, DFM, ARIBA (Essex).

Lennard Edgar Burden (Avon).

Harold Radcli ffe (Cheshire).

S anley George Smith (Corn wa ll).

Lady Elizabeth Godsal is invested as Officer (Sister). She was for several years County Staff Officer for Cadets in Berkshire until her appointment as County Superintendent just over a year ago She has been a member of the Review Board of Management since 1973. On St John's Day of this year she was appointed to be one of the Representative Offi ce rs on Chapter General of the Order.

Kenneth Bowl ze r (Derb ys).

Raymond Willi ams (Essex).

Warrant Offi cer James Boo h MISM (Bu ck s)

Clarence Alfred Stuart Hadler, SRN, RMN DipN, RNT (Avon).

Cyri Charles Neal (Bed s).

Stuarl Cooper (Cheshire),

John Plumm er (Clevel and).

William Roy Denslow (Cornwall),

George Norton (Derbys), Albert Thoma s Crow (Essex),

(Left) Mrs Joanne Kingdon , Superintendent of the Barnstaple Nursing Cadet Division is invested as Serving Sister She was leader of the adult nursing team from Barnstaple which three times reached the Brigade Finals and won in 1976 , Mrs Kingdon was winner of the Nationwide 'Miss St John' competition in our 1977 Centenary Year, which gave her additional duties in making all that SJA achieves and stands for known to the public

Arthur Anthony Joiner JP (Avon).

Eric Town hend Somerville, MB BS, LRCP, DObst (Cambs),

Gordon H a rr y Cliffe, BEM (Chesh ire)

Hor ace Ra wson (Derby).

Richard Carter, MB, BS (Salop),

Harold Nordan (Wes t Midlands),

Kennelh Stan le y Gibbs (Cambs).

Melvyne Graham Thomas Crow (Essex)

Norman Arthur Bowler (axon).

Philip H ed le y COieri ll , MB, CLB, DRCOG (Dorset), David Brian Pack (Essex),

SERVI G ITER

Emily Alex Miss T yrre ll (Bedford).

Margaret Florence, Mis's Weller, SRN SCM, RSI (Buck s)

Audrey May, Irs John so n (Bucks).

Phyllis, Mrs Adams (Cambs),

Dame Freya Stark

ONE of the most distinguished members of the 01 der to be honoured at the inve s titure held on July 9 was Dame Freya Stark who became a Commander of the Order , Dame Freya is well known for her travel writings and has been a member of the Order since 1941, In recent years, however, she has been actively involved in reestablishing an important hi s torical contact for the Order with the former Order property at Bodrum.

St Pe te r' s Castle at Bodrum on the Turkish coastline, facing the Knights' headquarter s on the island of Rhodes, played an important part in defending the Order' s po s ition during their occupation of Rhodes and the surrounding islands of the Eastern Mediterranean during the 14th and 15th centuries. Among the distinguished English Knights to have served in the garrison at Bodrum was Fr. John Kendal, who became Turcopolier and Prior of Eng land, and h elp ed defend Rhodes in 1480. After the successful defence of Rhodes in 1480 Bodrum provided refuge for Cem, brother of Sultan Bayezid II, who intended to seize his brother's throne with the assistance of Christian forces.

Dame Freya helped instigate the Order's contribu ti on to the recent restoration of the Engl ish Tower of the castle at Bodrum ; she also helped to organise the ge nerou s reception received by two Order parties who visited Turkey in 1979 , Through her suggestions a number of gifts were made by the Order to provide a display for the Tower: a copy of a breast plate similar to t hat worn by a Knight of Rhodes, an Order _

Margarel Palmer, Mrs Robson (Cleveland), Audrey Beatrice , Mr s Shears (Cornwall), Maud, Mrs Ralph (Derbys), J oan ne M a y, Mrs Kingdon (North Devon), Joan, Mrs Lee (Manchester) Joan Ellen, Mrs Logan, SRN SCM (Essex).

Pamela Elizabeth Jean Mrs Haddrell (Avon), Lily Gladys, Mr s Cooper (Berks).

Lilian Kathleen, Mrs Green (Bucks).

Kathleen, Mrs Earle (Cambs).

Ena , Mrs Key (Cheshire),

Molly, Mrs Leonard (Cleveland).

Catherine Jean, Miss Mitchell ( Derb ys),

Jean Ann, Mrs Partridge, SRN (Devon), Jan e Bealt y, Mrs Hi ckes (Dorset).

Yvonne, Mrs Williams (Essex).

Eileen Joyce Ver, Mrs Peace (Cheshire),

Kathleen, Mrs Thompson (Cleveland).

Frances Ethel, Wilkins (Derbys).

mantle, and a series of illustrated panels, The panels use material from our own collection - the illustrations of Cem's story from one of the Library's copies of Caoursin's account of the 1480 Siege of Rhodes , and a picture of (he John Kendal medal on display at the museum at St John's Gate, We are grateful to Dame Freya for providing this opportunity to revive our connection with such a significant landmark in the Order s history and to extend the knowledge and treasures of our collection at St John's Gate

PRINFO

A T the Milton Keynes Bowl Fair, attended by thousands of people, SJA Bucks' publicity tent provided an eyecatching centre and many people headed for it for information of all kinds, The custom-built tent is 15ft square with a minimum height of 7ft and can be erected by two people in 35 minutes. Resuscianne and display boards attract visitors.

Clare

Enid

Kathleen Maud, Mi ss Cooper (London).

Beryl, Mrs Doull, SRN (West Yorks), Fl ight Lieutenant Christine Baile y, SR ,SC:-'I, a D Hant s),

Frances Elsie , Mrs Walker, SEN (South Devon).

Margaret Rowena, Miss Massey, SR (l\lanchesler),

Freda Marian, Miss Clare, SR , RNT ( L ondon).

Elsie Ada, Mrs Dorrill (Bucks),

Flight Lieutenant Christine Bailey of the Princess Alexandra 's RAF Hosp ital, Wroughton W il tshire, becomes a Serving Sister. Fit Ll Bailey is Divisional Nursing Officer of Swindon Ambulan ce and Nu rs ing Division

Elizabeth, Mrs 1itchell (Devon).

, Mrs Johnston JP (Essex).

THE HARDWAY CAN BE FUN

A competition plus adventure

t eam s d iscovered that from a choice of two th ey had picked one (or grabbed it) w ith a canva s r ipped a ong about three-quarters of its l en gth Moral? Check your gear!

ABOARD THE GOOD SHIP

f!:,9m Miss C Williamson Divisiona) Superintendent

THE idea of combining first aid with adventure in a fir s aid competition came to us in one of our frequent fits of masochism.

ADCOMP (Ad venture Competition) was born with the sponsors hip of S.O.S. Talisman, who donated the trophy and prizes

Seven teams of six AdComp competitors, comprIsmg adults, cadets, or often a mixture of both, met on May 2 to 'do ba ttle' in the woods around Linacre Reservoir , near Chesterfield We again picked the right day. Where a week be f ore a blizzard blew creating six or seven feet, snow drifts the sun shone brightly.

First team away - all girls of Chaddesden and Spondon Nursing Cadets - at 9am Teams arrived at different times throughout the day to complete a test lasting 1 V2 hour s and which was, in comparison to 1980, fairly easy!

After being summoned by a distraught mother who had lost her son the eam s

faced a ten minute hike through the wood s.

On the way they had to search for the wayward child. During this activity some team members lost contact, perhaps never to be seen again! Eventually, a more often than not ignored mother led the team to where she last saw her little darling. After a brief search the bleeding (from cut wrists) child was found.

Wounds mini s tered to and flow of blood stemmed, the casualty had to be removed from his water culvert hideout up a muddy, slippery slope to the stretcher. Many wonderful techniques were u sed and many useful points wonderfully lost!

A word about the stretcher. Too many captains of teams adopt a policy of 'grab and run'. Here we had teams who had just reported for a s tint of public duty - that was their briefing They were going to use someone else's gear. So, the situation proved six times normal - grab and run. On opening the stretcher at the scene, six

With the s tretcher repaired (i n many an ingeniou s way) mother (still d is traught an d ig no red ) le d the way hom e. Although nearer than the fir s t ai d post, the route home was - we ll - ro ugh er. Across b ogs, fences, walls an d uphill. Mother fa int ed e n rout e and the cas u a lt y lapsed into uncon scio u s n ess, so no one knew w h ere they were going until moth er ( now no t so ignored) ca me ro und again. All in all both happenings added a little sp ice to an otherwi se t ediou s rou te !

The final team finished at 7pm and a good time was h ad b y al l. We all learnt s omething. The te ams had learnt not to ignore mother , not to s plit- up too far when searching, and to c h eck their gear b e fore moving off; the jud ges that the re was a gate in a wa ,: the y hadn't see n , but the team s did, and t hat heavy s now can bring down trees which can cause problems a week later (' Shift it,' instru cted one team captain)

Winning team, Chaddesden and Spondon Ambulance Cadets; sec ond, T.!. Chesterfield.

A J. Collington, CSO Derbys hire

Durin g May I m ade m y thi rd e nj oyab le trip as pur se r on the sail tra inin g s hip Malcolm Miller, a nd much to my delight there were s ix

St J o hn cadets and you n g adu lts on board , of whom I enclose a p h otograph.

They are (L to R): J eannette Finiga n (Cleveland), S all y Raithb y (L in cs), Caroline Jack son (Belfast), W e nd y H a rlin g (Kent), Hel e n Barber (Bradford), Carol Ox toby (Yo rk s), and m ys el f. Sta r ling from Sunderland, the sh ip v is ited Stavanger, H arda n gerfjord, Lerwick and, af t er p assi n g a couple o f oi l r igs, e nd ed th e trip at Leith, where a reporter ca m e aboard to inter view us for Forth Radio. Cannock, Staffs Carolyn Williamson

CADET PROFICIENCY SCHEME from Mrs M. Smailes Divisional Superintendent [ am in uppor t of Miss Bi s hop 's v iews (Ju ly R ev iew ) on this s ubje ct. I wa s on the point of writi ng a s imilar le tter m yse lf, and a gre e with h e majority of her comments a n d suggest ion s . I would, howe ve r t ill lik e to ee the gro up s for Associatio n a nd Welfare s ubje cts, I am ve r y much in favour of dropping the age limit s and feel very lro n gly that map-reading and camping s hould be in the Physical Recreation / Adventure sec ti o n. I wou ld a lso lik e to see the time lim it of 36 month dropped and to go back to three yea rs effic ien cy.

Folkes/one M. Smailes

YOUR LIKES OR from Bryan W Nicholls SEN

O ve r the la st year the pri ce of the Review ha s go n e up from 36p to 42p (l6 V20J0), but the qualit y of its contents seems to have dropped 50070. Thi s is n ot only my opinion, but of man y of my friends too. I appreciate that 42p is little to pay for a monthly magazine, but I'm sure mo s people would be willing to pay more for a good, interesting, we ll-presented magazine.

] hope you w ill print this letter - freedom of the press and all that! - and so me good will come from it. Someone may come up wi th so m e ne w idea s for articles ] would like to sugg est a monthly review of new fi rst aid, nursing and welfare equipment on the market.

West Oxford Di vision Brya

WELL

(Right) Nursing Cadets Sharon Crews and Janet Capstick mann ng a slall at a

NEWS from SCOTLAND

THE St John Report for 1980 states

erroneousl y that in Scotland we depend on St John Ambulance Association f or communit y services There is, of course , no such thing in Scotland as a St John Ambulance Association. Our community services are rendered principally by our Regional St John Associations . Voluntary ambulance and first aid work in Scotland is done b y the St Andrew's Ambulance A ssociation

On June I the first step was taken t oward s realising a project undertaken by Dumfries and Galloway St John Association when the Earl of Stair lifted the first sod in preparing the site for an ex tension to the da y hospital at Dalrymple Hosp ital, St ranraer. The Countess of Stair is president of t he Dumfries and Galloway St John As sociation. 'Dalrymple' is also Lord St air 's family name.

The appeal was launched in March and over £3 ,300 had been rai sed by the end of Ma y. The da y hospital is a co-operative eff ort be t ween Dumfries and Galloway Health Board and the local St John A ssociation , in spired by the leadership of Mr W A. P. Milne, Chairman of the Order Commi tt ee

Volunteer s pro v ide transport for pa t ien ts , taking them to the hospital from their home s in the morning and taking them home again in la t e afternoon The As sociation also provides lay helpers to ass ist in carin g for the patients, and addi t ional amenitie s such as a Christmas party and summer outing.

Th is serv ice allo ws many frail and elderly

WALES

ChB DR C OG ( Headqu ar ers )

Me m bers inves led by Th e Pri o r COMMA N D E R (Brother)

Irv ing Wi lliam A lb e rt Br ock wa y (Mid-Glam o rgan)

Gilm o e Mervyn Boyce Cole ns o-Jones (H eadquarters)

J o hn He rbert Ev an s (We st Glamorgan)

Doug las Ha rtle y (So u t h Gl a mo gan)

W ill ia m G wy no ro J o nes (D yfe d)

J o h n Edwa rd Ll oy d , MB C hB (Gwen )

Ed ward Morr is Headquarters)

W ill ia m Mostyn Yemm (G went)

COMMA N D E R (S s ter) Miss

for the extension to Dalrymple Hospital , Stranraer watched by Mr W A P Milne, o c al St John Chairman Photo Wigtown Free Press)

The Chancellor presenting a Certifica e of Bravery to Mr J ohn Watt of East Kilbride (L to R) G B Young former Chairman , East Ki lbride Order Committee Mr Jack Chancellor; Mr Ian Macpherson Chairman Mr Wa t Mr Andrew Laws on P receptor o f Torphi c he n (Photo : A. Watson) people, who would otherwise require lon gt erm hospitalisat ion, to remain in their own homes. An appeal in the local press wa s sponsored by 25 local firm s On June 18 at a plea san t function a t Athol House, headquarters of the East Kilbride Development Corporation, the Chancellor of Scottish Priory handed over to Mr John Watt a Certificate of Bra ver y Sitting with Exe c uti ve Officers was a welcome visitor to the Prio ry for Wa es annual festivalMrs Parks matron of t he Ophthalmic Hospita in J erusalem (Photo Western Mail & Echo)

OFFICER (Brother)

Ivor Jame s Bridge wa ter (Gwent)

Su r indo Na h Chopra MR C S, LR C P (G wen t

Ronald George Edward s (G we nt)

Dav d Benjamin Evan s LMSSA Headqu a rt ers)

Benjami n Alf ed H a llid a y (So uth G lamorgan)

Brian Robert Hor top (South Glam o r ga n

Clifford Jordan (M id Glamorgan)

Gerald Will am Henr y Kent ( Dyfed)

John Benjamin Llo yd MB , BS, DR COG (D yfed )

Michael Parr y (Sou th Glamorgan)

John Charles Smith (We st Glamorga n)

Elli s John Wa y (Gwent)

Emrys William s JP (Gwent)

John Albert Stanton, TO , BSc, MB , BCh (West Glamorgan)

Rt. Hon Thomas George Thoma s (South Glamor ga n)

John Woodcoc k, QPM (South Glamorgan)

OFFICER (Sister)

Brenda Griffith s MB , BS MRCS , DPH (Headquarters)

Ed wa rd Red ve

J oyce (We st G amorgan )

co l m Kea ne (H eadqua rt ers) J

(Sou

(Gwent)

J o h n Edwi n Mered it h Powe ll (South G amorgan)

Verno n J oh n Pugh (M d Glamorgan)

Dona ld A fred Ernes t Redmond (Gwe n

M ichae Ly n Rees (Mid Glamorgan )

Vern on Jo hn Rees (Dyfed)

Dr N c ho as C h ristop her Guyon Richard s Mi d Glalllo rgan)

W illi a m C li ve Sheeha n (Mid G amorgan)

J osep h Will iam Sh uttl ewort h (Gwent )

Elwy n Sib ey (Gwent)

P h i ip Frank Speakman, MB, ChB, MRCGP , DC H DObst, RCOG (C wyd)

Roder ck Thomas (Mid Glamorgan)

Les li e Robert White (Gwent)

Rev Arthur J ames Daniel W illiam s, BA (South Glamorgan)

Se rv ng Sis te r

Mrs Kay Allen (South G amorgan)

Mrs Margaret Mary Amphlett. MBChA MS, SCh, MAChA (Mid Glamorgan)

Mrs Vera G lady s Begley (Gwent)

Mrs Pearl Bowen (Dyfed)

Mrs Annie H ilda May Clarke, (Mid Glalllorgan)

f ro m he O rd e r of S t Joh n recognisi ng his part in sav in g lives when a boat capsized durin g th e ni g h t off th e Is lan d of Barra.

The annual se r v ce at To r pic h en P receptory was h e ld on S und ay June 28, wh en t he pr each er wa s Dr Dun ca n S h aw, Librarian of Scotti s h P r io r y. Twelv e office rs of P rio r y p rocesse d in t h eir man t les.

Mi ss I nez Rees (D yfe d)

Mr s Ma jor ie Sims (Gwent)

Mi ss E lsie E mil y Sm it h (So u th G a m o rgan)

Mi ss Gwy net h Wi ll iam s (Mi d Gla m organ)

SE RVIN G BROTH E R Da vi d Cle d wyn Bowen (Dyfed ) Aus t n O live r Bu m for d (Mid G lamo rgan) J o hn Da vies P owys)

T ho mas Al be rt Davies (Dyfed)

Th o mas A rwe l E lfed Dav ies (Dyfed) Harr y W lli a m Du ck lin g (Gwe nt Keith Mel vi ll e Dunn (Gwen ) Bryan Elia s (D yfe d) Eva n Eva ns (Mid G la m organ)

R ESPLENDENT in their new uniforms, which COSt over £2,500, the SJA Southwark Corps of Drums romped home to take fi r t place in the contest class at the Hornchurch Band C h ampionships on June 13. They also {Ook t he trophies for the Best W ind Section, Best General Musica l Effec t , and Be Di play and Showmanship.

The previous week they took third place and t h e Be Wind Section at the Ladbroke Stadia Youth Marching Band Championships. After many hours of hard work and practice over he las t six mo n ths they achieved what they had set out to do. With a new routine and tunes t h ey proved Ih at h ey can still h o ld their own agai n th e in depe n dent band a n d so put St J o hn Ambu ance firm ly back on the band map. Th e acquisi ti on of a new marching Marimba weig hin g abou t 23 1bs and costing over £500, a dd ed great ly to the overa ll effect of the band especia ll y in Barry Man low's Copacobana.

It was on ly the second time that th eir 8-yearo ld dr u m major, Caro l ine Minney, had ed the b an d e ntir e ly on h er ow n throug h their new r o u tin e in p ub l c.

Wh a so m e of he ud ges had 10 say about t h e p e rfo rm a n ce: 'Alway on a w in ner w h

M a nil o w '; Ni ce ly u pte m poed n atin ame r ican pie ce'; Pl e nt y o f va ri atio n a n d tha n k goodness o ne o r two n ew tun e s ni ppe t s'; 'Good use of di ffe e nt paces in sa m e tu n e - Copacobana

fo ll owe d by Briti s h Gre n ad iers s good var ety'; 'T h ey kep t my i n te r est'; 'Ense m b le p ay ing ha

(Left) Walter Newbury 50 years a member of the Brigade is congratulated by Lord Aberdare on being made a Knight of the Order (Photo: Western Mail & Echo)

(Right) County Staff 'Off ice r Ron Edwards, of Newport, Gwent is

NelNs froln Divisions/ Centres

ST JOHN REVIEW

Iti no accident our ambulances are so

battle s of the First World War (S). 16. Intravenous dru g giving dramatic impro vement in asthmatic attack (13), 20. Twinges suffered b y mark sman? (8.S) 24. Extra item ha s di st in guishing behavioural characteristic (S). 26. Do physical education for narcotic drug (4).27

Re sult of wound is unendin g scare (4) 30 Deprived of se nsa tion (6). 31. Tie for a bleeding vesse (8).32. Morally pure cheats up set (6) 33 Doom ed to poor heal h? (8).

Down

1. Stitch junction between crania bone s (6) 2. In an untidy state (S). 3. Its vestigal remnant in man s the coccyx (4). 4. Per so n of mixed white and negro blood (7) 6. Verbal exami nations (S). 7. Doe s mis a di slocation in bones developed within endon s (9). 8. Ba se diet for insulin-de fic iency di sease (8). II. Part of the foot used in mar ching (4) IS. Fits in the clenched hand (4). 16. Deficiency of oxygen in the blood (9). 17. Process of odontoid bone around which atla s rotate s (3). 18 Side of trunk between twelft h rib and cre s of the pe vi s (4) 19. Havin g sa me osmotic pressure as blood s no th in g with invi gora ti n g medi cin e (8) 21. Lymph g land (4). 22 Not a st imulating medication one's doctor would pre sc ribe (3-4).23. F nder could be a clo se companion (6). 2S. A pleasure to deal with injury and di sease (S). 28 Dry scab made from pa stry? (S). 29. Bovine part of le g (4)

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 8 (81)

Across: l. Pneumo con iose s; 9. Vitamin; 10. Tant-rum; 11. Tape; 12 HeLo; 13. Expel; 16. Doctor; 17 Heredity; 19. Din; 20. Stenosis; 21. Choked; 23. Nates; 2S. Brow ; 26 Cy.st; 29. Extract; 3 1. Protein; 32. Stand corrected.

Down: I. P.iv .ot; 2 Ectopic b eat; 3. MIMS; 4. Cancer; S. N troge n ; 6. O un ce; 7. Ear; 8. Emp l oyed; 14. Prickly heat; I S Do.do; 16 Dy spnoea; 17 Hi s; 18. Echo; 19. Diabetic; 22. Torpor; 24. Sta in 27. Tuned; 28. Mole; 30. Tot.

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ST JOHN REVIEW

THE JOURNAL OF ST JOHN

Volume 54 No. 10

Contents

At Random by Watkin W. Williams p 217

Notting Hill Carnival p.218

Bermuda Bound - International Symposium p.220

New HQ for Bucks p.222

Radio Communications, by A. F. Bareham p.223

Around and About, by the Editor p.224

Oxygen Therapy in First A id p. 228

Nijmegen 4-day March p.230

Cadet Chat, by Jim p. 231

International Year of Disabled People p 232

Victorian First Aid and Domestic Medicine , by Caroline Thomas p.233

Readers Views p 234

PR INFO : Make an idea work p235

News from Scotland - Wales p .23 6

Museum Notes p.237

News from Divisions / Centres p.238

EDITORIAL and ADVERTISEMENTS

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HAVING this year been at the receiving end of many of those acts of very real kindness performed by St John member s which come under the general heading of 'welfare', I feel a little better qualified than I was before to pass on a few tips! But let me first say that 1 hope the day is now past when an otherwise deeply devoted and dedicated Brigade member of many years' experience could say '1 don't believe in welfare', and discourage members of his division from getting involved in any activities that come under that heading. But you'll be horrified (I hope) to know that really did happen, and not more than ten years ago, 'Welfare' may quite possibly be the wrong word; it may conjure up visions of a type of service to others very different from what we as St John members try to perform; but no one has yet come up with a word which better de scri be s the caring concern which, though it often includes elements of home nursing and sometimes of first aid, goes well peyond these in providing for handicapped, elderly or convalescent people (to take but three obvious examples) the kind of help that can give joy, purpose and companionship to lives which would otherwise be burdened with loneliness, frustration and pain. And 1 hope that today there is no member of the St John famil y so hidebound in his interpretation of our service to mankind as to say 'This is no concern of mine'

Enriching life

So here are just a few thoughts which I personally regard as of great importance in our task of enriching the quality of life of the increasing number of elderly and infirm people throughout the whole of our community:

1. Remember that the young, with a little training and guidance, can make a tremendous contribution to the happiness of the elderly, the housebound and the infirm. The often quoted passage from a 16th century lyric which states that 'Crab bed age and youth cannot live together' is sheer rubbish unless the whole emphasis rests on the word 'crabbed', and when once an

(Ab ove) Greater Lon d on's Commissioner, De ek Fenton, be ng nterviewed by T V newsmen early on carn ival day (Left) 'Oh dearsomething in my eye: Wa t c hec by mother, this young carniva -goer's day isn 't goi n g to be

sp o il ed af ter a visit to th e 5 John ady n one of the mobi e unitsl

Notting Hill Carnival

For the first time the Carn ival Committee asks SJ A f o r c over

IF A pol ce spo k esman described this year's N otti n g Hill Carniva l as an exercise in 're ative po licing', t h e 150 St John vo lun tee rs on du ty might we ll have descri b ed it as an exercise in re lative calm.

Dur in g t h e three-day carnival periodt h e weekend of A u gust 29, 30 and Bank

Ho lid ay Monday - there were only 65 mi n or cases req u ir ng first aid treatment.

Conditions ranged from headaches and b li sters to h e i nevitable bruised dancing feet! There were very few faints and the cardiac unit stationed in Oxford Gardens was not used at all.

Howeve r late on Monday evening arrests we r e m ade and at least two po lice officers were taken to hosp ital with stab wounds. One victim was accompanied to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, by a St John doctor.

Otherwise, the carnival, the 17th to be he d, and the first time the Carniva l co mm ittee made a direct approach to SJA to provide first aid cover, was a glorious, hea d y celebration of Caribbean culture wh ic h swept the streets of London, W2, ca rr ying in its wake thousands upon t h ousan ds of very happy people.

T.w.

'Does it hurt? - 'Not yet', says the young casualty as h is cut eg is attended to All part of the problems of enjoying yourse f. Oh well, the r e's always plenty of t hose S J ohn lad es to go and see. They know wha t o do

person ha s t ragi ca lly reac h e d t h e s age of d es erving t h a t e pith et i t beco m es very h ar d for him t o liv e to ge th e r wi t h a n yo ne e se, youthful or o t h e rwi se. In c id en ta ll y, t h e word s quot ed we r e n o t w ri tte n b y Shakes p ear e a t a ll , bu t by so m e i m perti n e n t poetaster who in th e d ay b ef ore h ere we r e an y proper la ws o f copyrig ht , in fur ia t e d Shakes p ea re b y publ is hin g a nu m be r of y ri cs und er hi s n a m e.

2 One o f t he m ost important t h in gs t h at c adet s (and adult s, fo r t h at m atter) must l ea rn a bout v is itin g t h e e ld e rl y a nd in firm is t o be utt erly depe n da ble a b o u t the day and th e tim e t h a t th ey're comi n g. When people a r e ge tting o ld , an d ive a one, a n d move a round r a th e r sl ow ly, and d o n 't seem to h ave mu c h to oc cu py th e ir t ime, they are mu c h m o re li ke ly t o b e f rustrated and even very ser iou s ly worr ied by broken engagemen ts a nd u n fo r see n c h a n ges in p l an. So, if yo u 've t o ld th em that you' ll come and see th e m on T hu rsday at 3 pm yo u s mply must turn up o n t he dot, whether it's just to have a li ttle cosy c hat or to do so m e specific job in th e ir h o use or ga r den. If something really un avo da bl e preve n ts you, make every p ossi b le effort to let them know that you won't be coming; failure to do this can be li tt e short of cruel.

3. W h i le on the subject of old people m ov in g slow ly, remember always to give th e m p e nt y of time to get to the door or the p h o ne afte r you've knocked or rung. Few t hin gs can be more frustrat ing than to st ru gg le d ownstairs or in from the back gar d en ju st in time to open the door and see a visitor retreating beyond recall, or to pick up t h e p h one just as it stops ringing.

4 When vi iting a patient in hospital, d on't imag ine t h at because you're a regular h os p ital visitor you have the freedom to turn up at any time that suit you. Whatever your per onal views about restric ted v isiting hours, to ignore them can be extreme ly inconvenient and unfair both to t h e staff and to the patient. This doesn t of co u rse app ly to chaplains, nor to persons who h appen t o be working in other parts of th e hosp ita l a n d can give immense pleasure by p opping in fo r a few moments to see a frie nd o r ac qu aintance in one of the wards.

5. Keep your h osp i tal visits shorr. From 20 to 30 mi n utes is probab ly quite long

AT RANDOM (Cont. from p.217)

e n o u g h but if yo u f nd the patient is bei ng v si ted by a f r iend or relative who has come f r o m a long way off an d is making perhaps the ir one an d only possib le visit, say you've o nl y t ime for a very q u ick h u ll o', and then tactf ull y d isap p ear.

6. From t h e patient's point of view, what they most hope for from their real friends is a not too e n gthy persona l visit; failing that, a 'get we ll ' card, letter or phone message. If you're able to visit more than once, it's often better not to bring gifts of flowers, fruit, etc, till after your first visit, which will g ive you a chance to discover what the patient really needs; he'll get much more pleasure from seeing you than from a potted chrysanthemum or a bunch of grapes.

7 People often have the strange idea that when patients have returned from hospital they no longer require visitors, whereas in fact they probably need them far more at home than they did in hospital, especially if they live by themselves, when life can be all the more desperately lonely in contrast to the bustle of life in hospital. But remember, too, that in their own homes they're your 'prisoners' far more than they were in hospital where the nursing staff would tactfully turn you out when it was time to go. So, unless you've come by arrangement to do a job in house or garden, it's even more important not to s tay too long on a home visit than it was in hospital, and above all don't stay right across what may possibly be the patient' normal meal time.

8. And talking of that job in the house or garden, remember that it s not your property, but {heirs, and, however much you may think you know best, you must do the job in the way they wam it done. If you really think that what they want you to do is going to be a serious risk to their health or afety, then you must very tactfully try and talk them out of it; but if it's only a question of the best way to arrange the furniture or of not having too many

IIfracombe's 13th annual 51 John carn val was ed by the Barnstaple 5J Corps of Drums and Majorettes (Rightl Our bonny lasses on IIfracombe s Nursing Cadet float. (Photos: Foto Powell Ltd Ilfracombel

orna me n ts to co ll ect t h e dust, remember t h at 'the p atient d oes want to fee l at home' (N ur s ing m a nual, p. 24), an d do all you can to make th is p oss ib le, even if it doesn't fit in wit h yo u r ow n id eas of what things ought to be like!

Vis it s As I w rit e, I 'm j u st coming to the end of a de lig h tf ul bu t a ll too br ief rou n d of visits to re lations a n d f r ie n ds ranging from Devon to H ampshire, in t h e course of which I visite d (strictly as a t r ipper!) the annual St John carnival at Ilfracombe. Somehow it always see m s to me t h at the local populace throw themselves into the activities of the carnival season with far more zest and abando n in the west country than anywhere else except Nott in g H ll tho ugh I hasten to add that may be just my ignorance! Every organisation in the town, and some from places further afield such as B arnstaple and South Molton, seem ed to be involved in one or anot h er of the m ore than 20 classes competing for prizes in the carnival procession - decorated floats, pedestrians (both i ndividuals and groups) in fancy dress, riders on horseback, bands and majorettes, space travellers and many others At last the procession set off, led by the Barnstaple St John Cadet Band and Majorettes, followed by the carnival queen and her two princesses on a float, and the Mayor and Mayoress in their official limousine. There was a happy carnival spirit in the air, and the route was lined by vast crowds of cheerful spectators who readily put their money into the St John collecting boxes carried by many of those walking in the procession, or threw coins to be deftly caught in buckets and shrimping nets by those on the floats. And I heard later (hat the carnival made a net profit of £I100 in support of local St John Ambulance funds. What struck me most was the spontaneous happiness and orderly behaviour of the crowds, the immense amount of well co-ordinated effort that the carnival had involved, and (perhaps most of all) the tremendously high esteem in which St John must be he ld in that locality for the whole of the community to unite in producing such a superb effort on our behalf.

What about your carnival next year?

Brig.

as a thank you for use of the

THE UK delegates for the first SJA International First Aid Symposium - 15 members, aged 18 to 30, from throughout the country led by the Chief Officer Brigade Training, Brig. Fergi Semple - assembled at the St John House Club, London, between 5 and 6.30pm OQ Friday, July 24.

We could still not quite believe that we were going to Bermuda, for it had been nearly a year since we had first seen reference to this exciting trip in Brigade Orders. And now here we were actually on our way.

That first evening was spent getting to know each while on a whirlwind tour of London by bus. And some of us managed to get down to breakfast at 5.30 the next morning, but we were all ready to leave the club at 5.50 for the airport. But unfortunately the coach wasn't; it had broken down. However, a replacement soon arrived and we set off.

We had got as far as the end of the road when Neil Le-Chevalier jumped up and said he couldn't find his ticket. The coach returned to St John House and despite a thorough search it could not be found, so we continued to Heathrow without it. A replacement ticket was soon issued and at last we boarded the plane.

The flight of nearly seven hours was the longest most of us had been on, but eating, drinking and watching the film Popeye passed the time quickly.

You will appreciate we left London dressed for the cold early-morning English weather and arrived in Bermuda at midday local time. Getting off the plane was like stepping into a sauna, with temperatures in the high 80s and very high humidity.

We were met at the airport by Bermuda's Commissioner, Lt Col Cragin Curtis, and members of Bermuda's St John, and were quickly transported to Warwick Camp on the south of the Island. Within 20 minutes of arriving at the camp we were swimming in the sea. It was like taking a hot bath.

The other delegates from Hong Kong, Nigeria, Gibraltar and Canada arrived during Sunday and Monday, and by the time the symposium opened at 6pm, Monday July 27, 40 overseas St John personnel were present.

The 'Island' of Bermuda consists of 7

220

Bermuda Bound

40 world-wide members meet for 2 weeks

by

Mrs Terry Cotton, DIS Weymouth NIC Div and Nicholas Russell, DIS Surbiton Comb. Div

large islands linked by bridges and causeways, and about 150 smaller ones, nearly all of which are uninhabited. The land area is a little over 20 sq miles, making it about 32 times smaller than Greater London. It is situated about 1,000 miles north of the West Indies, some 3,000 miles from London and 700 miles from New York - truly in the middle of nowhere

The population of Bermuda is 57,000 augmented by over Y2- million tourists a year. The people enjoy a high standard of living, with no real poverty, virtually no unemployment and no personal income tax!

At 7.30 on Monday evening , all the delegates were in full dress uniform for the opening parade and inspection. The Commissioner, Gragin Curtis, officially welcomed us to Bermuda and to the International FA Symposium and camp. We were then given a talk by a character called Norris Caines, who we all grew to like very much by the end of our stay. He tried to explain the delights of Bermudan cricket and the famous 'Cup Match', which is a 2-day match between the east and west ends of the island This we would experience first hand on duty later in the week.

The next day the entire delegation went on a bus tour to the eastern end of the island, visiting local beauty spots and landmarks. The Bermudan driving law s are severe to say the least. The speed limit everywhere is 20mph and to be caught doing twice this limit results in a 3 years' suspension.

The first lecture of the symposium, later that evening, was on CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) - what we would know as external cardiac massage. The lecturer, Douglas Jacobs, had just completed the world's largest public CPR instruction session - training 6,000 people in 612 days.

Wednesday began for us at 5.30am, when Bermuda, along with most other parts of the world, watched 'The Wedding' live on TV. We were very grateful to the Commissioner for arranging for a TV set for us to watch the occasion. From 9am lectures occupied the morning, followed by a picnic lunch and a bus tour of the western end of the island.

Thursday and Friday were public holidays in Bermuda, when the entire Island followed the famous 'Cup Match'. Everywhere you went - on buses, in cafes,

along t he road - radio s were tuned to the 'Cup Match' commentary. Half the delegates went on first aid duty at the match each day The atmosphere was hard to decribe and certa inly not like English cricket. It was a cross between the FA c up final and Notting Hill carnival. When the batsman scored, people ran on to the pitch to thrust money into his hand. We are not sure the MCC would approve.

Nick Russell demon strated a new ideal hot weather duty uniform - shirt sleeve order worn with black Bermuda s hor ts and long black socks !

Evening entertainment was variedbeach parties, discos and sampling local drinks : Pina Coladas (rum, coconut milk and pineapple), Dark 'n' Stormy, not a reference to the weather but a subt le blend of dark rum and ginger beer and an indescribable mixture called a Zombie which was an apt description for one's morning -after feeling.

On Sunday morning official photographs were taken and then a Church Parade, which was attended by the Governor of Bermuda , Sir Richard Posnett. In the afternoon the Bermudans had arranged a cruise to one of the smaller islands for a barbecue lun ch, which was very welcome after wearing full uniform all morning.

TV and press coverage of aU our activities were extensive, and included a TV in terview with Terr y Cotton UK Group Leader and Jim Albery in charge of the Canadian Delegation , Dr Khan from Nigeria and Mr Kwan Chee from Hong Kong.

Monday was overseas delegates day, when each contingent explained a little about their country and their St John work to the others.

Tuesday was a very full day with lectures and visits to the local hospitals and fire brigade, but the day's work was well rewarded by an evening cocktail party and reception on the patio at Government House with the Governor. He also invited us to use his fresh water pool la te r in the week which was a pleasant change from swimming in the very salty sea.

The symposium was officially closed on Wednesday, August 5, with a ceremony at which official gifts were exchanged. This was followed by a party which went on till the early hours Most of the delegate s left Bermuda on Thursday, but the English party were lucky enough to remain until the Saturday night.

What impressed all the delegates was the

The vvorld of St John getting together

warmth and ho sp italit y of the Bermudan people and the work pul in by all co nnec ted with he sy mpo sium . The Bermuda St John ha only 25 active member s and organising an event of this sca le was lruly remarkable We must especially thank Pat Whit te r , who looked after us during our stay, and Norri s Caines and Sherridan Cann, who ferried u s around the sland. An additional problem for the Bermudans during the Spring was a general strike on the is land during 'vvhich (hey manned the official ambulance service for 23 days, round the clock, dealin g with over 200 casua ties. Miss Dawn Badm inton, The Commi sioner told us that one of his nursing member from first casualties during lhe strike had been an V anco uv e r , B .C, uncon sc iou s man whom he took to Canada, and Acting ho sp ital. He was unsure of the cause of Superintendent M is s unconsciou sness and was told o write Carolyn Ja ckson, of down FOB in their casualty book. This was Wakefield, puzzling and he asked it s meanin g: 'Why,' Yorkshire , demonstrate sa id the Nurse, 'Fu ll of Boo ze .' eme r gency te chniques.

(Above) Welcoming delegates is Lt Col Eugene Raynor (left), CO Bermuda Regiment, where the confe ren ce was based: Dr Shakin Khan, Chief Medical Officer, Nigeria; Lt Col Craig in Curtis, Commissioner, B erm uda; and Mr Emmanuel Ojeriakhi, Deputy Chief Superintendent, Nigeria

Fergi Semple (right) who led the UK party, presented a St John crystal goblet to the Bermuda Regiment's Commanding Officer Lt Col Eugene Raynor (centre)

Regiment s base.

Left, is Lt Col Curtis, SJA Commissioner Bermuda

First SJA International First Aid Symposium

On duty at Bermuda's two-day annual cricke t match public holiday - (left) Miss Harriet English of Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear. and Miss Stephanie Melanovick from Nova Scotia Canada

(Right) Mrs D oris Todd (left) , Provincial Superintendent, and Mrs Emm a D icks Provincial Nursing Off cer both of Halifax, Nova Scotia

(Above) Outside the new buildi n g, Bucks Commander SJA, Lt. Col. Robert Payne, with Mr Bernard Fau kner, of Ba nb u ry Co m me c al Buildings Ltd., who received a Vote of Thanks on Vellum r om the Orde (Above) Lord Car rington, Lt. Col. Bob Payne (SJA Commander), and Lt. Col. Bi ll Go don (Council Chairman, Bucks) at the opening ceremony. (Left) Lord and Lady Carrington hea r ing about cadet activities f r om Div Supt Kevin Allen (le t). (Below) L ord Car ringto n getting invo ved in a n ursing demonstration with lIeft) M s Piper, pat ie nt patient DN O Mr Pipe r and Supt Aylesbury Nursing Division, Mrs E. Batema n (Photos: PRO Caroline Ingle).

New HQ for Bucks

T h ey: saw f rst aid and n ur sing d e m o ns t ratIO n s b y mem b e rs of the loca D iv isio n s and we r e introd u ce d to m e m bers of St J o h n Ambu la n ce from t h ro u gho u t Bu cki n g h a ms h r e. single storey bui ding prov id es facIlI.t es for a bu sy Co u nty Off ice, meet In gs of the Counci l , a ce n tre for and pu b ic fir st a id tra n ing, and a recreat Ional room w h e r e m emb ers of St Jo hn A m b ul a n ce in the Co un ty ca n m eet fo r t r a inin g, compet i t ion s a nd s o c ia occasio n s. O n h e same s ite are t h e Headq u arters for t h e loca l D iv isions, w hi c h con s ists of a cOf!1 pl ex of small a n d arge train in g roo m s, a kItchen and storage faci li t ies. Th e re is a so g ar a gin g for four v ehicl

Lt Co l R . A P ayn e.

i th fr om hi s h ome.

With th e war t h e nu m b er of members

multi p li ed r a pi d ly a n d a b out 1941 Mrs Pike se t up a co unt y off ce in h e r h usband's

Estate O ff ice

to some extent will continue to share our primary channel with Mountain Rescue and similar organisations. In connection with are-equipment programme the Home Office have recently allocated them a new AM channel close to ours which further reinfo r ces my op nion that we - and simi lar organisations -w i ll not be affected by the EEC proposals.

4. As to the recommendation that V H F (UHF) equipment will have the benefit of being smaller and will have greater range, I

-------l would make just two points :

Brigade Ifrequen cyl and equipmen t

by A. F. BAREHAM C.Eng. MIEE , HQ Radio Commun

FOLLOWING comme n ts made at the 1980 Notti n g h am Confere n ce about r adio co mmu n icatio n s, a g r eat dea l of concern h as been expressed in some parts of h e

B rigade about the future of the network.

T he purpose of this note i to correct some of the statements made. The main points were:-

1. Problems due to 'frequency' allocated by th e Home Office to the Brigadeold, outdated.

2. O nl y one manufacturer of hand-he ld eq ui p m ent.

3. EEC Reg u lation - a total review of AM Low Ban d equipment will be ca ll ed for.

4. Recommended use of VHF (UHF?)

eq ui pmen t; benefit of small instead of bu lky set which wo ul d have a greater ra n ge.

5. I q u ote b asica ll y our present

eq u ip m e n i o u t of date and use less'.

In prepa rin g h is no t e (A u g u st 81) I have a te m p t e d t o p rese n t m y rep l y in l ayman's t er ms and seek the ind ul ge n ce of specialists.

1. Low Ba n d AM Frequenc ies are neither o ld n o r o ut dated. At a recent World Confere n ce on R adio Freque n cy

A ll oca ti o n s the U n ited Ki n gdom de egatio n

sou g ht a nd o b tain ed a large increase of the band w id t h a ll oca t e d for La n d Mob le

S e r v ices int o t h e b a nd o f 4 1- 68 M H z. One

o f th e m a o r reaso n s for seek ing th is e xt e n sio n is th e s up e ri or propagation chara cte ri stics of Low Band AM under condition s e n c oun te r e d in majo r c ities an d u r ban co nurb a tion s. A d ditio n a ll y, th ese fre qu e n c ies a re s up erio r w h e n u ed in moun t ain o u s a nd hill y te rr ai n t h e reaso n wh y an a llo ca ti o n of Low B a nd AM was m a de to the Mount ai n R esc u e Serv ices. As t o AM b e in g outd a t e d I ca nn ot do b et er t h a n to quot e from a rece n ea rn ed pa p er on th e s ubj ec t o f AM or F M w h ic h

concluded' FM has reached its limit, whe r eas AM looks as though it might be able to develop into even narrower channels AM in some form appears to be the hope for the future'.

You will have probably noted from a letter I wrote in the Review on the subject of Citizens Band (Open Channel) communications that I indicated it was likely that a UHF frequency allocation in the region of 900 MHz was likely to be made and the method of modulation PM. It will also have been noted from some press comment that those who favour Citizens Band are objecting to this allocation, mainly on the grounds that because of the propagation characteristic of this frequency the operational range would be extremely limited. Hence the reason for the Brigade not seeking the allocation of a UHF FM channel from the Home Office.

2. It was claimed that there was only one major manufacturer of Low Band AM hand-held equipment; this is not the case. There are two, and indications are that other major manufacturers will re-enter the AM field in the foreseeable future.

3 My understanding of the position regarding the EEC proposals is that they are primari l y aimed at removing PMR a ll ocat io n s from t h e range 88-108 MHz desig n ated in the frequency p lan for mono and tereo b r oadcasting and entertainment purpo es usi n g frequency modulation Those primari y affected are the Statutory Services who h ave han ne s located in the r ange 97- 101 MHz, where mutual interfere n ce can occur with broadcast stations on t h e E u ropean continental mainland S in ce th e Bri ga d e allocatio n is outside the r it ca l freq u e n cy we are unlikely to be affected I n t hi connect on I would quote f r o m a r ece n H o m e Office etter to me: th ere are at pre ent no plan to make

(a) That modern VHF and UHF equipments are comparable in size and weight, since in the hand-held version the major factor in determining both size and weight is the rechargeable battery

(b) It was claimed that VHF High Band would gjve a greater range; indeed the converse is true, and secondly a move from AM to FM would further decrease the useful operational range.

5. A reference was also made that basically our present equipment is 'out of date and useless'. Here I would suggest that reference is being made lO the use by some Brigade units of equipment such as the Pye 'Bantam' as a portable, the Pye 'Cambridge', and the Ultra '4A4' equipment as vehicle sets. The plain truth is one of money. Subject to Commissioner's agreement on the expenditure of Divisional funds, there is no reason why Divisions who have adequate financial resources available should not purchase modern mobile radio equipment to replace their existing apparatus.

However, I would remind all concerned that approval for the purchase of any mobile radio equipment must first be obtained from Brigade Headquarters before any purchase is arranged. One comment I would make regarding the Pye 'Cambridge' and the Ultra '4A4' equipment in particular is that if these equipments are aJigned in accordance with the respective manufacturer s specifications there is no reason why their performance hould not equal the modern transistorised equi alent. A recent examination of a number of equipments installed in ambulances, mobile units and the like has indicated that the apparent poor performance i not due to the equipment it elf, but rather the aerial installation and the vehicle battery. This particularly apparent where vehicles are of fibre glass construction and an inadequate ground plane has been provided for the aerial. Any unit who e radio communi at ions equipment is performing les than satisfactorily should fir t con ult their County Radio Communications Officer for advice, or if there is no uch officer \ ithin the County you may write to me for advice via the normal Brigade channel.

REVIEW PRICE

Due to rising costs since our last price increase in July 1980 (15 months ago), from this issue the price of the St John Review is to go up from 42p to 48p a copy, an increase of 14070. The annual subscription goes up from £6 to £7 Bulk orders of six or more copies sent to one address will go up from 40p to 46p a copy, which includes po stage

NEW DIRECTOR FOR LONDON

The Association for Greater London has appointed a new Director - Mr Basil Ward, who retired recently from a chief executive's job with Marks and Spencer.

Mr Ward's appointment is from St John 's Day 1981. Previously, the Commander, Col. Hexell Lewis, had been Acting Director for nearly two years.

BAND AID/SJA

The National Finals of the Band Aid / St John Ambulance First Aider of the Year Competition will be held on Wednesday, November 18 1981 in the Chapter Hall, St John s Gate, London, EC1. Miss Barbara Car t land, County Deputy President, Hertford s hire, has kindly agreed to present the pri zes.

TO GERMANY

D I O Bill Atkinson, of Clacton Ambulance Cadet Division, took a party of cadets on a week 's visit to Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe, Nuremberg , during July Johanniter transport collected the party at Ostend for the 8-hour drive into German y But after some 50 miles they came across a nasty accident on the autobahn, where they assisted police and a Dutch doctor by giving first aid until ambulances arrived.

In Nuremberg they were welcomed by JUH s Herr M. Kratzer, their host, who arranged for the cadets to be taken to the families of J ohanniter cadets with whom they were to stay.

The v sitors were very impressed by Johanni er's HQ in Nuremberg, also their fleet of 26 vehicles, which induded paramedical ambulances and a bus for

Major M. Malcolm, County Director, Devon, writes:

IT IS possible of course that there are other serving members of St John Ambulance in the country who have completed 56 years of unbroken service. But 1 very much doubt if many can claim that they have progressed from cadet to Deputy County Director and that they also put in a full week's voluntary work in organising, administrating and teaching on First Aid at Work courses.

Herbert Tapp (right), the Deputy County Director for Devon, can claim that, although, knowing him as well as I do, he would be the very last person to talk about it. As County Director, therefore, it is my pleasure and in fact duty to acclaim publicly hi s long and distinguished service to St John. It illustrates all that is so sp lendid about St John Ambulance and underscores the principle s and mottoes to which we all subscribe

Here is Herbert's recor d of service:

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN IN ST PAUL'S

Of

Div) , Robin Gill and Mrs Gwen Kay both of E. Ham Div), and Tony Ware (W Ham)

handicapped people. Later the p arty watched an 8-h o ur param edical examination , the f inal after 500 hours of training

During the week, t he SJA party made many visits in t h e area, including a trip to Munich and its vast museum. They were given a paramedical course on externa l heart compression and mouth -to -m outh resuscita tion, f or which they received certifica tes.

They were very impre ssed by the hospitality and warmth sho wn to them by everybody And before the y left for h ome the Division was invited back. Bu t this was the first of exchange visits So SJ A Clacton is now busy with plan s to invite Johanniter Nuremberg to England.

CHAMPAGNE

The deputy pres ident of Hertfordshire, Miss Barbara Cartland, celebrated the Royal Wedding b y inviting the 100 members who had been on du ty in Lo nd on to her home, Camfield Place, Hatfield, on

A tribute to

1935 - Promoted to Corps Officer 1937 - Officer

their way back to drink a c h ampagne toast and enj oy a buffet meal.

M ss Cartland had been interviewed ear li er in the day b y ITN and reporters from several national newspaper s. Her message to them was one of praise for all Bri gade members.

So many peop le have made money out of the wedding but St John personne l h ave a ll given h eir ime vo lu ntarily and gone to the duty at their own expense

'I wou d like all the members of the pub li c to realise this s o that they ca n say "thank you". '

The Commander for Hertfordshire, Mr Nigel Longmore, thanked Mi s Cartla nd on behalf of the members and said her generous gesture had been appreciated by them all.

SJ COUPLE

Thelma Parker, of Southend, wr ites:

When Mr E. A. Harri s joined the Southend Division in 1932 he little thought that a few years la ter he would meet the girl of his

AB HI

BY TH E EDITOR

dream s and that together they would de v ote t hei r lives to the service o f St John for 49 years.

Mr Harri s was Cadet Superintendent at the outbreak of war and in 1942 he joined the Army rising to th e rank of staff ca ptain in the Ro ya l Army Medical Corps. He undertook first ai d work with th e ass ault fo rc es during t h e Normandy landing in 1944 a nd was awarded the Be lgia n Military Cross for hi s work with t h e B e lgian Medical Services.

In 1946 he b ecam e Ambulance Officer in t he Southend Di vis ion a nd after a period as Area Staff Officer in London Di s tri ct he became Su p e r i n ten d e nt of Sou t h en d Ambulance Division, where h e was respo ns ible for the operation of the fulltime Ambulance Service.

In 19 58 he was made a Serv in g Broth er of the Order of St John and in 1966 a n Officer.

When the n ew Sout h ern Area of Essex was formed in 1974 Mr Harris became it s first Area Commissio n er , and he served for six years until he retired in 1980 by w hi ch tim e he had been promoted in the Order to the Grade of Commander.

Mrs Harri s trained as an S.E.N. and spent the war years a t Sout h end General Ho spital. In 1947 she became an officer of Southe nd Nursing Cadet Divi s ion and two years ater became Cadet S u peri nt e nd e n t.

In 1963 s he was made a Serving Sister in the Order. She became Area Staff Officer (Nursing Cad ets) in Eastern Area of London District and later transferred to Southern Area of Essex. She was promoted to the Grade of Officer in the Order in 1976. Mrs Harri s always su pported h er husband in hi s role of Area Co mmi ssio n e r. As members of the Brigade Mr and Mrs H arr is have had the opportunity of wi tnessing many events of great historical imp ortance.

They were on duty at t h e corona tion s of

UNDER CANVAS

I plan to use the D e put y Co un ty Director as long as he is fit and wi ll ing to se rve, although his future duties may well be varied from time to time to suit the ever changing indu strial scene a nd the need to develop new business.

Age in the A ss ociation must never be a barrier to development; ex perien ce, k no whow and the capacity for hard work a r e the qualities that are needed now In fact, the Association can only improve and progress with the help of people with these qualities and who have the time to devote to the furtherance of our work on a reg ular weekly basis.

Congratulation s , Herbert, on your 56 years of de voted work on behalf of St John Ambulance. We need more of yo ur kind.

and Mrs

Mr E A. Harris, MBE

King George VI and our present Queen, and at the weddings of Princess Alexandra and Princess Margaret. They also attended the sadder occasions of the funerals of King George V, King George VI and Sir Winston Churchill.

They have both been very active in promoting the work of St John with talks and lectures to a great variety of organisations and served on committees connected with the work of first aid.

We wish them both (photo above) a very long and happy retirement and a continuing involvement with the Brigade which they have served so faithfully and so well for

a great many years.

SPOTLIGHT ON With the football season in full swing again, I was pleased to see that Aston Villa Football Club's official magazine gave a fine write-up at the end of la st season of SJA's services at their ground, Villa Park.

There are normally 35 members on duty, under the control of ASO Alfred Eggington

unit with the County PRO (photo, right), with two ambulances The club's own doctor, David Targett, is a Brigade divisional

Lonsdale Area (Lanes.) by Mrs I. Haigh PRO and President

THE following letter was received by the Superintendent of the Blackpool Combined Division after one of the Division 's officers, Miss Gladys Hoyle, had treated the writer: Dear Commandant,

On the night of May 19th I had the misfortune to sustain a compound fracture of the left ankle after falling down the circle staircase at t he Grand Theatre.

Thanks to the concerned and skilful attention of one o f your members I was saved further pain and injury. She certainly prevented me from panicking, as I realised that I'd done myself serious harm

I would like her to know that I was, and still am, immensely grateful for her ministrations The two friends who were with me that evening cannot speak to o highly of this lady's handling of the situation then and when the ambulance arrived.

Many, many thanks. Yours sincerely, (Miss) Margaret Bathe-Dulling

Nursing League

Over the last four months Lonsdale Area has held an Area Nursing League in which 18 teams took part. Each team comprised two members, nursing or ambulance, who hold the current nursing certificate. It was pleasing to note the number of men in the teams.

The winners were NIM Mrs A. Baker Fleetwood Nursing Division and A IM J. Platt, Fleetwood Ambulance Divi sion, who were presented with the T. H. Fenton Memorial Trophy. In second place were DIO Miss G. Hoyle and NIM Mrs K. Whiston, both of Blackpool Combined Division. Third place was taken by NIMs Mrs C. Platt and Mrs V. Earnshaw, both of Fleetwood Nursing Division. Sergeant J. Bamford of Fleetwood Ambulance Division won the Individual Competition and was presented with the Phyllis Elvidge Memorial Rose Bowl. (Left) Kirkham Combined Division in the town's carnival with cadets and juniors acting as casua ies Whi e (right) the latest styles for a wet summer IOoh-la - l a) be in g disp ayed by N/Ms Gaynor (Benstead) and Eli zabeth (Moxham). Chic, huh? (Photo: W. Lan es Ev ening Gazette)

After the presentations of awards by Area President Mrs I. Haigh and Poulton Combined Cadet Divi sion's Vice President , Miss F Dommett, thanks were expressed to the organisers of the League: Area Superintendent (N) Mrs M. Newton, Area Nursing Officer Mrs M. Holmes SRN and Area Staff Officer (N) Mrs E. Dempster.

It is hoped more teams will enter next year.

ASO Alfred Eggington at Villa Park. (See story SPOTLIGHT ON (Photo : Terry Weir) (Right) Cambridge members Helen Carse and Malcolm Drew decide to go on duty together, permanently, The reception was held at the SJA headquarters. Best wishes, Mr & Mrs Drew

At a near capacity 'gate' la st season against West Bromwi ch Albion, SJA's record of cases was: a young lad - sick; a lady with a broken arm; a youngster who had fallen and cut his leg; and dealing with a sufferer of epilepsy.

We hope the football club for which your divi sion provides cover s telling its followers all about the on-field service that you provide MY SLIP'S SHOWING

The Butlins Week report (Aug. Review) by Maurice Harris incorrectly referred to the writer as HQ's Association Development Manager - who is of course Bill Oliver. Mr

Harris, Area Superintendent for Central Sussex, acts as Bill's co-orClinator for the Schools Weeks held at the Bognor Ce ntre NORTHERN MARATHON

While London was shouting the roof-tops off this s ummer about its first ever 26-mile marathon wa lk , I hear t h at 250 British Steel Corporation employees, relatives and friends in Cumbria were foot-s l ogging over 35 mile s of dale and fell from Worki ngton to Keswick on their marathon to raise £6000 for local charities. And this is n't their first long walk - it's an annual event.

For SJ A, who covered the event, this meant a 13-hour duty for some members.

I Open Night at Thrapston

Northants Thrapston Combined Division's open night, which attracted many spectators, included a mock accident at a motor racing circuiL T he Division were delighted to accept the kind offer made by members of Peterborough Car Club to 'crash' cars and provide casualties, making the incident as realistic as pos ible. While the 'duty' was decidedly overmanned with at leasl 80 members in attendance, it gave adults and cadets the opportunity of integrating their first aid and nursing ski lls (a ho spital tent was provided), and more importantly working together in a large combined operation.

To conclude the evening Mr. B. Billington, Deputy County Commissioner, presented certificates and awards, including eight Grand Prior certificates. Showing the

Workington Division fielded 7 members, 2 cadets and an ambulance, treating more than 25 walkers.

In 1980 SJA received a donation of over £500 from the walk.

TV FIRST AID

The screening schedule of the 10-week BBCl TV series Play it Safe, presented by Jimmy Saville, has been changed. The first programme will now be shown on Sunday, Oct 11, at 6.30pm. The programme featuring St John Ambulance, called Water, Wa ter, Everywhere , will now be the 5th and shown on Sunday, ov 8.

CStJ, DPA,

Har ris, OStJ , SEN. (Photo: Lewis Woodward, Leigh-onSea ). See story SJ COUPLE

The giving of oxygen is not necessarily beneficial; better ventilation . of the lungs is often what's needed

EVERYONE associates oxygen with life and it is, therefore, reasonable for people to assume that under conditions of illness or mishap the administration of oxygen will be life saving. But giving oxygen is not necessarily as beneficial as people believe and more often than not what is needed is better ventilation of the lungs.

To understand why oxygen therapy enjoys the popularity that it does one must, as with so many other things, look back into history. Paul Bert, the French physiologist, demonstrated in 1879 that a reduction in oxygen pressure in the atmosphere was dangerous and in the early part of this century the great pioneers of respiratory physiology, J. Barcroft, J. S. Haldane and Yandell Henderson, all demonstrated the value of giving oxygen to victims who had been asphyxiated, who suffered from the oxygen lack of high altitudes, or who had been poisoned with carbon monoxide. They also showed, without elaborating on the physiological reason, that oxygen could be helpful in pulmonary oedema, or in other conditions where there was difficulty in oxygen transfer through the lining of the lungs.

During the first World War oxygen was used for the treatment of gas casualties and, mixed with nitrous oxide, was considered the safest form of anaesthesia for shocked battle casualties, due to the oxygen in the mixture. But little thought was given to the idea of oxygen therapy, except by means of cumbersome oxygen tents or via a funnel held to the patient's face, until the advent of the second W orId War when the development of oxygen masks for aviators led to the use of these masks in the clinical situation. Many patients who were blue improved in colour with oxygen and the rationale of oxygen therapy was never queried, so that by the Fifties and Sixties oxygen was available and used everywhere, in the ward, in the ambulance, and sometimes in the home.

In the early Sixties the American physiologist, Julius Comroe jr., laid the foundations of modern respiratory physiology by showing the importance of lung ventilation This concept of ventilation of the lungs, in particular alveolar ventilation, was difficult to accept and even now gives rise to misunderstanding. Some people still use the term breathing without appreciating the reason for it, which is ventilation of the alveoli in the lungs. Most man -made ventilating systems work one way only, eg, in cars, air is forced in through metal ducts and the stale air is squeezed out through grilles by the increase in pressure. The ventilating system of the body is quite different as both the incoming and outgoing gases use the same passages, ie, the mouth and nose. Air is drawn into the lungs, there is a brief pause and then it is expelled up the same passages again. A good way of demonstrating this principle is

228

Oxygen therapy • In First Aid*

by Dr P.

A. B. RAFFLE, aBE, Chief Medical

Officer

Dr J. C. GRAHAM, Surgeon-in-Chief

Dr B. G. B. LUCAS, Assistant Chief Medical Officer

by means of a car battery filler, the sort that consists of a glass tube with a rubber bulb on the end If one puts the end of the glass tube under water and squeezes the rubber bulb firmly then air is forced out in the form of air bubbles passing through the water. When one releases the pressure on the bulb, water rushes up the tube to fill the tube and the bulb. If, however, the bulb is only squeezed lightly the water in the top part of the tube simply travels up and down, never reaching the bulb or returning to the container. To work properly, the volume of air squeezed out of the bulb must be greater than the capacity of the glass tube.

This experiment demonstrates two things, firstly the reversing flow principle used in ventilating the lungs, and secondly, the effect that takes place in the air passages of the respiratory system when the lungs are not working effectively, ie, the same air is being pushed up and down the air passages without reaching the ventilating parts of the lungs.

There is a certain amount of air contained in the upper air passages, the trachea and bronchi, which is termed dead space air. It usually totals about 150m!. Unless a breath greater than this amount is taken in, then this dead space air will simply travel up and down the air passages ineffectively as the water did in the second part of the battery filler experiment. If one measures the total volume of air taken in at one breath (tidal volume) the amount available for alveolar ventilation is the tidal volume less 150 ml. This amount available for alveolar ventilation is the most important aspect of venti lation, either normal or artificial.

* Based upon an art ic le publi shed in the Ambulance Journal JulY August 1981 i ss ue, page 113.

Comroe pointed out that the main reason why arterial blood becomes sub-oxygenated is poor ventilation of the lungs and that what is needed is better ventilation, not more oxygen. An increase in in s pired oxygen is only of value in carbon monoxide poisoning and in those conditions where the diffusing capacity of the lung membrane is impaired. In carbon monoxide poisoning the haemoglobin in the blood becomes poisoned and cannot carry oxygen. Higher concentrations of oxygen help to break down the poisoned haemoglobin so that it reverts to normal and can carry oxygen again. Examples of diseases where there are diffusion difficulties in the lung s are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In these and similar conditions passage of both oxygen and carbon dioxide through the lungs is impaired and giving oxygen will help. But there is a danger. People with chronic lung disea se have b ec ome accustomed to living with a raised leve l of carbon dioxide in their blood and their stimulus to breathe comes from the amount of oxygen lack, not from the level of carbon dioxide, the so-called hypoxic drive. Giving oxygen will remove the oxygen la c k and s o the urge to breathe. Breathing ceases and even more carbon djoxide accumulates. For this reason special oxygen masks are used which dilute the oxygen wi th air so that not more than about 30070 of oxygen is given to these patients.

With other conditions where there s poor ventilation, ie, s hallow breathing, the rruxing of gases in the alveoli will not be complete and the air will become s tale with too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide. As a result the pa t ient becomes blue. Adrrunistration of oxygen helps to restore the oxygen in the alveoli by a process of diffu sion and the patient becomes pink, but diffu s ion of carbo n dioxide does not occur so readily, being more dependent upon good ventilation, and this accumulation over a period of time is a s dangerous as oxygen lack Increa se d ventilation of the lungs for respiratory insufficiency rather than the admini s tration of oxygen has never achieved the acceptance that it s validity de serves The argument again st it is sim ple : blue patients become pink on breathin g oxygen, therefore oxygen is good. But the fallacy of this argument is readily apparent when one considers how oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in the lungs and the transportation of both gases in the blood.

Man's breathing syste m is de signe d in such a way that it work s best on air. With normal breathing there is adequate elimination of carbon dioxide and the amount of oxygen in the air (nearly 21 %) is sufficient to maintain full oxygenation of the blood. Nearly all the oxygen carried in the blood is in chemical combination with the haemoglobin in the red cells and only a small amount, one fortieth, is dissolved in

the liquid part of the blood, the plasma With adequate ventilation both the haemoglobin and the plasma have as much oxygen as they can carry, so if the amount of oxygen is increa se d it will only have an effect on the pla s ma be ca use one cannot over sa turate a chemical compound, the haemoglobin. As the amount in so lution is in s ignificant compared to that in che mical combination, th ere s no value in givi ng more oxygen.

With inad eq uate vent ilation it is the carbon dioxide accumulation that ha s to be treated a s much a s the s ub-o xyge nation.

The an s wer s increa se d a l veo lar ventilation, ie deeper breath s Only rarely doe s it m ean increasing the rate It would be mo re reali s tic to li ste n to a patient' s re spira ti ons rather than count them, and record them as 'good draught', 'bad draught ', or 'no draught' Sometimes d ee p er b reat hs can be achieved natur a ll y, but better ven tilation i s be s t obtained by some form of assisted or co ntrolled positive

Gloucestershire

pre ss ure artificial ventilation and under these conditions a doctor or professio nal nurse might use a lung ventilator. There are many different ventilators available, but for emergency u se there are just two types. The simplest one uses air and is bas ically a face mask coupled to a self-inflating bag which s squeezed by hand. Squeezing the bag force s air into the lungs and on releasing the bag it automatically fills again from the atmosphere. The secon d type is mechanical, deriving power fro m a compressed gas, u s ually oxygen. By mean s of an automatic cycling device, oxygen is deli vered to a patient via a face mask and inflates the lung s rhythmically. The se devices are compact and easy to u se. The reason why they operate on compressed oxygen rather than compressed ajr is not that the oxygen is essential, but more one of cOIlvenience since sma ll cylinders of air are not readily available. These lung ventilators can also be u sed a s resuscitators when both the heart and breathing have stopped. Here the case

for u s in g oxygen in

Having a break. It pays to put your feet up, (L to R) Owen Newcombe Paul Barthram and Bernie Minto

DURING July, a group of seven members sponsored by St John Ambulance HQ went to Holland to take part in the Nijmegen International 4-day march with a view to taking a party of cadets/young members to the 1982 March as one of the cadet Diamond Jubilee events. Also in this year's march was a team of twenty members from Avon, led by Div. Supt. Mike Marks and Kathy Brown, a St John Services Welfare Officer from RAF Wroughton. The following is a report by CLAIRE BERTSCHINGER SRN, of the HQ team.

'WOULD you like to join our group of St John members walking the Four-Day Nijmegen March,' asked Alan Sharkey, Staff Officer Brigade Training. 'Yes, of course!' I'm always ready for a challenge, but little did I know what to expect.

The Nijmegen March is an endurance event started in 1906 to promote physical fitness. 1981 was its 65th year (it was not held during two wars), with 20,000 people from 51 countries taking part; they came from as far away as Japan, Australia and the USA. Individuals as well as teams of

230

setting off for another day (Right) A rest halt: Claire, Sally Bakel Barbara Francis, Bernie Min to and Alan's boots.

Nijmegen (Holland)

4-day march

HQ party recee for Cadet Jubilee participation

twelve or more can take part.

Our team consisted of Alan; Barbara Francis, Superintendent of King st horpe Nursing Cadet Division, Northampton; Sally Bakel, Nursing Member from Weymouth Division, Dorset; Owen Newcombe, Transport Officer, Southsea and Milton Quadrilateral Divi s ion Hampshire; Bernie Minto and Paul Barthram, both Divisional Officer s from Cleveland; and myself.

After eight weeks of walking to work through Leeds in my boots - and ignoring the stares when I wore them with red socks and a skirt - plus doing various other longer route s on my days off, it was time for the actual event to take place. We travelled to Holland by train and boat via Sheerness.

Our accommodation in Nijmegen was in a Judo Club sports hall. The men had 20 bunk-beds in their room, but we girls luckily had only 5 in ours.

We were to walk 40kms a day (50kms for the men). The men got up at 3am and started walking at 4.30am. We didn't have to get up till 5am, On rising we 'plastered' our feet where necessary and had a hasty breakfast of bread, meat, cheese, eggs, etc, before walking to the first check point. It took about twenty minutes to get through the

70-year-old man who was doing the 'March' for his 31st year He gave me a few words of encouragement in a foreign tonge, but I knew what he meant.

I tried to readj ust my socks and pu t a plaster on one of the bli ste rs, but my feet still feel as though they arc on fire, so J just plod on and try to think of other things and grin and bear it.

The la st ten kilometres were the worst, the cobbled road s biting into my feet despite the thick sa le s of my boot s, and even to walk on the 'whiteline' in the middle of the road was painful. I finally made it and hobbled La the finishing point to have my card c heck ed and get a new one for the next day; One day downthree to go!

1 forced myself to have a shower before collapsing onto my bunk and s leeping till upper time. I have no appetite (most unlike me) but force down some food to give me the st r ength and energy for to morrow.

After supper I hold a clinic, popping the blister and swabbing them with liberal amoulll of surgica l spirit, Oooh! Yes, it doe ting. I just have Lime La prepare for the next day before tumbling into bed again and going out like a light as my head touches the pillow.

We have a German Territorial Army team from Cologne haring our accommociation, and one of them is their medical orderly. He ma sages their aching muscle and pops their blisters. He kept trying to entice us girls on to his bed for a ma age, but no way were we going to be persuaded - at least, not the first day! But by the econd day, when our leg s ached

Proficiency l}bjects

check point because of the number of people taking part, but it wa all done without any fuss. As we waited patiently .ve munched our last mouthful of breakfast and chatted to the other participants, admiring their array of walking m eda ls.

On that fir s t day we soon got out onto the open cobbled roads. Even at this early hour of the morning, people were lining Lhe s treets and cheering u s on; often bringing deckchair s and a picnic to make a day of it.

Out into the open countryside we went, left, right, left, right left The haunting sound of marching songs driftin g to u as the military teams came nearer and nearer, and eventually passed us, despite u tr ying to keep up with them.

The streets were always lined with peopl e waving flags, clapping and cheering us on. Little children running beside you, giv in g you flowers, offering cups of water, asking for your autograph, or just wanting to hold your hand. In every square there was a band pl?ying, and often the Mayor of the town or village to wish you well on your way.

By midday my feet were swollen and fe lt as though I was walking on glass, but s tilll plodded on, somehow managing to put one foot in front of the other and so get a few more kilometres nearer the finishing line.

At one point I was befriended by a

even more, we were the fir st to go to him for treatment.

Each day our route was different, with three or four first aid/rest areas in which we could recuperate. Rows of campbeds lined the Red Cross tents so that our feet could be seen to. There was even a massage tent in which to relax and ease weary muscles. I preferred not to stop at these re st areas as it was such agony to get up and start walking again.

The second day of the march was like the first, but worse - if that's pos sible. Some people collapsed with exhaustion and cramps and needed reviving , but they all carried on.

By now we have made quite a few friends among the walkers and chat and swap sizes of bli ste rs as we go along! There is a team of British policemen and they are very helpful and we march in a sq uad with them for a while. That gets my muscles moving again, but I don't know how.

The Japanese team wear lime-green track suits and are all over s ixty years of age and under five feet tall, smi ling and taking photos as they go.

Another team from West Papua sing and play drums and tambourines as they march.

There is even a team of mentally handicapped teenagers marching along and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Many people wear medal s from previous marches giving the number of years they have attended, and some are as h igh as forty. Who would be mad enough to do this more than once, I ask m yse lf.

Two days gone, three days, and now only one more to do. The atmosphere is electric

and everyone so friendly and alway s willing to give a helping hand when needed, or to chat on the way. I walk with a Briti sh Prison Officer who is over with a team doing the walk for his seventh time.

De s pite the rain on the last day, our spirits are high and my feet somehow survive to the fini s hing line Well, we had all made it, and our aches and pains see med to fade away.

The la st evening we all proudly wore our medals as we went and celebrated at t he Bli ster Ball', our lim bs not too tired to dance in bare feet! The town was alive with people and flags flying, and strangers came up to congratulate you when they saw your medal, and the bands were playing till the early hours of the morning. Was it all a dream? It didn't really hurt that much, did it?

The challenge is there, and I 'lJ certainly be back in 1982 to get my second-year medal. Do you want to come too?

Claire Bertschinger

St John Ambulance HQ will sponsor a limited number of cadets /yo ung members in the 1982 March, but because of the difficulties of training these may have to be restricted to small groups from the areas of this year's participants. However, HQ would to help other teams to participate independently and to advise them, and would like to hear from other St John members who have been to Nijmegen and might be able to help in some way. Write to Staff Officer Brigade Training Alan Sharkey, St John Ambulance HQ, 1 Grosvenor Crescent, London, SW1X 7EF.

1 HAV E recently received a copy of a pack produced by Pedigree Foods called PROJECT PETS - Teachers Resource Pack, a completely new edit ion of a pack fir t introd uced in 1978 w hich includes many idea and uggestion made by teachers and children who used the earlier pack. Aimed at the 8 to 14 years age range, it could a l 0 be u ed by other groups with orne modification. I consider this a very useful co ll ect ion of information which could be u ed with the Animal Care proficiency certificate syllabu. If yo u would like a free copy of the pack, and ind eed any further help in thi area, write to Mrs Deni e Reed, Pedigree Pet Foods Education Centre, Waltham on the Wolds, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 4RS.

Safety Education

Starting on October 11, the BBC will be screening ten minute 'informat ion ' films presented by Jimmy Savi ll e on he subject of safety. Titles include Scalding Hot, Children Can't Fly, Poi oning, Water Water Everywhere, Quick as a Flash, Shattering Gla s, Everyday Ha za rds, Think Bike and Belt Up. The ser ie s will be well worth wat hing to provide material for training cadets. Indeed you could encourage them to watch the programmes and per hap c rea te some games on the theme hown.

Programm e Ideas

All these are Road Safety orientated ideas

CADET CHAT

by JIM

which may go down well with your cadets.

Black Spot Map

Obtain a large scale map of your area and ask cadets to Ii accident black spots, marking them on the map. To [his can be added details of safe play areas.

And then by mounting thi s information on card, with the addition of photographs of each place taken by the cadets, this will make a good training aid and safety poster.

Traffic Lights

Make a poster or training aid to show the sequence of traffic light

Green Cross Code

Arrange for cadet to act or mime the TV Green Cros Code Adverts,

Bike Spot Check

Ask the cadets to come to a meeting with their bikes and make a spot check on equipment, etc. The local Road Safety Officer may be able to help with this, or provide leaflets and posters on bike safety.

Cycfing Proficiency Test

National cycling proficiency tests are regularly organised by Road Safety Officers throughout the country. The Cycling Proficiency Certificate qualifies juniors and probationary cadets for the St John cycling test and is part of the requirements for the advanced cycling test for cadets aged 11 to 15, Informafion Road Safety information is available from RoSPA, Canon House, The Priory, Queens\ ay, Birmingham B4 6BS.

Concessionary Rail Travel

Since the introduction of the Young Person's Railcard, Briti sh Rail have withdrawn facilities pre iously available for individuals travelling to participate in organised activities. However , [he new Railcard provides good value for money and is well worth considering when organising a trip for cadets. In fo rma tion on the e Railcards, as well a group travel conce ions is available from rna Briti h Rail tations.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme

If yo u have cadet par ticipating in this cherne, and 1 hope you have, make ure

(Above) Claire Bertschinger and Has Alan Sharkey

Cadet Chat (cont.)

you regularly see a copy of Award News, which gives information on courses and opportunities in various activities for leaders and participants in the scheme. Full information about the scheme is available from Mrs Vicki Beevor, at Headquarters.

Cadet Code of Chivalry

In July Cadet Chat I reproduced the first half of an article by Keith Dunn, of Newport, so here rather belatedly, is the second part:

'

To be truthful and just in all things'

Telling the truth may sound simple enough - but it is not always easy - particularly if we are at fault or have done something wrong. However once people don't tell the truth, we lose trust in them - think how difficult this makes teamwork. People are different and we should be fair in our dealings with everybody.

'To be cheerful and prompt in all I do A smile makes friends. How much happier we all would be if we smiled and tried to be cheerful. We all enjoy doing some things more than others - however, even when we do something t hat we are not so keen abow, we should try to be cheerful and work hard It is difficult for, and weakens the team if its members cannot be relied upon to be on time.

To help the suffering and the needy

This reminds us that there are many people in need of help - not just those who may faint at the football match, or who are in motor accidents. As St John Cadets, we should help anybody. We should not

IFancy' Prese ntati 0 n

become so involved in our own activities or problem s that we lose sight of

hat the basis of St John service s to help others.

'To be kind to all animals' Animal s cannot talk to u s, nor argue back if they disagr ee wi th us. Being kind to animals does no only mean being ni ce to them, but also f inding out about t he correct way to handle and look after them

CADET JUBILEE YEAR 1982 **********

When visiting Brigade HQ recently, the Chief Officer Cadets thrust into my hand details of some o f the activities planned for next year

St John Cadet Extravaganza Thi s w ill be a sp ectacula r s how stage d b y St John Cadets as a climax to the Diamond Jubilee Year. There will be two show s for

the public, at 4 .30pm and 8pm, wi th final rehearsals taking pla ce earlier in the da y. Majo r M. Parke r the producer of th e Ro y al Tournament, h as ag reed to produce the show. Co un ties/Reg ion s h ave been asked to pu t forward ideas /acts to be included in th e s how No matter how way out the idea, it w ill be considered by the produc ti on committee.

To me t hi s so und s a sp lend id way of roundin g off t h e Jubilee Year. If yo u h ave any idea s, co nta ct the Chief Offi ce r Cadets at Brigad e Hea dquart ers. Further details of events t h at have been planned wi ll be published next month.

Contributions to this column are alway s welcome. Send them to 'Jim', 57 Morgan Cresce n t, Theydon Bois, Epping, Essex.

MR GROVES' article in h e June Review on nursing techniques of 1909 reminded me of my 'Cassell's H ouse h o ld Guide' publi hed in 1870. In addit ion to sect ion s on making sealing wax, oap and glue, and h ow much to pay the s table-bo y, it gives advice on first aid and domestic medi ci ne. Hcr e are some ext r acts :

Frac tured arm

'A piece of cardboard (such as is used for t ying up g loves), or a piece of a com mon hat-box, four in ches wide, may be advantageously placed on each si de of the broken bone and sec ured with t he bandage which enve lop it. The patient ma y then be safe ly driven some miles in a carr iage: and a four-wh eel conveyance with good s pring s is LO be preferred.'

Foreign bod) in the nose

, inject the water through the opposite nostril , when, if the patient lean forward, and keep the mouth open, the water will run round the back of the nose and out at th e affected nostril, bringing the fore ign body with it.

Asthmatic attack

If indigestible food has been taken , a s timulatin g emetic may be g iven, as h alf an ounce of mu tard in hot water. A Lr ong mustard plaster may be app li ed to the che t. Various substances, smo ked or in haled, hav e the power frequently of relievin g t he fit of asthma. Among the m ost homely of h ese s the smoke of burnt ni t re paper, that is brown paper dipped in a st rong so lu tion of s altpetre (nit rat e of potas h ) and dr ied The smoke of this burnt paper often relieves the asthmat ic attack. So doe s a pipe of tobacco, espec iall y in those not accustomed to take it. Medicated c igars, too, are prepared fo r the se at ackes.

Burn s

Severe burn s ca u sed by clothing catc hin g fir e were known a s 'cr inolin e accidents'.

T h e common cold

It was assumed that colds were caused by co ld draught s; no mention of viruses, of course.

Victoria First Aid and Domesti c Med·cine

There s no mention of cold water; instead, the Victorians were advised to remedy the pallor of shock by wrapping the casualty up with hot bottles or hot bricks, preferably in front of the fire. I would have thought the casualty would want to keep well away from the site of the accident!

The fo llowing c ur e was successfully tried by a lad y upon one of her own children, who was severely burnt by a little companion. She wrapped it up completely in cotton wool or wadding, so that not a breath of air could toueh the body, and night and day kept it saturated with vinegar, whieh caused the pain to cease immediately She persevered until the fresh yo ung kin had formed a sufficient covering of its own underneath Her husband , who did not enter quite so readily into her system, lifted a little of the wadding from the cheek one day when she was out, and wa charmed to see the new skin growing so well; but the spot on the cheek was the only scar the child had when quite recovered. A quill leadin g to the mouth served it to breathe and be fed by.'

Rabie s bite

'The on y certa n remedy i cauteri ation, whic h never fails. The cautery may be either actua l , as applied by hot iron.. or the galvanic battery, or when the patient's courage is not equal to either, by cutting a s tick of lu nar caustic to a pencil point, and thor o u ghly working it about in the \-vound till every point h as been well treated. Exc ision is effectua l if done immediate y, but r eq uir es more nerve than most people pos sess, a it mu st us u ally be done by the s u fferer himself.'

'The fact is that it comes rather from draughts of cold air blowing on a particu lar part of the body, or coming in at the doors and windows, than from being out actively in co ld weather so that in sitting at dinner , or at your desk, or even at your fireside, you feel that there is a small gale of air playing upon your loins , or your feet, or some other part. This small gale, or draught as it is called, does this - it drives the blood of the sk in into the deeper parts of the body. Fortunately it generally drives it to the mucous membrane that lines the nose and throat, and we get only a common co ld. But for this, we might get something worse.'

Diabetes

Association of this disease with the pancreas and the production of insulin was sti ll to come. They were aware of the excess sugar in the urine and assumed that something in the body was producing it in vast quantities.

'The great question is, where does the sugar come from? Much of it, no doubt, is taken in the shape of food in healthy people, however much sugar is taken, it will not appear in the urine as sugar. It wa s lately thought that the true explanation of this disease had been discovered. A French physiologist, M. Bernard, thought that he had made out that sugar is formed in the human body, in a state of health, in the liver, but that in health it does not long remain as sugar, in the blood, but on being taken at once from the liver to the lungs, is there converted into water and carbonic acid. In the diabetic patient it was thought there were two faults: first that an unduly large quantity of sugar was formed in the Ii ver; and secondly, that it was Dot converted in the lungs, but passed on into the general current of the blood, and carried out of the body by the kidneys. This theory of Bernard has, in the opinion of most physiologists, been falsified by the researches of D r Pavy, who seems to have shown that this formation of sugar in the liver does not happen in live animals, but only after death, and that Bernard was misled by testing the blood and the liver of dead animals.'

Epilepsy

Doctors are still not agreed as to the condition of the brain in epilepsy; some con ide ring that it arise f rom a sudden pressure of blood on the brain; some from a contraction of the great blood- essels sudden ly cutting off the upply of blood Intemperance may give rise to it; sexual exce ses and other bad habits are also probably not unfrequent causes; oc asionally worms espe ially tape-worms, seem to cause the attacks, for they have been known to cease on the worms being expelled.

Caroline Thomas, Divisional Officer, 170 (Midland Bank) Division, London

THANKS FROM POLICE

FROM Roger Hoskins, Inspector, Metropolitan Police

On the occasion of the Royal Wedding, Police Serial 118, conslstmg o f 2 sergeants, 18 constables, 2 WPCs and myself, was on duty behind the crowd in the Mall between 6am and 6pm. In prospect was a long , hot, tiring and pretty mindless day, since we. were not to have even a glimpse of the procession by way of leavenmg the b read.

In fact, it proved to be a memorable .and agreeable occasIOn. The reason was uncomplicated. The ladles and gentlemen of the Guildford Corps of St John were exclusively the transformation. Without their kindness and generous hospltaItty, the lot of t his particular group of police officers would have been far from joyous

Ma y we , through the St John Review, award them a resounding 'Thank you'.

Hornchurch , Essex Roger Hoskins

AT RANDOM

from W. V Savage BEM, Ex-Divisional Superintendent

I read with great pleasure the tributes to Mr Watkin Williams from he t hree offi c er s in Bucks (Aug Review).

I ha v e met Mr Williams several times and feel that other Counttes have been in spired by his dedication and articles in our Review , as al s o ha ve I an old and now redundant member. From reading At Random I hav e r enewed my enthusiasm when it flagged, and would con ve y to Mr Williams my congratulation s for his loyalty to the 'c au se we serv e He is an nspiration to us alL

I would add t hat m y ser v ice covers 44 years, and being fi t at 78 I sti ll do man y job s for our division, of which I am an honorary member.

Le tch wo r t h Divis ion W V. Savag e YOUR LI KES OR from Miss Myra Meredith, Avon PRO

I agree with Mr Bryan Nicholl's view (Sept Review) that 42p is a small pr ice to pa y for a monthly magazine such as the Review.

Ho we ve r, w ith a publication run of 7 , 500 copie s compared with 79 000 Brig ade membe r s in the UK the cost per cop y be con sid e rabl y reduced if each member bought a magazme, but remember it will onl y be as good as we care to make it. It is up to Brigade member s and the PROs in particular to keep interesting new s v ie w s and p i c t ure s flowing.

A s a major contributor for Avon I await my copy with interest but feel s ure t he editor would welcome constructive criticism on t he type o f art icles our memb e r s w ould like to read. So come on, Mr Nicholls, as a SEN you kick the first ball with information on nursin g and wel f are equipment, or an article on your nursing experiences

To m y c olleague s in the PR field let us keep the contribution s flo w ing and let all members in the UK and overseas benefit from the experience a nd idea s proven in our counties

After all, any publication of thi s type can only build on its th r ough con t inuous s upport from the members of our orgamsatlOn - either through regular subscriptions or contribution of St John i tems Bristol Myra Meredith

from James Bond, Area Staff Officer

I write to sa y how pleased I was to see that our own SuppItes Department ha s begun t o make use of the Review to publicise its good s. Howev er it would be even better if more information could be forthcoming from Supplies about some of the special offer s promo t ion s , new line s , price changes, etc, which are notified to account holders Some of us rarely, if ever, find out about some of these details For example, a recent special offer of practice t r iangular badage s , of which I would have liked to take advantage, clo sed be f ore I found out about it.

I am s ure if Supplies were to take advantage of the columns of the R ev iew to ad ver t is e more of its services then turnover would incr ea se more customers would be sati s fied, and prices might even g o Perhap s more information might also be forthcoming from Headquarters on a regular basi s notifying changes in r egulation s, important events and the like, which would c ommunications with members of the Brigade and, as a spm off, might help to sell more copies of the Review! A benefit to all

Director of Supplies John Webb replies:

The letter fr om Jim Bond concerning the details which you have

W e try, as fa r as is p ossib le, to n otify everyone of c h anges and a l 0 of our s p eci al offers. We n otified a ll Co u nty headquarters of t he special o ff e r of pr actice t ri ang ul ar bandages a n d. am pe rsona ll y s urpri sed t h a t o ur f ri end J im Bo nd d ie:' hea r of .Il. 1 wo ul d be t he first to a g ree ha t the lin es of co mmunI cat Io n somet Im es beco m e ve r y b lock e d Ho weve r in h e n ear f u ture we a re prodUCIng a n ew catal og u e o f goods w h ic h we offer, which wi ll be di tr ibuted t '? a ll a cc ount h o ld ers a nd furt h er info rm ation will be sent to t he R eVIew

I am gra t eful to Jim for his letter a nd, as always, he i ve r y we lc o me t o co m e a n d talk to us at the Supplies Department.

Su p plies D ep Jo h n Webb

from th e Medic al Secre tary, H eadqua r ters

I re ad with int e r est t h e ast sente nce of M r Bryan Nic h o ll s's le tt e r in the Septemb er R ev iew . H e an d ot h er readers m ig h t like to th a t there ha s b ee n a Surgeo n -i n-C h ief's Advisory Comm Ittee o n Equipm e nt in ex iste n ce fo r some t me. For vario u s reasons few of it s decisi on s h ave bee n p ub shed. It s terms of refere n ce are be II1 g recon sid e r ed and it is h o p ed t h at one o u tcome will be just suc h a re v iew of eq u ipme n in t h e St John Rev iew as Mr N icho ll s sugge s t s, a lt hou gh fo r practica l r easons it is unlike ly hat t hi s cou d be publi s h ed more often h an q u arterly. Headquart ers J ohn H ammond

UNIQUE? from Malcolm G Bell Member -in -Charge Many memb e r s and supp orte rs of o ur 'Un q ue' Ban d Di visio n have a s ked me to re pl y t o t h e co mm ents of Mr B axley (A u g. R eview).

The G wen t Ba nd Di v s io n was fo rm ed on Jul y I 1980. I was g Ive n £ 200 and 16 o ld instrumen t s to start t he ba nd. Uniforms i m med iately u sed up th e m o n ey, a nd t hi s was w h y a nd beret s w er e bou g h t, a nd a lso to es ab li s h w lt h1l1 t he ban e:'

The photo gra ph p ubl is h ed in t h e May R eV iew was take n In

No vember 1980 f o ur mo nt h s after I h ad f o r med t h e b a nd But o n Augu s t 31 19 80 we did a Co un ty Rev ew for M id - G amorga n , followed b y m a n y ot h e r para d es befo re N ovembe r. At pre sent we h ave 43 in st rum en s and the nu m b e r o f uniform s , al t hou g h th ey a re n o t t h e reco mm e nd ed UnI fo rm s of th e Fed. of St John Ambulan ce B a nd s. T h ese we h ope t o h ave as soo n as we can afford th e m. R e m e mb e r t h at a new sid e drum costs a bout £75; I con side r t h e divi s io n h as d one we ll so fa r. A ll m e mb e rs have pa ssed th e ir F irs t Aid anL Nur sII1 g exa m s, and to dat e

NEWStrom SCOTLAND

Glasgow appeal

FOR the past 18 years the Glasgow Committee of the Order of St John has maintained a residential home for elderly ladies and gentlemen at 32134 Mansionhouse Road, Langside, Glasgow.

This home has, over the years, acquired a high reputation as a place where the residents can spend their latter years in peace and comfort and in a 'homely' and congenial atmosphere.

The premises at Mansionhouse Road have been held under a lease which will expire in two years' time and is not to be renewed. It has therefore been necessary for the Order in Glasgow to seek suitable alternative accommodation in which to reestablish the residential home and to which the residents of the present home can be transferred when the lease expires. Such accommodation has now been found at 23 Mansionhouse Road (almost directly opposite the present home). The house has been purchased with funds which the Order

(Left) The Chancellor (Mr W. A. P. Jack) and the Provost of Falkirk (Mr John Docherty), with Mr Tom Davis (KOSB), a former Yeoman of the Guard, who was among those on holiday at the Sir Andrew Murray House

(Below) The party from 22N (Harrow) Nursing Division at Stirling District Council Chambers (Photo: Whyler, Stirling)

in Glasgow has raised in past years in the knowledge that they would one day be required to meet the price of a new residential home, Planning permission has been obtained for the conversion of the house to a residential home and for its extension to provide twelve additional bedrooms. The members of the Order in Glasgow are presently engaged in raising the funds required to meet the cost of converting, extending, furnishing and fitting out the new home.

Medical services

The Glenshee Ski Rescue Team and others, under the direction of Dr Paul Mackenzie, provided medical services at the Open Golf Championship at Sandwich, Kent, from July 16-19. A letter of appreciation from the Championship Committee Secretary congratulates Dr Mackenzie and his team on 'a great operation and organisation' and on behalf of the professionals, Howard Clarke wrote 'The on-course communications set up by the Doctors and members of the Scottish Mountain Rescue Team could not have been bettered. Without the help of the Medical Centre it would have been _<\'1,....

The Mayor of Newport and BBC Wales presenter Noreen Bray test the stretchers for pullers Linda Campbell and Alyn Jones.

(Photo: S. Wales Argus)

of Disabled people.

The cadets raised £500. Mr Keith Dunn, Superintendent, said 'We have more than achieved our target. The extra money will be used for our own ambulance fund to buy radio equipment.'

The special hearing aid is not available through the National Healtn Service and part of the money for it is being provided by the National Society for the Deaf.

The Cadets were accompanied in their efforts by nurses from the Accident and Emergency Department of Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital, and Noreen Bray, the BBC Wales radio and television presenter.

They were met at their journey's end, the Headquarters of the Order of St John in Wales at Llanishen, Cardiff, by the Principal Secretary, Mr D. J. McDougall, and the Chief Surgeon for Wales, Doctor D. W. Williamson.

The Lord Prior, Sir Mauri ce Dorman , with the Prior of Scotland, The Du ke of Hamilton and Brandon , approaching St Machar's Cathedral for the Festival of St John in Aberdeen on June 24th 1981 Th e Sword - bearer is Martin Cruickshank of Auchreoch , CStJ Photograph: Studio Morgan, Aberdeen) impossible for me to complete all four hours

Visit to Scotland

Eleven members of the 22N (Harrow) Nursing Division of the London (Prince of Wales) District visited the headquarter of Scottish Priory in Edinburgh on Friday, August 14. After being shown round the premises by the Librarian, Dr Duncan Shaw, they accompanied the Priory Secretary, the Rev. Norman M Bowman, to Falkirk where they were met by members of the Central Committee of the Order, who took them to Stirling. There they were entertained to lunch by the local Di strict Council and visited Stirling Castle before proceeding to the Sir Andrew Murray Holiday Home at Strathyre, where a new games room for the disabled is being added.

Visit to England

The Secretary of Scottish Priory has been invited to the Fourth Biennial Conference of Yorkshire and Humberside St John Ambulance on October 24-26, when he will have an opportunity of saying something about the organisation and activities of the Order and its Association in Scotland.

WALES

IT was all hands to the stretchers for 20 St John cadets and members from the Gwent Health Authority Hospitals Divi s ion on a Sunday morning in July - but it was an occasion for smiles. The cadets were being seen off at Newport's Civic Centre on a charity stretcher bearing walk by the Mayor and Mayoress of Newport, Councillor and Mrs Leslie Knight. The 15-mile walk, from Newport to Cardiff, was to raise money for a radiocontrolled hearing aid for a two-year-old Newport boy, as the Division's part to help a disabled person in the International Year

MUSEUM NOTES

The new display room which has been opened at the St John s Gate museum

A NEW display room at the Museum at St John 's Gate, London was opened on July 9 by the Prior, Sir Maurice Dorman. The room , situated in the West Tower of the Gate, is devoted 10 the coins, insignia, seals, portrait medals and jewellery of the Order from the 13th century to the present day.

The insigrtia section contains examples of the insigrtia of the Most Venerable Order, Sovereign Military Order of Malta and Johanniter Order. There are also pieces of 18th-ce ntury miniature in signia and a case concentrating on the decorations of several d ist ingui shed members of the Order, including Lord Wakehurst, Prior 1948 - 1969, and Sir Stewart Duke-Elder, Hospitaller 1954-1969.

Coins and seals

The coin display shows representative examples of Crusader coins and coins minted by the Order in Rhodes and Malta; while the seal case gives a brief survey of the types of seals used on documents of the Order, including an example of the seal of Garin de Montaigu, Master 1207-1228. Among the collection of portrait medals on view are the series of Jean de la Vallette, struck to commemorate the Siege of 1565, and the medal of Manoel de Vilhena, Grand Master 1722-1736, found under the statue of the Grand Master which used to stand in Palace Square, Valletta, now in Floriana.

The new display room can be seen by visitors taking the tour of the buildings on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 11 am and 2.30 pm and at other times on application to the Curator, Museum of the Order of St. John, St. John's Gate, St John's Lane, Clerkenwell, London ECIM 4DA. Tel: 01-253 6644.

Newport's new Mayor, Cllr. Lesl ie Knight, who was once a St John cadet has revived a pre-World War II custom of a St • John Cadet and a Scout carrying the town's silver mace (for the

BOOKS

Preservation of Personal Health in Warm Climates

THIS, the eighth edition of the 'L ittle Red Book', has been written by Dr. Donald Mackay who was associated with St John Ambulance as adviser in tropical diseases and immunisation to the Aeromedical Service. Hi s untimely death in July was a loss to the Service and to all who knew him.

This edition follows in a series first published in 1951, though its history goes back to the First World War when notes were published for the Army on the 'Prevention of Malaria in Mesopotamia and East Africa'. Including these notes, there have been one hundred and five thousand copies prepared by the Ross Institute, an integral part of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The present edition is clearly written and can be understood and used for guidance by the general public and lay members of St. John, but is also an excellent aide-memoire for professional doctors and nurses. It is

highly reconunended for all St. John personnel involved in the Aeromedical Service or any other duty which includes service in warm climates.

The notes on acclimatisation cannot apply when a quick turn round is necessary, but the advice on avoiding excessive meals, exercise and alcohol during the stay certainly do. Adequate fluid intake, suitable clothing, up-to-date immuni ation procedures and not to eat or drink 'raw' foods are commonsense precautions which must be follmved. The book emphasises the importance of malaria prophylaxis before, during and after the visit; this advice is upto-date. Finally advice is given on reporting, during any subsequent illness, of places visite'd where tropical disease might have been encountered.

This pocket book of 108 pages is a gem and essential reading. It may be obtained, price £1 including postage, from the Ross Institute, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT. NJ.P.

News from Divisions/ Centres

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friction where body structures move over each other (5). 10. A grumble about one's illness? (9). 1. Encircle a finger (4). 12. Flight structure (4), 13. Car comes after six for the cleric (5). 15. Playing pranks with chest in the heather (7). 16. A small amount of spirit is provided by doctor the morning after (4). 19. Painful skin fissure for a man (4). 21. A foreboding of coming disaster (7). 24. Repair crudely a dres sing for the eye (5).25. A state of mental agitation for a meat dish (4). 26. Litter for a corpse (4). 28. In a di s ordered state of mind due to fever or drugs (9), 29. Bone in vital use (5). 30, Discharge fluid from a body orifice (3).31. To dress hair fo r surgical fixation of a joint (11).

Down

1. Beer cult producing rounded prominence on a bone (8). 2. Ar erie s of the heart (8).3. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun (4).4. Torn rag around chin is forming a curved structure (7). 5. Injured by taking mad turn and then became old (7). 6. Reduced the suffering (10).7. Sharp pain in loin to repair a wound (6). 8. Efferent vessel (6). 14. The hair dip for a serious throat infection (10).17. Organism causing tuberculosis, typhoid fever, tetanus and anthrax (8). 18. Death of c ir cumscribed piece of tissue (8). 20. Lose consciousness to achieve examination success (4-3). 21. A section of the media or drug causing vasoconstriction (7). 22. Spinner with strange prides (6). 23. Taken feloniously (6).27. Fastener fashioned from dust (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 9 (81)

Across: 1. Symptoms; 5. Bossed; 9. TesLicle; 10. Nau.sea; 12. Rays; 13. Stir; 14. So.m.me; 16. Aminophylline; 20. Shooting pains; 24. Tra.it; 26. Do pe; 27. Scar; 30. Numbed; 31. Ligature; 32. Chaste; 33 Ill-fated.

Down: I. Suture; 2. Messy; 3. Tail; 4. Mulatto; 6. Orals; 7. Sesamoids; 8. Diabetes; 11. Arch; 15. Fist; 16. Anoxaemia; 17 Peg; 18. Loin; 19. Is.o.tonic; 21. Node; 22. Pep-pill; 23. Friend; 25. Treat; 28. Crust; 29. Calf.

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ST JOHN REVIEW

LL ONLY A FIVER + VAT!

THE EDITOR has sent me an interesting letter from a recently joined and obviously very enthusiastic Ambulance Member named Mark Partridge of the Eton & Di strict Combined Division, Berks. The writer had of course no idea that his letter would be forwarded to me, nor any idea that I was for 19 years (1943-62) Superintendent of the division which he joined this su mmer; still less could he know that for about ten years I was re spo nsible for co-ordinating in the Slough area the matter about which he was writing, namely the relationship between professionals and volunteers during the years when ambulance duties were gradually being taken over from St John by the fairly recently established county ambulance service. And this is what he wrote:

'The s ubject of attendance with local authority ambulance crews was raised at a recen t discussion in our division about ways of gaining more experience. It appears that it was once easy for St John members to attend at the local ambulance station, but that some disagreement with the unions over the continuous presence of vol unteer s ended that attendance. Conversations with t ho se who did these duties in the past have indicated that they fo und the experience very useful.

'It is my opinion that the arrangement could be resumed if the local authority and the local union officials were again approached on the subject and, of course, left to state the conditions on which they were willing to make use of St John members.

'To the ambulance personnel, an over-enthusiastic fo rce of relatively less experienced volunteers may ha ve seemed a threat in the past. Is it not time to approach the matter again but with stricte r adherence to mutually agreed stipulations about the numbers attending, the length of duty-periods, etc? Such stipulations might protect the ambulance drivers against the risk of volunteers depriving them of overtime pay.

'If the senior policy-making body of the Brigade feels it is feasible, could their opposite numbers in local government and the unions be contacted over the matter? Does anyone else have opinions on thi

Conrinu e d

THIS is a cautionary tale for all aspiring air attendants and air escorts considering volunteering for the St John Aeromedical Service; who see themselves on sun drenched beaches in exotic places, having escorted or about to escort a docile ambulant and rewarding patient.

The director of the aeromedical service rang me late on a Friday morning. 'We have just the job for you', he said. 'A walkover, really, a reward for the tricky air ambulance trips you have been doing. There's an ambulant patient in Bangkok to be brought back, not really ill, but a bit confused having had a fit; a European who has been out there sometime, we believe. Well, not actually Bangkok, but Pattaya Beach. It's in all the glossy brochures, one of the inplaces for the jet-set.'

As it was a Friday and had a free weekend to follow I said I would try and fix it with my partners. I am the senior partner in a general practice of five and my colleagues are usually able to accept my one-day trips, but this was to be over five or six days, two of them the weekend. The Director wanted me to go the next day, if possible, and asked me to let him know by Spm. I managed to get it all organised, told my wife and our dog, and rang back when all was arranged. The banks were closed so I had to do a hurried trip to a cash dispenser. I was on call as well, so evening surgery and visits had to be fitted in My very competent ex-airhostess wife packed for me; I had my immunisation certificates up to date, travellers cheques, visas and passport.

A night call

It was a very tired escort who started off at 8am on Saturday morning, as he'd had a night call. Train to London, taxi to the airbus pick-up at Victoria Station, and another bus to Heathrow.

Heathrow Terminal 3, never the most salubrious place at the best of times, was chaotic and like a refugee camp. Because of fog the previous day no flights had taken off; frustrated, angry passengers were everywhere, all seats occupied and sleeping forms in every corner. I had to pick up the tickets, but the queue was very long. Charm and the explanation of the trip was on got me to the head of the queue where the tickets were waiting.

boarded the Tristar 200 at 1pm Greenwich time. It was very comfortable, not full and the passenger next to me was a sister of one of my patients! A pleasant flight of seventeen hours, refuelling at Abu Dhabi, and an hour in a disgusting transit lounge in Calcutta. With seven hours ahead in time we landed at Bangkok at 11.30am on the Sunday. Please note, volunteers, it is not wise to try and eat the three main meals and the two snacks provided; keep your watch at Greenwich time and eat only at home times and intervals. The chaos at Bangkok Airport, augmented by the heat, was even worse than that at Heathrow. It took one and a half hours to clear Customs;

Dr NORMAN PASOS, County Surgeon Essex, was asked:

Would you like an easy trip?

the hall was full of returning Thais, who seemed to have bought up the whole of Singapore or Japan and were loaded with electron ic goodies

I hired a taxi to Pattaya, 170 kilometres away. I must say the car was comfortable, even luxurious, and air conditioned - just as well as the ambient temperature was 86 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity well over ninety. There was a tropical rainstorm and the journey took two and a half hours, past paddy field s and melon groves. We passed an overturned tourist coach ditched off the road in the blinding rain. I was told the next day that three tourists had been killed in the accident.

Can't see!

One thing I noticed on leaving an air conditioned car in the tropics is that if you wear spectacles they steam up and you can't see for a few seconds!

It was 4pm on the Sunday when I arrived at the Orchid Lodge Hotel at Pattaya Beach, twenty-five hours after leaving home. The highly efficient Aeromedical Organisation in London had booked my room. This turned out to be most comfortable, even sybaritic, with two balconies overlooking the sea, sittingroom, dressingroom, king-size bed on a dais and luxurious bathroom. So amazed was I at this luxury that I went down to see the management and asked was this the right room! When was assured that it was I ordered a snack, had a shower and turned in for two hours, to be woken by a knock at the door and presented with a huge basket of fruit, pineapple, oranges, melon,

bananas, tangerine, paw-paw - all with the compliments of the management! Then a stroll by the pool across the tropical garden, passing a resident young elephant in its pen and down to the beach. Pattaya at one time must have been most beautiful, but with new development it is being turned into the equivalent of present day Torremolinos. Refreshed, I thought I ought to get to work. I rang the International Clinic in Pattaya to find out about the patient and was rung back at 7pm by a charming Thai doctor, Australian educated. He didn't seem troubled by the lateness of the hour or the day, but told me that the patient had become more seriously ill, with further convulsions and had been transferred to Bangkok to a private hospital that morning! This caused me some consternation, as by now it was night and could do no more about finding out the condition of the patient or when he would be fit to travel. So I arranged an appointment with the Thai doctor next day and retired to the coolness of the air-conditioned room. Next morning, feeling rather like James Bond as I ate breakfast on the balcony overlooking the sea, I decided my first task was to get some local currency. This was quite a job, involving a lot of walking in the heat and then a taxi drive. The taxis are open Datsun trucks with what are meant to be set fares, but no driver seemed to accept these and one has to barter for every journey. Finally, after three attempts, I found a bank that would cash Euro-cheques. On to the Clinic again, by taxi, to find that the doctor would not release the passport and personal possessions of the patient as the Insurance Company had not paid the patient's bill at the Clinic. Still, the doctor was very charming about it all. had a very pleasant [ Thai lunch with three of his colleagues and was shown around the Clinic, which would not disgrace Harley Street. He advised me to try and contact the British Embassy to see if payment of the bill could be hastened. After considerable difficulty, as the rain the previous day had disrupted the telephone service, I got through The British Consul promised to telex London the next day to sort out the payment of the bill Then a phone call to the hospital. The patient was said to be more settled and would be fit to travel the following evening.

A swim

At last a free hour, to swim in the pool and to meet some EngHsh holiday-makers. I was able to go out and have a very·pleasant meal with some of them at a local Thai restaurant in the evening. The bright lights of Pattaya seemed to consist mostly of bars, with Thai girls, all very charming, just there for a good time. Every bar was blaring out a different tune and remembering this was early February it was very strange to hear 'Holy Night' coming from a very noisy, crowded and smoky bar.

Next day the patient and I should have been travelling back on the lOpm flight from Bangkok. had to visit the Clinic

early and wait until a phone call from the British Embassy guaranteed payment. The Thai doctor then released the passport, currency and personal possessions of the patient.

Being a St John representative,. thought I ought to save the organisation some money and caught the air-conditioned bus back to Bangkok, leaving Pattaya at 1pm. I must say the coach was very comfortable Cold drinks were served and cold towels brought round for soothing ones face and hands. Also it was comparatively cheap, the 170-kilometre journey costing under three pounds. The coach took some time to get through the Bangkok traffic jams, but finally arrived in what I thought was going to be a bu s station, but was very surprised to find it was just a very crowded back street full of market stalls. I managed to organise a taxi to the British Embassy, where I was weU received, but was told that the responsibility of taking the patient back whatever hi s condition was mine Another taxi to the ho s pi tal through Bangkok's rush hour.

Modern

The Samitevej Hospital is completely private. Luxury was hardly the word to describe it and it s design was most moderni s tic, all the room s being built round a central cour t in which fountains pla yed, and the staff sat enjoying the evening sun s hine The chief neurologist had agreed to meet me there, but he never arrived , and it seemed very difficult to get permission to go and see my patient. It was suggested that I had a snack in the hospital cafeteria and finally at about 7pm I got to see my patient. He was in a private room on the fourth floor, all rooms being arranged on the c entral nursing s tation system. The s taff , s urprisingly , were mostly Philippino girls and all seemed to speak quite fluent English certainly when it came to

Would you like an easy trip? (cont.)

discussing technical medical matters. To my horror, though, my patient, who when I left England was supposed to be ambulant and co-operative, was in bed with a drip running, a catheter in situ, and very confused. I took it upon myself, as the patient's condition didn't seem to warrant it, to take down the drip. With the help of the nurses we got him dressed and his cases packed.

The hospital provided an ambulance to the airport and as the traffic was still very heavy it was a trip straight out of a drama with flashing lights and siren wailing. On arrival at Bangkok Airport the duty officer took one look at my patient and said that he would not allow him on the aircraft unless he could walk on. I guaranteed that he

could, with my fingers crossed, and arrangements were made and we were whisked through, avoiding Customs and other formalities Luckily the aircraft was not crowded and the Chief Purser was able to give me a row of seats for my patient, who , supported on one side by me and on the other side by a hospital orderly, stumbled down the gangway past rows of astonished passengers. The hospital had lent me incontinence pads, a urinal and a hand suction pump in case the patient's airway became embarrassed at any time. Take off was on time and the patient having subsided again into a stupor I was able to relax for short spells on the first leg to Abu Dhabi By the time we arrived there, seven hours later, the patient was much more co-operative and was able to take sips of water. But of course there had been no chance to sleep, as his condition had to be monitored regularly. Luckily at Abu Dhabi

a local British nurse came on board with a patient, an Arab being flown back to England, and on the second leg to Heathrow she was able to keep an eye on my patient while 1 washed, shaved, then dozed for an hour. By the end of this trip of fifteen hours the patient had made even further recovery and was able to give me his name and tell me about his family. It was apparent, then, that much of his stupor and lack of co-operation was because he had been over sedated; but the whole trip had been dominated by the fear that he might start to have fits again and would require further sedation on the aircraft, with its lack of privacy. Praise though to all the cabin staff; they were mo s t concerned and caring, and chatted with me during the long night hours. Passengers, too, came and chatted. All were intrigued by my SJA uniform and impressed that I was an unpaid volunteer. Incidentally, I was called twice to

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE

Silver Wedding

THIS YEAR to celebrate our Silver Wedding my husband and I went for a wonderful, unforgettable holiday - a cruise up the Rhine. It is true that my husband had to look after me, my wheelchair, a case of drugs, a supply of oxygen and two suitcases, but we both enjoyed the trip beyond measure.

The anniversary was so special for us because it was an occasion which at the time of our marriage we could not even hope to enjoy. No one at the time would have believed it could happen because some time earlier the doctors had told my parents that I would not live to the age of twenty-one. Yet here I am, forty-three years old, happily married, with two fine healthy grown-up children, leading a full and busy life. We truly have much to celebrate.

During my childhood I was in and out of hospital. I was a very small, sickly child with chronic bronchial asthma and a number of other serious illnesses as well. In those days there was no penicillin. The fact that I did grow up and was able to marry was entirely due to my loving, caring parents.

Derick, my husband, is an engineer. We met when I was fifteen and a year later we were engaged; two years later we married. We were young and very much in love, so my parents gave me permission to marry at eighteen because they believed my life was to be short.

After two years of marriage, to our great surprise and joy we had a son, Derick Junior. He was a beautiful baby. Although

by DOROTHY MOORE

one of my lungs collapsed when he was born thanks to the skilled medical care from the doctors and to all the help I was given by my husband and parents, I was able to look after him and watch him grow into a strong, healthy little boy. I also managed to do some voluntary welfare work for old people when I was fit enough, because they were not so well cared for in those days and I felt I should help them as much as I could.

Unfortunately my asthma and breathlessness were becoming more severe and spells in hospital more frequent - and longer. In the end when young Derick was four years old, the doctors advised us to move away from London where we had always lived and its dirt laden atmosphere and go to live where the air was fresher and cleaner.

After much thought we chose Hatfield, where we still live. It was a happy choice

The people of Hatfield are friendly and helpful and all through these years we have had the good fortune to live in a lively, active and caring community.

Two years after we moved, our daughter Denise was born. She was very small, yet she, too, was strong and fit. A few weeks later my lung collapsed again and we were told by the doctors that it would not be wise for us to have any more children. But we are thankful for the miracle of the two lovely children we were given They have grown up to be healthy and happy,

patients on the aircraft. Once to an asthmatic who was having difficulty breathing, but this was mainly due to panic and he just needed reassurance; and another time to a baby whose Arab mother had signified that he seemed to be unwell; it turned out that all she wanted was for something to wipe his nose! And a Dutch salesman asked me to go through a medical catalogue he was translating into English!

The Tristar landed exactly on time, 6 15 on the Wednesday morning The Berkshire St John ambulance, specially equipped for aeromedical work, was alongside and my patient and the other patient were taken down on a forklift, to be driven to the medical centre of Heathrow There I was asked to see another patient, a Kenyan who had had a heart attack and was in le f t ventricular failure! In consul t ation with the nurses we arranged hi s admi ssion to the local hospital. I don't remember much of

A STORY OF A THING CALLED COURAGE

although their mum wheezed constantly and popped in and out of hospital. It has been my good fortune always to have help with the children whenever I have needed it. As well as the support my good husband and parents gave me, in Hatfield I found Pam , a dear friend and neighbour. She had four c hildren and our joint total of six were brought up together. This gave them all a safe happy home background where they alway s had companions to play with and when I was away in ho s pital my two were welcome and equal members of a closely knit family circle.

While my children were still small I did voluntary work because there were always so many people I could help des pite my recurring bouts of illness. I was secretary to Hatfield Safety Committee and al so began to visit elderly people to encourage them to do craft work to keep them occupied and their minds alert. Although I have no professional training in occupational therapy handicrafts, I always had a flair for making things and, as I have never been able to enjoy any very active pastimes, my interest in craftwork has grown with the years, and I have learnt as I went along. When both the children were old enough to go to school and I felt I could do a parttime job, the local social services department offered me a job as a craft instructor on the strength of my voluntary work.

This work I thoroughly enjoyed. With a colleague, I taught, among other things, canework, knitting and toymaking to the

the journey from Heathrow to the Whittington Hospital at Highgate, as finally I succumbed to the lack of sleep over the past few days. We arrived at the hospital, the nearest to the patient's home, at 9am to find the nursing staff there most considerate and helpful. I handed over the documents, X-rays and a print-out of his brain s can, and the helpful sister in reception arranged for a minicab to take me back to Liverpool Street Station.

The final diagnosis of the patient was that he had had a cerebral vascular accident, proven by the brain scan which showed a scarred area in one cerebral hemisphere When I rang the next day to see how he was progressing the news was good; he was much more alert, sitting up and taking food, a s king when he could be discharged. The Sister on the ward said that he had little recollection of his long journey and no insight into his illness.

Finally I arrived back at m y loca railway station at midda y. The w h o le saga had lasted 100 hours with , all ow i ng for time changes, only 58 hour s on t h e gro un d i n Thailand!

The reason for telling t hi s story is to warn others making su c h aeromed ical trips that not only must they be p re p ared for tiredness, jet-lag, s tran g e f oo d , extreme changes in temperature and hum idity - but also to use an immen se am o un t of initiative, patience and diploma cy so th at all the arrangements go s moothly f o r the p at ient. For THAT is what t he SJ A Aeromedical Service is all about.

elderly, the handicapped and the blind. Some of our pupils lived in old people' s homes, others just came in for the day. They were delightful, loving people who taught me a lot, especially the blind. From them I learnt to use my eyes. During s chool holiday s Derick and Denise came with me to these clas s es because they too enjoyed helping old and handicapped people.

So , until 1975, life went on happily for me and my dear family despite my wheezes and my absences in hospital. Then life seemed to s top for a time because my health began to deteriorate. Breathlessnes s became more and more of a burden and I found my sojourns in the intensive care unit of the local hospital becoming more frequent and longer.

The do c tor s insisted on my giving up my part-time work. It was a sadness to me to have to leave my pupil s but even worse wa s to come. M y health trouble s multipli e d and at one point I lapsed into a coma When I regained consciousness the lower half of my body was paralysed and my sight was affected, but fortunately I still had the use of my arms and hands. The doctors diagnosed the trouble as neuropathy.

So slowly

Again supported and helped at every turn by my good, patient family and by the doctors and nurses in the local hospital, I began slowly, so slowly, to get better.

My wonderful ever-kind husband changed his job so that he could be home for some part of the day with me Two years ago we moved into a bungalow, which has made life easier for me, and we have an invaluable home help.

Now five years later I have managed to establish a new and very satisfying pattern of life.

Our splendid chest clinic gave me a nebuliser so that I can take Ventolin with my oxygen, and thanks to this and to the steroids and other drugs prescribed for me

to inhale, my breathing problems have been eased. Although I still depend on a wheelchair to get me about I am now able to walk a few steps. With the aid of suitable supports I use my hands freely but, alas, I have to do everything slowly, which is irksome for me because I have no patience.

During the day my time is fully occupied, mainly with voluntary work. My husband and I are active members of St John Ambulance and I find there are plenty of ways in which I can help them even though I cannot walk.

I am also a member of the Good Neighbours Group. This is a kindly Hatfield organisation which sets out to assist people who are temporarily in difficulties through ill health or family trouble The Good Neighbours arrange to do their shopping, collect their prescriptions, ferry them to and from hospital appointments, baby sit or lend a hand with anyone of the myriad tasks essential to everyday living Members of the group also visit lonely and housebound

But I must s a y tha t o n e major compensation, apart from b ei n g abl e to te ll friends and colleagues a bout o n e's five d ays in Thailand, was the c h ar m of the sophisticated Thai peopl e an d seeing in hotels, bars and re s tauran ts some of the prettiest girls in the world ! people.

In addition I am c hairm an of a new group, Disabled Inbe tw een s, all members of which are handi c apped T heir aim is to aid other disabled people We bring, I believe, a particularl y u s ef u l q u ality to the task. As both helpers and h elped have to grapple with much t he same disadvantages, they all understand ea c h o the r's problems, and solutions are kindl y and based on practical personal ex perie nc e. These interes s lea ve me am ple time for my own pastimes E ve ry o ther Saturday evening my husband t a kes me to Kestral Sports for the Disabled , wh e r e a t present I am being instru c ted i n arche r y, a fascinating sport. Of cour se I still love craft work and continue t o knit, make toys and do leatherwork and needl epoint. For the future I plan to tak e a course in flower arranging and I would dear ly love to write more poetry - ha vi ng alread y had some of my poems publi s hed in t he parish magazine. There are so man y pleasan t, useful things to do tha t m y days are full of interest and contentment. M y nights ar e not always so happy. Like mos t disabled p eople I d o no t sleep well and often ha ve to en d u re long dark hours of wakefu l ness w hi ch coul d lead to depression, but I t r y o ch eer th em by doing jigsaw puzzle s , whi ch is an e 'cellent way, I find, of pass i ng time. Ea rly morning finds me at my lowes ebb I am, I regret to say, often grumpy and doz y, bu a s soon a I start to plan the da y ahead and recall all the work and interest it off er s me I at once feel better, and my jo y in life is r esto red Working for people who thr o u gh ag e or illness cannot help themsel ves. Caring for a family. Immersing one s el f i n mindstretching creative hobbie s. A ll h ese thi n g bring happiness , despite d isa b ilit y, and I look forward t o a f utur e which I am sure will be rewarding and happ y. Yes, in our Silver Weddi n g year, I have much to celebrate.

Mrs Dorothy Moore at ho me with daughter Denise

,.

SUDDENLY a motor-cyclis t falls from his machine and starts sliding with unbelievable ferocity into a barrier at the side of the race track

Immediately one of the S t John Ambulance team working at Brands Hatch speeds into action, running like fury in hi s white overalls, worn for visibility, f rom the top of Paddock Hill, where the ambulance is stationed, to help the rider.

As he reaches the side of the track he waits until the other motor-cycle racers have passed before he charges up the hill to where the fallen rider is lying.

After a quick inspection his arm s hoot s up into the air telling the other tw o member s of the crew to bring the am bulance over once the race has fini s hed. T he situation is not des perate - if an injured rider or dri v er s in a cr tical condition then the ambulanceman waves both arms in t he air, a s king for immediate ambulance a ss istance and the race to be stopped.

As the track clears he ambulan c e hurtles over the

s and b ik e rider s w ho wi nd-up i n th e ca tc h fen cing

The 21 members o f t h e Farningham

Di visi on o f he S t J ohn Ambulance s pend mo s t o f the r S a tu r da ys and Sunda ys manning th eir t hree ambulances and th e

Ne w Med ical Ce nt r e a t t h e ra ce t ra ck -a s well a s per f orming all t h e o rdinar y d uti e s o f

a St J o hn di vision du r in g t he wee k

At lea st three ambul a nce s eac h wit h a cr ew o f th r ee s t a nd b y wh e n a ra ce m eeting is held o n th e s m a ller club c rc u it at Brand s

Ha t ch On t hi s o cca si on t h ey had to draft som e h e lp from the D a r tfo rd and Bigg in The D vision's newest

am bula n ce, base d on he Ford Tra nsit ch assis, on stan d-by a B ands Ha tch

Th e W' reg s ered

vehi c e, bu lt t o Co unt y Ambul ance Servi ce specifi ca ion cost he Divis ion £14, 500 and was delivered November 1980

taken to the neare s t ho s pital, Quee n Mary's, Sidcup, in one of th e S t John ambulance s Behind the high- s peed facade of the rac es is a highly organi s ed and effic ie n t set - up to give the driver s who are in v ol ved in po tentially lethal c ra s h es the best tr e atm e n t po ss ible

All th e team s are linked tog e th e r b y r a di o with two a mbul a n ce s ou o n t h e fie ld , o n e at Paddo c k Hill and a n o th e r in sid e t h e s weepin g C earwa ys bend, wi th a third waiting in s uppor t n the pit s.

In o ver all c harge is Sup e r in te nd e n t Le n Berry but below him th e ind iv idu a l tea m s o f nur sing and a mbula n ce m e mb er s wo r k with a well o iled effic ien cy wh e n a si tu at io n wh e re quick thinkin g is n ee d ed

Ou r on e p roblem is th at we need m o r e

peo pl e,' sa id Gra ha m Pa lm er, me mb er of a n a mb u la n ce c rew a nd th e di v is io n 's P re s s off icer , ' w e o nl y hav e tw e nt y- o n e p eop le in

th e di vis io n at th e m o m en t so it ofte n call s for a ve r y heavy wee ke nd c ommi t m e n t so we ca n p rov id e h e r ace tra ck w it h cover.'

H ow e ve r , Gr a ham do es no t beg rud ge th e t im e he s p e nd s t h e r e. H e e nj oys watc hi ng

th e mo to r ra c ing, as do many others in t h e di vis ion s o it s n o t all wo rk wit h out pl ay.

T r aining, w hi c h is mu c h l o n ge r t h an in an ordin a r y S t John di vis io n is one of the m os t imp or tan t pa rts.

Surp r sin g l y, work in g at a race meeting takes a lot of getti n g used to. Often yo u are kn eelin g w t h so m eo n e at t h e si d e of t h e t rac k as c ar s whi zz p ast yo u r ears,' h e said.

'Yo u h ave t o learn to watch, to grow acc ustomed to t he spee d We can't ust h ave p eo pl e run ning o u t onto the track rega rdl ess,' h e a dd e d

He exp a ine d that fir s of all would-be vo lu n tee rs are pu th r ough the usual mi ll of basic f irst aid fo r b e t ween six to eight weeks b efore t h ey come out for practical ex p e ri ence o n t h e track,

F irst the new recruits just observe from a n a mbu lance, then after a while they are a ll owed to acco m pany one of the a m bulan ce crew o n runs to h e casualties.

Fina ll y after a b out nine months to a year t h ey a r e r eady to work at the side of the track on t h eir own.

'It' s a ll wort h it thoug h ,' said Graham. '1 fi nd it fun a n d fulfilling. But we need about

YOUR 1982 HOLIDAY?

Hill d iv isio n s bec au se t h e f ull G ra nd P r x circ ui t was b eing use d

T he fi r st t h i n g tha t s tri kes y ou is that t h e a mbu la n ceme n are no st u ck o u t in so m e ob scur e corn er loo ki n g a fte r l it t le c hildren w h o h ave falle n over, bu are s itti n g rig h t sla p b a n g in th e middl e of t h e circ ui t, expose d t o a n yt hin g h at flies off it i n t he ir d irecti on A ll t h e S t J o hn amb

ecial

o rt h o pa ed ic st re t c h e r c all ed t he 'scoo p ', w hi c h se para es in half so you can pu s h i und e rnea h s omeone w h o s injur ed , c lip i toge th er a nd h e n pi c k t hem up wi t hou mo vi ng them too f a r. A n ai r s pl i nt w hi c h can b e u sed q ui c kl y to ke e p a broken limb in p lace, is al s o ca rri e d M o re sp ecia li se d equipm e n t s carr ie d on a m edical m ot or -cycle, supplie d b y B rand s H a c h , r idd e n b y a doctor who ha s been trained h ow t o drive a round t o an emerg en cy in t he middle of th e ra ce and c ontains e ectro - c ardia m ass ag e equipment f or life and death ca ses.

All th e a mbulanc e men carry their own pe rs onal black box , which contains esse nti a l f ir s t a id equipmen t like banda g e s and sp lints.

Th e N e w Medical Cen t re , which wa s bu ilt b y Br and s Hatch, is s taffed by two do c tor s and fiv e S John nur se member s.

Tho s e who are les s seriou s ly injured are trea ted ther e and , in emer gency ca se s the do cto rs hav e ev e ry modern facilit y t o help s tabili s e their condition before they are

T R YI G to ma ke up your mi n d as to where a nd w h e n to go on ho liday can be a co nfu s in g, engt h y an d diffic ul t busine ss. Especia ll y so whe n the rain pours incessa n t l y or th e snow p iles u p on yo u r doors t ep. It a ll seems rat h e r a long way away. And h ow d o you k n ow it real l y is go in g to be a good h o li day?

T h e h o lid ay wo u ld lik e to tell you about h as been sp ec iall y arra n ged for all mem bers of St J o hn a nd it cate rs fo r all tastes.

T h is h o l d ay, orga ni se d by Lionheart

To ur s, co m p ri ses exce ll ent food and acco mm o d at o n , sun, sea, sand, mo un ta ns, some of t h e most o u tstanding p laces of h istor ica l a n d arch itectural in te r es t and nat ural b eau y, and a Hospital. A HO SP IT A L ? Yes, and it's no t there fo r h o lid ay umm y up sets! It is, of co urse, t h e S t Jo hn Oph t ha lmi c Hospital i n J e ru sal em, w h ich cele b rates its centenary in 1982

T h e 12- d ay excl u sive h o lid ay o u r of the H o ly L and s a t a ve r y reasonab le cost a n d yo u can c h oose w h e n yo u go f r o m a var ety

o f d epa r u re da tes betwee n Fe b rua ry and O c tob e r 1982 In a ddit i o n to t h e low cos , the Ho s pit a l rec ei ve s a d o n at i o n fo r eve r y book i n g wi t h Lio nh ear t Tou rs!

L yin g b e t wee n t h e d ese r t an d t h e sea th e Hol y La nd is a land o f dr a m a ti c scen ery where the lu s h gr e en hills of Gal ilee in th e nor t h co ntr ast s harpl y wi h t he b ar r e n wild e rn ess o f th e Neg ev n t h e so uth In betwe en is the uniqu e natural p h eno m e n o n of the D e ad S ea - t he owest p o in t o n eart h - and to th e we s t th e g olden b e a c h es of t h e M e diterrane an s ho r eline.

You will b e abl e t o v is it Ce a sa r ea (t h e Roman capital of Pal estin e f o r over 500 years), A cr e (the m a in se a p ort o f t h e Crusaders) , Tiberius , N az areth , t h e S ea o f

a n ot h er 10 rec ruit s to make thing s less of a b urd e n a nd easier to r un

O n h at d ay G r a h am's ambu lance had take n o n e young ri d e r into Q u een Mary 's for X-rays, an d picked up several more zealous ones who had slipped off the roadway.

In t h e s id e-car p ract ice session one of t he three-wheelers left the track on Cooper Straight. I rus h ed down to help the driver but was horrified when I fo u nd I could only s pot one leg,' he continued.

'It wasn't for q u ite a while that I realised that he had a woo d en one which had come off in the cra s h,' h e added.

One rider, Mike Capon, from Abing d on who cut and bruised his a nkle in a crash at Druids Hairp in on the Saturday afternoon and was treated b y the ambulancemen was back winning races later in the day. But there is one thing you'll ne ver s ee at t h e track - a blue fla s h i ng light on an ambulance; St John refuse to use t hem while at the circuit so as not to alarm an y of the relat ve s watching in he crowd.

(Reprinted f rom Dartford and Swanley Chronicle.)

Ga li ee, J o r dan Valley, Jericho, Mount Sian, Jeru s a em, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea a nd the Negev D es ert. It s ound s a lot , but there' s p lenty of time to relax, s it on the beach and vis it the ancient market place s Every tour include s a s pecial v sit to the Hospital to mark its Centenary Year. You will have an opport u nity to lunch with and meet the Hosp ita staff and also witness the wonderful work they do The Ho s p i tal of St J ohn is one of t he fine s and busiest op h tha lmic ho s pital s in the world, wi th a full me staff of over 100. Some 35,000 cases are treated each year, and over 4,000 major operations are per f ormed. It s doors are open t o all , regardless o f r ace or religion It is f ar more han a place of heal in g. It is a place where compassion, understan d ing and co-operation are fostered amo n g all peoples.

In the April 1981 St John Review, Watk in Williams wrote: '1 mu s t pa y tribute to the really splendid organi sation of Lionheart Tours ; and not least fo r t he s pecial facilities that they provided for St John members ' The Tours, only for members of St John and their familie s and friend s, s tart on February 13, March 6, April 24, Ma y 29 June 26, Augu s t 14 , September 11 and October 16. Let's hope this will make it ea s ier for you to make up y our mind. Wh y not t ake a holiday amongst friend s and let Lionheart open your e yes to the wonders of the Hol y Land?

If y ou would like a brochure or more information phone or write t o: Ri chard Rad c liffe The Order of Sl John G r osve no r C r es ent L ondon S\V X 7EF 0 ] 23 5 5231 o d rec o: Lionh ean T ours 66 S am for d H ll L on d o n 16 6 S 0 1 06 0991

The S John Oph thalmic Hospital in J erusa em ce ebrates its cen enary n 1982

FIRST AID AT WORK

The 150 delegates from 30 counties who were at the Association of Instructors' annual seminar at Whitelands College, London, Sept 4 and 5, got the message loud and clear on First Aid at Work training from the Association's Director-General, writes London's PRO Walter Hoadley.

Mr Tony Lingard said the subject - the new Act comes into force next July - must be the Association's first priority for the next two years. St John 'must go out to get as many as possible of those who require to be trained,' he said, 'as there are and will be others who will seek to do this.' It will be a case of 'every man for himself.

The D-G said the new 'Training Package' should be available from Headquarters by January 1982. After the Act comes into force First Aid At Work certificates can only be issued to those taught by these methods. 'All our training must go through this process by next July,' he emphasised.

With some 8,000 lay instructors in St John, the D-G paid tribute to the importance of the Instructors' Association, which is dedicated to the quality of first aid instruction.

CARAVAN RALLY

The SJA caravan/campi ng rally held at Cambridge Oct 9/ 10 was such a success that there is to be another, this time a national event, on April 23125. More details later.

MUSICAL SOCIETY

The second concert organised by the Order of St John Musical Society will take place at London's Guildhall on Wednesday, December 2, instead of October 22 as published in the July Review.

Proceeds from the concert, which is sponsored by the National Westminster Bank, will be donated to the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem.

The programme, which features the English Chamber Orchestra and the celebrated piano soloist Cristina Ortiz, is:

LONDON WINNER

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

Elgar's Introduction and Allegro for Strings, Opus 47; Mozart Piano Concerto K453 in G; and Tchaikowsky's Serenade for Strings Opus 48. For ticket prices and further concert details write or telephone to The Order of St John Musical Society, St John' s Gate, St John's Lane, Clerkenwell, London ECIM 4DA (Tel. 01-253 664).

THE GRAND MASTER

Everyone interested in the history of the Order of St John will be pleased to know that a play called The Grand Master, all about Jean de la Valette and the Siege of Malta in 1565, will be playing in London

for an initial 3-week period during November and December. Written by author and journalist Anthony Steven, whose television screen successes include scripts for The Forsyth Saga, The Count of Monte Cristo and, currently, Fanny By Gaslight on BBC 1, the play will be performed at the Production Village Theatre, Cricklewood, London NW2.

Although The Grand Master will be open to the public on Tuesday November 24, the subsequent two evenings, November 25 and 26, have been officially designated as St John nights with the proceeds being donated to St John Ambulance November 26 will also be press night, for the critics and show-biz fraternity, but it is hoped that one or two contemporary Knights of St John will also be there to give the evening an extra dash of period colour. Tickets at £3 each (including the programme) are available from The Press Office at National HQ, or from The Northants County Director. Jack Barker , giving an Emergency Aid course at the British Deaf Association's summer school. Together with another instructor, Dave Rigley. and helped by 'interpreters', 28 of the 41 people who opted for the course comp eted it.

(Photo: British Deaf Association)

AB OJ

BY THE EDITOR

Brigade Office at Edwina Mountbatten House, 63 York Street, London WI (TeL 01-258 3456). The programme will include details about the work of St John Ambulance and a small exhibition may be mounted in the theatre foyer.

The curtain goes up at 7.30pm and the play ends at lOpm, with a 15120 minute interval. Dates: Tuesday, November 24; Sunday, November 29; Wednesday, December 2; Sunday, December 6; Wednesday, December 9; and Sunday, Decem ber 13

I WAS THERE ...

Nursing Officer Mrs Margaret Ford, of Sidmouth Nursing Division, Devon, was walking along the esplanade when a girl, aged about 2], literally fell at her feet.

Mrs Ford tried to find ou t why an apparently strong and healthy girl shou ld suddenly collapse by searching the contents of her handbag to see if she carried a medical card - and asked a passer - by to call an ambulance. The girl was slipping in and out of a coma, and Mrs Ford now tried to find out if the girl had taken a drug overdose

The ambulance arrived and the girl was taken to hospital.

Said Mrs Ford; 'I rang the hospital later to find out how she was. I wanted to visit her and talk with her. I was sad when was told she had discharged hersel f. Although she is perfectly entitled to do so, it seemed a pity because she obviously needed help.

'But she did not want her parents to

(Below) R / Adml J D. Trythall left), with Mrs Trythall who retired this summer after 8 years as Commissioner for Somerset, receiving gifts of an antique table. tumblers and a tray from members throughout the County. The new Commissioner is Mr Julian Luttrell (right), with Col. W. Duke, chairman of the Council

THANKS ROBERT

The SJA first aid party at the re-dedication of HMS Fearless at South Shields. The ship was launched by Lady Hull, wife of Field Marshal Sir Richard Hull, in 1962,

a great time at their swimming gala which included races of every type (they even had a balloon race!) Cadets from every division in the Area took part know what happened. It was all very sad, but it made my day to think that I was there at the right time and was able to help.'

A GOOD TRY

I hear that Fleetwood Nursing Cadet Division held a 24-hour sponsored bedmaking marathon during August which appeared on Granada TV and was reported by Radio Lancashire.

The Mayor and Mayoress, parents and members of the adult divisions carne along to support the ten cadets who started making the beds at 7pm. Many of the supporters stayed on throughout the night as time-keepers, producing refreshments, and Stanley Bradshaw of Thornton Ambulance Division put on film shows for the 'off-duty' tearn members.

It was great fun for everybody. And the ten cadets finally made -up 1,065 beds by 7pm the next evening. But not enough, alas, to beat the UK record. But a darned good

AT RANDOM

(Cont. from p.241)

Gradual transfer

In most parts of England, including the neighbourhood in which Mr Partridge lives, St John Ambulance were the chief source of ambulance services, mainly on a part-time vo luntary basis, until the Welfare State brought statutory ambulance services into being. But this was not something that could happen overnight; it was a gradual process of transfer from St John and other agencies to the county ambulance service.

In some places the process couldn't even start for several years, and when it did start the rate of transfer varied widely from one place to another. Local authorities were faced with the colossal task of training personnel as first-aiders - not an obviously attractive job to those without previous experience, and the salaries offered were on a very modest scale. One of the most fruitful sources of recruitment was from the ranks of St John members who had already experienced, so high a quality of 'job satisfaction' that they were prepared to abandon other forms of employment and join the ambulance service even when it

250

Review.

Everything that appears in a publication, from whatever source, is the responsibility of the editor. He's in the hot seat. And no matter how much he tries to avoid it, things do occasionally go wrong. We very much regret these errors. An extra check is to be put on the printing of pictures in the Review in future.

SJA BAND FED

The Federation of St John Ambulance Brigade Bands has a new public relations officer - Mark Gillam, who plays lead trumpet and runs the B Corps of the Southwick Band.

TOGETHER

try, girls!

S. CLEVELAND COVER

On November 10 1981, a commemorative cover is to be issued to mark the centenary date of the South Cleveland Centre of the Association. The cover will depict the St John Ambulance emblem and a line drawing of the Royal Exchange, Middlesbrough, the birthplace and original headquarters of SJA in the area, and contain a printed card outlining a brief history of the South Cleveland Centre

The cover will bear the 22p Duke of Edinburgh Award stamp, which depicts the rendering of artificial respiration, cancelled with a pictorial hand stamp. The covers will be posted in a special box at the Royal Exchange, Middlesbrough, and this fact will be denoted by a special cachet in the outline of the stretcher on the reverse of the cover. Up to 2,000 covers will be issued, of which 100 will be signed by the Lady

meant a smaller pay-packet. Some years ago I heard the Chief Ambulance Officer of a county, speaking at a St John conference, pay an immensely warm tribute to the way in which St John members got the ambulance service 'off the ground' in its early days; he said that without their help and support his task would have been impossible, and that when a few years later he was asked to become Association County Director the very least he could do was to accept the post as a mean s of repaying St John for all the help he had received. Of course the relationship wasn't always, or everywhere, as warm and cordial as that, for in the gradual phasing out of St John volunteers there were many potential causes of tension which needed very delicate handling. Mr Partridge's letter refers to the two chief causes, but I'm sure he'll forgive me for saying that his facts, and therefore his conclusions, need a little readjustment.

First, in those early days it was not the relatively less experienced volunteers who seemed a threat to the professionals, but the fact that many of the volunteers were considerably more experienced than some of the professionals in the early stages of their training. So short staffed was the

Gisborough, County President SJA.

The cost of each cover, including postage and packing, will be 90p for UK customers and £1.05 for those overseas. The s pecially signed covers will cost an additional £1 each.

Proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and the work of the St John Ambulance Association.

Orders, with remittance made payable to the St John Ambulance Association, Cleveland. sho uld be sent to Mr G. M. Wignall, County Secretary, 11 Cornfield Road, Middlesbrough, Cleveland TS5 5QJ.

REVIEW PHOTOS

I received a number of letters about the printing in reverse of the Royal Wedding picture of Prince Charles and hi s br ide , and another photograph in the September

ambulance service in so me areas that men had to be sent out on emergency calls the moment they'd gained their basic first aid certificate, and somet ime s even before. On several occasions I had the delicate task of going out as a volunteer attendant with a full-time ambulanceman on his very first road accident, but I'm thankful to say that we always managed to work amicably and effectively together. There was even one occasion when we were diverted by radio to an emergency of which no precise details were given, and, knowing that my driver was very new to the job, I reminded him that I realised that he was in charge and that I would try to help him in whatever way he wished; to his great credit, he at once confessed that he hadn't yet finished qualifying as a first-aider and he would like me to give him guidance at every turn, so I assured him that we would work closely together as a two-man team - which we did. So short s taffed was the service in those days that more than once a full-timer who had failed his annual re-exam was sent straight out on emergency calls the next day. But let me add, very loud and clear, that events of the kind that I've described DON'T HAPPEN NOW ADA YS: members of the ambulance service are trained

All news and features on SJ A bands for the Review column SJA Music Makers should now be sent to him at: 95 Applesham Way, Portslade, Sussex BN4 2LN.

TIDAL WATERS

Three divisions which operate rescue boat s - London's Tideway Division, Kent's Tonbridge Division and Surrey's Weybridge Division - worked together on the tidal Thames between Westminster and Waterloo Bridge for the first time at this year's Thamesday (Sept 19).

As part of the closer co-operation developing between SJA marine units, crew-members from the different di visions were exchanged so as to standardise their operational methods

The duty included 'covering' the landin g and take-off of an amphibious aircraft, and escorting it to a mooring; escorting a 'Viking' raid on the National Theatre; and canoe and sailing events.

The only casualty of the day was an overheated outboard engine, which was replaced within IS minutes by a spare from the boat's service van.

to, and maintained at, a very high degree of efficiency before they are allowed to go out on duty.

The second cause of tension resulted from the very proper duty of the union s to protect their members from having their pay eroded by volunteers who deprived them of the chance to do permissible overtime (I say' permissible' because there is a limit to the length of time that an ambulance man should be permitted to be on duty without a break) From what I've already said, it will be realised that in the early days there was no real question of this difficulty arising, as the full-time staff were often overworked almost to breaking-point and simply couldn't have covered the du ties without the help of volunteers, particularly in the evenings and at weekends. There was never, in my experience, any lack of strictness about ensuring that the numbers of St John volu nteers on du ty and the length and times of their duty-periods were as agreed by the ambulance service. But the number of duties required of us varied from one area to another and from one year to another as each local ambulance service grew in strength, until , sooner or later, the time came when they no longer required our help.

MERSEYSIDE

When our help is needed

As I see it, it has never been the policy, still less the duty, of St John Ambulance Brigade to compete with statutory and professional bodies for a share in the duties that they perform. When our help is needed in times of emergency it will be asked for, as indeed it very often is asked for; and it then becomes our duty to give that help with all possible efficiency, promptness and goodwill. So far as ambulance transport and emergency duties are concerned, such requests normally occur only at big national and other public events or in the wake of some major catastrophe, and seldom outside large metropolitan areas, though St John divisions from further afield may be called in to help. On these occasions there is a very high degree of co-operationindeed, of integration - and mutual respect between the professionals and the volunteers, which only becomes possible because we do NOT try to ompete with them for a share in their duties, but wait to be called in as 'reservists'.

This does not mean that the need for voluntary help in the community is disappearing, but it DOES mean that the KIND of help needed must not be expected to remain the same for ever, but is all the

time gradually and imperceptibly changing.

The Welfare State will NEVER be able to do without the help of voluntary bodies like St John, and for the following reason: as the quality of life in the community steadily improves , so the discerned need for 'community care' in maintaining and developing that improvement steadily expands, and the demand for help is always bound to be ahead of what even the most perfect Welfare State can immediately satisfy. Thus there will always be a 'grey area or penumbra' between demand and supply, and rhar is where we come in. If we sit back bewailing the fact that the opportunity to do the 'traditional' duties of fifty or perhaps even ten years ago is no longer there, then as an organisation we shall imply curl up and die. But if we keep a keen lookout for new opportunities and, having spotted them, seize them with open arms, then we shall not merely revitalise ourselvers but inject new life into others

Perhaps the 19th century mystic Francis Thompson can offer us a final word of both warning and challenge:

'The angels keep their ancient places; Turn but a stone, and tart a wing! 'Tis ye, 'tis your estranged faces That miss the many- plendoured thing.'

Wirral Area members enjoying

sun while on duty at the

f Club, Hoylake

Grand Prior's Badge certificate for Gillian Tarr , of Christchurch Quad Division, from Wirral Area Supt (N) Miss Holden

SOME first-aiders have already witnessed the effect of so called Glue Sniffing on children and young persons. Some may have attempted to gain more information and understanding of the habit and its associated problems. The purpose of this article is to assist the first-aider by supplying some of this information

It is not intended to discuss in any way the methods of preventing the practice but to leave this part of the problem with the appropriate authorities in health and social education.

The term 'Glue Sniffing' has become quite well known and is used to describe a practice which is often given coverage by the media and often discussed with mysticism and ignorance. The term 'Glue Sniffing' wrongly describes the practice It is not the glue that is inhaled but the vapours from the product. The vapour is not 'sniffed' but deeply inhaled through the mouth and nose. It is not only vapours from 'glue' that are inhaled but also vapours from many other substances

The list of substances used for inhaling by children and young persons is ever increasing and will continue to be so while new products are manufactured and experimentation follows. Some of the products abused at present are; adhesives; plastic cement; dry cleaning fluids; Butane and propane gas; nail polish and remover; petrol; spirit pens and correcting ' fluids; surgical spirit; shoe and leather cleaners; dyes and certain paint thinners; contents of certain fire extinguishers.

It will be seen that some of these products

Glue Sniffing

THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CRAZE by BOB MANN, Deputy Director, Essex

are every day hou sehold commoditi es. Methods of abuse vary and depend upon the availability and opportunit y But the main method s are : s mearing sub s ta n ce in o polythene bag, crisp bag or bread wrappe r bag, and then holding t he opening of th e bag over the mouth and nose and f o r min g a seal; aerosol sprayed directl y into t he mouth or no se ; direc inhalin g fr om a container such a s a tube , bo tt le or tin smearing substance into bottle s and inhaling from the top (empt y mil k bo tt les are often u sed) A cloth or h a ndk e rc hi ef, sometimes a wri st sweat band, sprayed wi h the substance and held o ver the no se and mouth. Smearing or spraying s ub st ance onto a pad which is t hen pla c ed in side a pillow and inhaled whil s t a re s t. Smearin g substance onto s lee ve (or s weat band) o r other parts of clothing and then inhalin g when the opportunity occur s . P ie r c in g tub e with pin, relea sing pin and t hen inhalin g deeply escaping vapour. It is s ometime s the practice to increase evaporation by pla c in g tablets into liquid t ha t cause s effervesc en c e Solvent abuse t akes place in variou s locations. Initially in s olated area s du e to the obvious anti-social nature of the activity. As the abuser become s mor e affected their attitude be c ome s more carefree and irrespon s ible; they will probably become completely unaware of other people's presence and feeling s and have an absolute disregard f or a per son' s rights and opllllOns. Participation is sometimes a group activity yet on other occasions will take place in the s olitude of an individual's bedroom. The abusers are

not ne cessa r ly in a p art ic ul ar age or c ult gro up Th e pr o du c ts vary in p ri ce a nd t h e regularit y of a bu se is u s u a ll y governe d b y f inan ce. Apar f rom recogn is ing t h e metho d s o f abu se i t is im po rt a n t t h at th e first-a id e r should b e awa r e o f t h e ra n ge of e ff ec ts the se pr o du cts have o n t he hum a n b o d y, vary in g fro m mild eu p h o ri a to death Once thi s is appr ec iated t h e first-aider wi ll be m o re p rep a red o d ea l wi th t h e pro bl e m s when t h ey ari se. A lth o u gh deat h may occ ur dire ctl y a s a res ul t o f so lve nt a bu se h ere a r e more d ea th s c au se d by t he haza rd in vo lve d in th e a ctual p ro ce dur es of a bu se m e n t, su c h a s a sph yx ia b y t h e exc lu si o n o f oxyge n and th e inhaling o f vomi t.

The irra ti o n a l b e hav io ur af te r a 'sess ion o f s olv e nt a bu se o ft en res ul ts in fal ls fr o m br id ges , w ind ows, etc. Th e r e h ave b ee n recorded c a ses o f br ai n da m age li ve r damag e and kidne y s hut d ow n ca u se d b y the p r a c ti ce o f s ol vent a bu se, a nd w hil s it is ac cepted that t h es e will re quir e ur ge nt medical t reatm e n t th e r e ar e many ass oc iated minor p ro bl e m s w hich m ay be noti ced by the f ir st -aide r w hen r e nderin g as sist ance. Man y a bu ser s ex p erien ce nau se a and di z zyne ss , mild euphoria , loss o f memory and hallu c in a tion s , exc itement, blurring of vi s ion , and lo ss of s pe ec h and balance As s ome o f th e products abu s ed give off alcohol vapour s there will be s imilar reaction s to tha t o f alcohol inges tion. Certain produ c ts are mildl y corrosive and with re g ular abu se will cause reddening of the s kin around the mouth and or nose , na sal and re spirat o ry tract

(sometime s known a s s niffer s ra sh') , which may later be followed b y s pots and boil s A charac te ri s tic s ign of solvent abu se is odour from the sub s tance it self , which ma y remain on the bre at h f o r up to 12 hour s after a session' , but oth e r s ig n s a r e not quite s o obviou s - tru c ul e n t or unu sual behaviour; a b s enc e from sch oo with a reluctance to ac c ount fo r reaso n s and movement s ; relu ct an ce to di s clo se to parent s d e tail s of ass o c ia tes a nd o cc up a tion during free time And th e n ee d f or finan ce to conti nue the pr ac ti ce ma y res ul in th e f t and a ss o c ia ted criminal b e h av io ur It will b e see n that th e fi rs t- ai d e r 's co ur se of action can b e d esc r bed as urge nt o r n o nurg e n t. Su sp e cted so lve nt ab use call s f o r ur gen t a c ti o n If br eathin g is a b se n t a d o pt a ll th e pr oce dur e req uir ed for th e lr eatme nt of as ph yx ia R em e mb e r yo u may be d ea lin g with a s ub s tan ce a k e n into th e r esp ir a tory syst em t ha m ay b e toxic, vo lati e and /o r no xi ou s: C ardia c sta n dsti ll may resu lt a nd s h o uld b e watc h e d for. Try to prese rve tr aces of s ub sta nces a bu sed for medi ca exa min a tio n (ie, vom it) and the contents of co ntain e rs, etc. Th ese are often h id de n o r thro w n away a nd i n he case of p last ic or c ri sp ba gs may h ave bee n carried away by the w ind Wh ere young non-urge n t cas ua l t ies are co ncerned parents should b e ac tfull y a nd d iscreet ly informed of t he c ir c um s t a n ces a nd encouraged to cons u l t t h eir fa mil y D octor a nd re late the fu ll c irc um s lan ces.

Th e r e is n o legislation in t h e U.K. to preve nt so lve n a bu se. It is us u a ll y t h e b e h av io ur of th e abuse rs after in haling t h at fo r ces O ffic ia l Actio n ', and while effo r ts ar e bei n g m a d e to so lve this problem he pr ac ti ce of so lvent abuse i continuing a m o ng a small p ercentage of the young and will co n t inu e to be a problem.

Heat h er Russe and Nicola Hinton, two of the ten Hen eY'oll - Thames cadets

BUCKS

Photos:

CADET CHAT

Cadet Diamond Jubilee Year ... Cadet Diamond Jubilee Year

AS THERE is now very little time to go before the start of the Cadet Diamond Jubilee Year 1982 celebrations I thought I would concentrate in this issue on activitie s that have been brought to my attention as arranged for next year.

St John Cadet Extravaganza, Royal Albert Hall , October 9 As I announced last month this Extravaganza is being produced by Major M. Parker , the producer of The Royal Tournament. Two s hows are bein g presented , one at 4.30pm and the other at 8pm. Counties have been asked to put forward ideas and / or acts for the show and it is very much hoped that there will be a Jubilee Job s F or t ni g h t

O ph thal m ic Hospita l in and it is h o p ed that £80,000 wil l be raised to endow a be d i n t h e h ospital. It has been worked out that thi s fig u re can be r a ised if EVERY cadet in the count r y were to raise £2 each during the fortl1lght, w hi c h w ill be from Ju ly 24 to August 8 1982. F ur t h er detail w il be i sued late r , bu do know that a group of cadets will be c h osen to present the mone y to the hospita l in Jerusa em combined with a tou: of Ho ly Land - an opportunity of a llfetlme

N ijme ge n Marches Ju ly 17 -25 19 82

Thi s yea r a sma ll team of ad ul t me:nbe r s to o k par t (with some 20,000 ot h ers) 10 t h e ma r ches (see October Review) to ga m ex p erie n ce in readiness for an entry ?y three teams of cadets in the 1982 even t. N1J megen is n Ho ll and and this s a very exciting o p por tunity for cadets to participate for t h e fir st ime in th is event. Fitne ss is importa n t, b ec au se acco rding t o age teams wi ll n eed to c o ve r 30 or 40km eac h day over a p er io d of f o ur d ays. T hi s is a truly internationa eve nt and an opportun i ty not to be m issedm o r e detai ls soon.

Out w ard B ou nd '82

Althou g h not strictly speaki n g a s p ec al Jubilee activity, two m ore co u rses h ave been arranged at Aberdovey i n Wa es to introdu ce c ad ets to n ew a d vent u re ac ti vi ti es and dev e lo p lea d ers hi p pote n ia l in yo un g people Each co u rse wi ll incl u de 25 cad e s T he f i rst, for cadets 14 to 15 yea rs o f age, w ill b e h e ld from Ju ly 3 1 to A u g u s t 10 , a nd the se co nd course, for 16 to 17 yea r ol d s, will be held f r o m A u g u st 1°to 2 1.

The t ot al cost f or t h e co u rse is £ 150 , but as thi s s bein g very h eavil y s ubs idi se d b y Headqu arte r s n di vi du a s w ill n eed to pay only £ 50! I h ave v site d h e O u tw ard Bound

C ent r e a t A be rd ovey wi th a St J o hn group and f ound t h e activ i t ies very exc iting -

Cad et

they even had an old un' like me c li m bin g a n d canoeing during the two days I was t h e r e! really recommend that cadets be encouraged to take part in thi s course

W h at a re you doing next year?

By now everyone s hould have heard about h e Jubi lee year - s o what p lans have your D ivision s/A rea s/C oun t ie s made for next year? I wou ld like to h ear from you about the activitie s that are planned so that they can be shared with others. If you haven't got anything planned yet, you'd better hurry! Why not get the ca de ts actively nvo l ved in making s ugge st ion s and p lannin g events - this would be good experience for them and encourage enthus iasm. 1 ha ve he ar d some ideas which include spec ial co mpetition s, ra llie s, camps and fun days - including Sports and It' s a Knockout competition s. Why not take advantage of the publicity value of the yea r and take part in ca rnival proces ion s in your area? I f you contact the carnival committees soon enough, they might make yo ur Division one of the chari tie th ey are going to s uPpOrt for the year - likewise o ther fund ra i jng bodies mi g ht be able to assist. But make yo ur appeal m ore interesting by se tling a specific target to aim for rather than a ge neral ca ll for money. DO 'T FORGET - let me know about your plans soon, so thal they

Informatio n Full information

ORIENTEERI NG for 11 to 2 0 year olds

THOSE of you who are orienteers may ha ve been puzzled by the cadet proficiency s ubj ect 'Advanced Map Reading and Orient ee ring ', which in fact includes no orienteering at all! If you are not an orienteer and thought it was ju st another aspect of map reading then you have been mi s ing out on a lot of fun.

Orienteering has become a wellde ve loped and organised competitive sport and yet the newest beginner ca n get as much fun and excitement out of it as the champion s hip class co mp et itor. The aim is to find a given number of controls (check points) in the quickest po ssi ble time, using a map and compass. Competitors tart at imed interval s, so beginn e rs s hould not be di s heartened if they take a long time, as no one will realise ulltil a week or so later when the final re ult and time s are is ued.

Orienteers have developed their own very detailed large sca le maps. It is not an expen s ive sport and is truly an act iv ty for t h e w h ole family, expert or beginne r , fit or u nfiL

Brigade HQ have introduced a new cadet proficiency subject called 'Orienteering'.

N o w separate subject in Adventure

The Advanced Map R eadi n g and Orienteering' subject wi ll continue unaltered, but w ill b e ca ll e d si mp ly 'A dvanced Map R ea d ing' The new 'Orienteering' su bject w ill be fo r 11 to 20 age range and will be i n t h e a d ve n ture

group o f subjects. It will therefore provide an extra opportunit y for rhe younger cadet to gain the adventure group proficiency subject needed for the Grand Prior 's Award. Details are available from Brigade Training and Cadet Branch at HQ. At an orienteering control (Photo: Tom Astbury Edinb urgh)

Diamond Jubilee Yea r . Cadet Diamond Julilee Year

Cadet D iamond Jubilee Year

(Brother)

Sir John Reader Welch, Bt (London).

Caprain John Stephen Lloyd, MC, JP (Somerset).

James Donald Cameron, MB, ChB, FRCSEd, FFOM (Merseyside).

Frank Edward Critien, ED (Malta).

COMMANDER (S ste r

Patricia Gladys, Miss Stokoe, MBE (Mi dd x).

Dorothy Madge, Mrs Henry (West M d lands )

OFFICER (Brother)

Samuel George Armstrong, The Baron Vestey (Glos)

Major Peter Joseph Dolan, ED (London)

Frederick Bernard Bryan (Staffo rd).

Lt -Col William Arthur Sewell, BDS , LDS , RCS (Cumbria). Arthur Dudding (West Yorks).

Cecil Thomas Hitchcock (Devon).

Col. Donald Smith, MB, BS (Wilts).

John Douglas PalJister (Dur ham).

Philip Edward Plummer (Avon).

Col. Brynley Lawrence Francis (Ches hire).

James Hamilton V. Brownlow, QPM (S. Yorks).

Thomas Edward Court (Do rset).

ORDER INVESTITURE

by the Lord Prior, London, Sept 30

David GarbUl! Barton , FRCGP, FRCSEd, MA, MD, BChir, LRCP, MRCS, DOb t, RCOG (Ke n t).

Brian George Davi s (London).

Thoma s Salisbury Ri c kard s (Cheshire).

Janle s Douglas Hopkins (Humberside).

Col. Th omas Kelvin Bur ke, TD, QHP, MB BCh, BAO (Avon).

Leonard Francis Har vey (Berks).

Dennis Arthur Parker (Essex).

Ric h a rd Herbert King, MRCS, LRCP (Leicester)

Cyril Arthur Roebu ck ( Dor set).

Co l. William Geo rge Grenville Loyn, ERD, TD, MB FFAR CS, DA (Aberyswy th) Professor Anthony Ro ger Mellows (London).

OFFICER (Sister)

Dame An na Neagle-Wilcox, DBE (Lon d on).

SERVING BROTH E R J ohn Gor don King, SRN, RMN (London).

David Ian Chambers (Northampton)

James Arthur Booty (Norfo k).

Thomas Shimmin (Me rseys ide).

James Patrick Fitzpat ri ck (Lancs).

Richard Hold en P almer LRCP&SI, LM (Kent). Edwar d Pe ck (London)

James John Bond (Essex).

Edwar d H igham (Man chester).

Air Co mm. John Christopher M ill ar (No rfolk).

Kenneth Bernard S u tcliffe (Herts)

Charles Ri c ha rd Phillips (Lancs).

Stanley Edward Carro ll (Middx).

Charles Michael Azurdia, MB, ChB, DOb t, RCOG (Merseyside).

C lifford Whitelum (Norfolk).

Barry Warrington (Cheshire).

John Maurice Honon He n s).

Leonard Adams, M BE (Sur rey).

James John Town-Clear (Hants)

Da v id S an ley Hinchcliff Cannon, MRCS, FRCGP, DOb st, RCOG (Hens).

Revd Kenneth Thomas Brooks (London).

Geoffrey James Fairhurst, MD, C hB BS c (Cheshire).

John Trevor Dawson, MB, Ch B DRCOG (Norfolk).

Bar rie Richard Holloway (Middx).

Arthur Jack Cormack H umberside).

Walter John Carden (Kent).

Ronald Leonard James Moore (Sussex). Derek Colley (Tyne & Wear).

Pau l Joseph Danie ls (Norfo lk)

Michael Hedley Po le (Surrey).

Michael Leonard Dawes (York).

John Vincent Dyer, MB, B MRCS, LRCP, FSCM, DPH (Lanca ter).

A lan Desmond Vinall (Surrey).

James Charles Curti (Northants).

David Sidney Cole (Norfolk).

Edward Kenneth Jack Green (l\1iddx).

Brian John Hinds (Leics).

Ronald William SCOIl CLincs).

Adam William Blyth Law on, MB, ChB, DIH, MFCM (Cumbria).

David John Minney (Surrey).

David Radcliffe Metcalfe Stuart, MB, C hB, DRCOG, FRCGP (Norfolk).

Richard Sherlaw Me (Notts).

John David Barratt, LRCP, MRCS, DTM&H (Herts).

John Henry Clifford William (Sa op).

Arthur Frederick Wellings (London).

Mr s Joan Sainsbury, of Dagenham , Essex, who is a District Staff Officer and Assis ant Brigade Secretary at Greater London Distri ct headquarter s, becomes a S e rving Si s ter W it h 19 years

St John s e rvice, Mrs

Sa in sbury is the hird member of her family to be invested as a member of the Order

U-Col Cecil Edmond Kirby Speller (Wilts).

Norman Arthur Bowler (Henley).

SERVING ISTER

Freda Mary, Mrs Bethell (London).

Winifred, Mrs Collington (Leics)

Anne, Mrs S h eehan (Kent).

Olive Kay, Mrs Field (London).

Patricia Mary, Mrs Crombie, SRN, SCM, RSCN, RNT (Northampton)

Pauline, Mrs Atkinson (Merseyside).

Muriel Constance Joliffe, Mr Young (London).

Kathleen Grace, Mrs Bowley (Leics).

Peggy, Mrs Hamilton (Hants). Alice Mona, Mrs Horton (S. Humbers ide).

Ethel Emily, Mrs Carroll (Lo nd on). Alice Frances Eliza, Mrs Ca laby (Norfo lk)

Sybil Constance, Mrs Knolt (Leics) Lily, Miss Brown (Surrey).

Dori s Edi th Mrs Andrews (Worcs).

Ir ene Li ian, Mrs Mansfield (Hertford).

Alma Jea n Muriel, Mrs Dow, SRN (Lo ndon)

Kat hleen Mrs Powe l (Hants).

David Minney , Sergeant Major Band mas t er of the SJA Southwark Corp s o f Drums which has played in the forecourt of Bu ck ingh am Palace, three times at t he Royal Tournament and has had many successes n band contests, becomes a Serving Brother Of his 20 years with St John, 13 years have been as Southw ark Co rp s ba ndmast er

Dori s, Mrs Rycroft (Ken ). Kathleen Emily, Miss P Olle r, SRN, RMN, RMPA (Devon). Ann Laura, Mrs K. Linskill (Humberside) Susan, Mrs H obso n (Lancs).

Ada Annie, Miss Otter (London)

Ka thl een Mary, Mrs Williams (Leics).

A geta Isabella, Miss Mitchell (London).

Gladys, Mrs White (Derbys).

Eileen Dori s, Mrs C larke, SRN, SCM (London).

Sarah Ellen, M rs Millward (Bu cks ).

Bet y, Mr s J enkinson (Essex).

Joan, Mrs Sainsbury (Essex )

Ali ce Laura, Miss O'Rourke (Le cs).

ESQUIRE

Dr J ohn Tan ner, Kni g ht of Ju s tice, presented hi s

pe rsona l Esquire, Dr Donald Adamso n of Kent, to the Lord Prior.

MUSEUM NOTES

The decorations of St John and Lady Furley

TOD AY, S ir John Fur le y (1836 - 1919) is r e memb e r e d p rim ar il y as a fo und e of one of the fi st Bri ga d e Corps at A s hford, Kent, and as a designer of s ome of the fir s St John Ambulance equipment. H owever, as a p ioneer of th e Association a nd B rigade he became a n international ambassador of h e ambu lance movement a nd his career, over fifty years, marked the emergence of an organised fir s t aid service, to educate and se rve the public in peace time, a n d ready for mobili s ation a a medical reserve in wartime.

Like many of th e early m e mber s of the Order of St John, experience of the conditions s uffered by tho se injured at war and the exchange of idea s at the first Red Cross con ferences ed h im to reali se the need for improv ed medical se r vices for the wounded - yet h is specia contribu tion was to recognise how, throu g h civ ilian first aid training, the Order cou ld hel p so ve this problem Fur ey devoted his li fe to the Order and it s foundations; he was active y involved in the establishment of the first Ambulance department, the A socia tion and then th e St John Ambu lance Brigade

Abroad, he repre ented the Order in Paris during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 he served as Chief Commissioner of the Briti h Red Cross Society (representing the Order and the various other vo luntary medical bodies) during the South African War 1899- 1902), and attended every inte rn ational conference of Red Cross between 1869 and 1912. At home, Furley him se lf estimated t h at he travelled a round 500 mile s every week, promoting and lecturing on first aid, but sti ll found time to run Ashford Corps, supervise the first St John Ambu ance tore at St John 's Gate, and was re spons ible for devising much of the basic firs t aid equip m e n used by the Brigade up until the end of the First World War.

Therefore it i par icularly appropriate that his decorations and medal s, and those of his wife, s h ou ld be disp layed at St John' s Gate, which ha s now been made possible throu gh their generou oan by Maid s tone Museum. We are al 0 fortunate that U-Col. Cole-Mackintosh, w h o ha s a s pecial int erest in the O rd er's medal s and awards, espec a ll y ho se i u ed for the South African war, h a b een able to iden tify a nd exp la in the sig nifi ca nc e and mporta n ce of many exa mple s in the group. These medals wi ll be on display at St John' s Gate and we hope to find a s pecial pl ace for th e m w ith in our forthcom in g St John Ambulance display.

Lt-Col. Cole-Macki nt osh, SBStJ, wri e

My numbering of t h e medals follows th e layout of th e photo grap h To ha ve attempted a chronological tr e atm e nt would ha ve resu lted in a confusing array of numbers a ll over the photograph. Please note that item 20 (miniature med a s) is out of se quen ce - this s to separate Sir John' s medal s from t ho se of hi s wife and t he

S ir John Furley's decoration s (above).

Top row, fro m left to right:

1. Companion of H ono u r. Appointed in 191 8.

2. Companion of the Order of the Bath Civil Division Appoinied in 1902 for Red Cross and Ambulance Serv ice during the Boer War.

Second row from le ft to right: No.3 to 8 are mounted on a bar for wearing

3. Queen Victoria'S Jubilee Medal 1887 with clasp 1897 Metropolitan P o li ce issue.

4. King Edward VIl Coronation Medal 1902 SJAB issue.

5. Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal.

6. Service Medal of the Order of St John Dated 1895

7. Prussian Silver Medal for the War of 1870- 1871, non-combatants.

8. Prussian Bronze Commemorative MedalCente na ry of Kaiser Wilhelm

9. Briti sh War Medal 19 14-18.

10. Fren c h Medal for the War of 1870-1871.

II Badge of a Kn ig ht of Justice of the Order of St John. E lected Knight of Justice. March 1864

12. Star of a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John.

13. The Order of Danilo, Montenegro, breast badge

14. The order of Isabella the Catholic, Spain. Probabl y awarded for his services as Director of Ambulan c e for the Spanish Army 1874.

15. Unidentified breast badge possibly French or

badges Where a medal is named the wo rding is s h own in quotation marks Re fe r e n ces to the London Gazette are s h own as LG with the date an d in ome cases the page numb er.

These medals are the outward sy mb ols Qf a m an's life work, a man who st rove for the organisa ti on o first a id when few thought of any va lu e, w h o claimed an honoured place in the history of the Order of St John a s pioneer innovator and 'gen iu s of th e Ambulance Movement' a nd who, w ith hi s wife , volunteered for

We s hould recall one in ci dent durin g the Boer W a w h e n he removed the R e d C ro ss emblem from an a mbul a nce trai n because armed troops

18.

Sir John Furle y

SUSSEX AMBULANCE FLEET

from S R Strange SRN. Divisional Superintendent I must comment on this article by CSO Westwood (Sept Review).

While I see the value of an estate car type ambulance, especially a four-wheel drive, low cost vehicle, I feel its use is limited

A conventional ambulance can carry two stretchers or a number of sitting cases; it can also carry wheelchairs. The ability to carry handicapped people shou ld definitely not be overlooked in this International Year of Disabled People.

Escort work carried out by town divisions often requires space for luggage or an accompanying relative and the Subaru, with its limited space, would be unsuitable for such duties.

Recent articles in the Review have highlighted various types of transport used by divisions, and whereas the Subaru may be excellent for difficult country work its effectiveness would be limited in nonrural areas.

To introduce a fleet of these vehicles as a model for all divisions (with a few exceptions) just wouldn't be acceptable. Local requirements of divisions should be carefully examined by staff officers and recommendations made accordingly.

Crawley S R. Strange

WEEKEND CAMPS

from J E. Smith Area Staff Officer

CON VUL S IONS are very co mmon in c hildr e n and s hould be co ns id e red as a s ymptom of a n illne ss or infect ion Th e m os t co mmon ca use is r a p id ri se in te mpe ratur e due to a n o th er illn ess. Some c hildr e n have a co n v ul s ion w he neve r t hey are p yrex ia l but m os g r ow ou t of t hi s by t h e age of five.

The common ca uses of conv ul s io ns a re:

Injec tion s O titi s media

Ton s illi tis

Pneumonia

P ye lonephr iti s

Infec ti ous fevers

Meningitis

Injl/ries and illnesse

Head injur ies

De hydratio n

H ypog lycae mia

L ow se rum calc iu m

The officer conce rned h as man y years' experience in the Brigade , especially in the transp or t and aeromedical sections, and he u sed t he knowledge he had gained for the be n efit of the patien and to the satisfaction of those involved with Sheila's we lfare. B ristol

Mr F. G. THOMAS

Assistant

Director-

General Association

Surrey ha s found that camps for Junior s are very popular and, even if under canvas, if sufficient help can be found they do not create any problems.

O ve r 70 St John Junior s, plu s st a ff, which ncluded senior ca dets, attended t hi s year 's camp at Bo xhill fro m Friday evening until Sunday

But a full programme of ac tiv it ies is essential for this age group. We had walks, wide games and a mini sports; and a s the weather was so good this year al s o a water fight, when officers (not in uniform!) were seen running with hordes of youngsters chasing them wi t h cups of water. One youngster even completed his water - throw with Sorry, sir!'

A few weeks later a cadet camp was held at the sa me spot. With the help of a Brigade officer who is al s o a Scouter , and with the u s e o f Scout equipment, t he cadets put a ro pe bridge acro ss t he nearb y river. But by the number of shoe s that had to be resc ued and the people who had to be dried out, we shall need more in struction before attempting to cross with a casualty Betchworth J. E. Smith

PERNICKETY ME?

from Miss K. Little Superintendent

After yet aga in being called a Cadet O ff icer I felt I mu st use the letters page of the Re view

I wonder if I am being pernickety in feeling anger and sadne ss that so many off icers s till cannot remember that Cadet Officer s do not exist.

The final pu sh to get my pen to paper came at a large duty (no, not tha t one) when I wa s told how nice it wa s to se e the cadet officer s out on duty together. I did point out that it was no t my annual airing / duty.

We are officers of the Brigade, re s pon si ble for a Cadet Division, and a s far a s I can see from Brigade Orders we are in fact rather spec ial people

Chadwell H eat h N urs ing Cadet Div. Kathleen Little

258

Mr F G. T h omas OBE, CS t] , who died on September 4, aged 79, had a notable career in adult ed u cation and in the dock industry.

Educated at D arlington Grammar Sch oo l and at the University of Leeds (where he was president of the uni on) his long association with adult education began at Bens ham Grove Settlement, Gateshead-onT y ne, from wh ere he moved in 1927 to be come - und er the ausp ices of he Carnegie United Kingdom Tru st -t u tor organiser for adult educa t ion in the rura l areas of So u t h -West E n gland.

Shortly after returning fro m a year's Ro c ke fe ll e r Fellowship in the United States in 1934 he became h ea d of t he Extra M u ral D epartment of Unive rsit y C ollege Exeter, developing at the same time into a regular broadcast er. His most successfu l book 'The Changing Vi ll age' w hi ch traced the soc ia l and economic d evel opm ent of Englis h rural life in the inter-war period, was published in 1939.

Shortly afte r the outbreak of war he took up a n appointme n t in t he Ministry of Labour where, und e r t h e guidance of E rn est Bevin and together with Mr S. C (later Sir Ian ) Parkin, h e was made responsible for sett in g up the Na ti onal Do c k Labour Corpo ratio n When this organisation, charged with the imp lementation of the 1947 D ock Labour Sc heme, becam e the National Dock Labour Board after h e wa r, Mr Thom as was appointed its Secreta ry, later becoming assistant ge neral man age r and t hen c hie f welfa r e officer, from whi ch po st he retired in 1966. Having achieved mu c h for th e welfare and education of dock worker s during his career w it h the National Dock Labour Board he then devoted hi s energies durin g retirement to the St John Ambulance Association, se r vin g in a vo lunta ry c apa ci ty as As s is tant Director -Ge neral and later as a dvi se r in education for a f urther 14 year s until hi s death. His se r vice to th e Order of St John and the fir s t aid movement wa s re cog ni sed in 1976 when he was made OBE

He is su rv iv ed by a widow , hi s two son s ha ving predeceased him

Although h e definitive treatment will obviously depend on the cau e of the convu Ision the following guidelines will help in dealing with the chi ld

Be calm and patient. Gently place the chi d on the floor or bed, away from furniture, a nd never restrain the chi ld Never tell a chi ld that something will not hurt if it will. To do so is the quickest way to ose (he child' confidence.

Lay th e chi ld down in the recovery position so that saliva and vom it can drain freely preventing inhalation.

If the child is till convulsing make sure that a good airway is maintained free from any obst ru cling fore ign body. Never attempt to put anything in the mouth between clenched teeth.

If possible undre s the c hild or at least mo ve blankets o r any heavy cloth in g so ha t the c h ild can cool down.

I f. convulsion is due to high fever, ponging

With luk e-warm water will help reduce the temperature

If fitting is continuou (intravenous Diazapam - Valium - is usually prescribed by the doctor), careful monitoring of the vital sig ns mu t be maintained

While the child is conv ul sing the parents are best kept away. Howev er, as soon as possible the c hi ld a nd i parents s h ou ld be re-un ited to rea sure eac h other.

It i mo t imponantto obtain a family hi story.

Other members of a family may ha ve had fits when c hildr en, but grew out of them by t h e age of five or six

History

Di d the ch ild appear unwell before the convu ls ion?

2. Ha s the c hild had a conv u ion b efore - if t he answer is yes - how many tim es an d w h at was the ca u se of the pr evious co n vu sion?

3. How many conv ulsions has the ch ild had today?

4. Is t he re a hi s o ry in th e las few w eeks of a head in jury, hea da c h e or tiff neck?

5. s th e c hild a diabetic?

6. What medication has he ch ild been taking?

7. What was h e co n v ul s ion lik e? Did h e eyes deViate a nd In which direction?

S ig n s of fever, dehydration and rashes

Sig n s of a n y injury or drug abuse.

The attack itself may be s imilar to a grand mal co n vulsion with typica l jerking, or just stiffen ing of the Imbs with no jerking.

The typical attack consists of:

Tonic phase - a prolonged contraction of one or several muscles followed by a high pitched c ry

Clonic stage - muscular jerking and hyperextens ion, sp hincter control is lost and incontinence occurs.

Stupor, then confusion.

All the se phases run closely together in a child.

Co mmon Occurrences

Incontinence of urine may occur during the attack, but biting of the tongue or lips occurs less often in children than adults. Children seldom die during convulsions and then usually only if the airway becomes obstructed. The most common cause of death during convulsion is inha lation of vo mit.

8. How did the fit start? Were there any movements in the limb?

9. I f there were, to where did they spread?

10. Were the movements stiff, rigid or was there a tremor (shaking) effect?

I I. How did the ch ild lose conscio usne ss?

12. Were the eyes open or sh ut ? If they were closed could they be opened? If they were touched, did the eyelids blink?

13. Was there incontinence of urine or faeces?

14. Wa there evidence of cyanos is or breath holding?

15. Did the chi ld bite his tongue ?

16 How long did the fit last?

Ob ervations

Was the child drowsy after the fit, or was he confused?

If possible take the rectal temperature. Take the pul e and respiration. If the proper sized cuffs are available, take the blood pressure

Examine for level of consciousness: Talking.

Re sponse to com mand -b u t not fully consc iou s or orientated.

Unconscious, but responsive to pain.

Unconscious and unre spo n sive to pain timuli.

Size of pupils and reaction to light.

The child should never be left on his own nor is i wise to force a gag or airway into the child's mouth as this causes more damage. At home the mother can try to prevem a convulsion by keeping the child cool, undressed but out of draughts. Excessive cuddling and handling raises the temperature in children. If the child has a high temperature sponging of the body with luke-warm water will help to bring the temperature down. Do not use cold water as this will lake the blood away from the skin and delay the cooling effect.

Treatment

Give lhe child plenty of fluids, but make sure that it is passing urine Paracetamol lowers the temperature The recommended dosages of Paracetamol Paediatric Elixir are: 2 weeks to year: 24mg per kilo body weight. I year to 7 years: 24Omg. 7 years upwards: 500mg.

This dose may be repeated every six hours fo r three doses, providing the child is passing urine. If there is no improvement in twenty-four hours lake the child to the G.P. While diagnosis must always be the doctor's province, early .observation and factual reporting IS IIlvaluable ill securing early and effectjve treatment.

Acknowledgeme n ts My thanks for t heir help in preparing this ani Ie are due to: Dr P. Griffin, Bromley Flying Doctor Service and Dr J. l\la c Kinnon, Consultant Paed iatricia n' Children's Hospital, ::,yoenham.

References Hugh JoUy , 'Diseases of Children '. Nancy Caroline, 'Emergency Care in the Streets'.

BOOKS

PREPARATION FOR SCH OO L

A Medical G uide for Parent s by E li zabet h Forsy the Faber Paperbacks £3.25

WHEN I fi rst g anced thro u g h this book I was s urprised at s ti e. Having read the book I reali ed hat it must describe practically every eventua ity of til - h ea lth acc id ent and behavioural prob lem likel y to' occur in the fi r e leve n years of life, and in this way will prepare a parent them. It al 0 gives advice on coping With eX stlllg problems s u ch as th umb- ucking

and epilepsy. Asthma has a chapter to it elf. Dr Fors the, an experienced school doctor and mother of three children, al 0 de cribes a wide range of normality, which give the book a good balance There are chapter on uch hurdle as school medical examjnations and immunisations and on special learning problem which and reassur e. The la chapter is devoted to ommon accidents and first aid geared to the young child.

Th e book has a clear layout with a !>ood indeand is written in a stra ightforward en ible manner. I think it would be a u eful refe re n ce book for the parents of a child taning choo!. F.D.

Myra Meredith

NEWS froln WALES

Royal Investiture

AVER Y wet and stormy day did not prevent the St John Ambulance Brigade of North Wales putting on a warm welcome in Wrexham for their Commandant-in-Chief, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester. The Duchess spent 5 hours in meeting North Wales volunteers and attending a re-dedication service and investiture at St Giles Parish Church.

The Duchess, who charmed all with her relaxed and informal manner, was accompanied by the Mayor and Lord Lieutenant for Clwyd, Col James Ellis Evans, when she visited an enthusiastic demonstration of first aid skills by cadets, and ambulance and nursing members.

She was conducted around the exhibition by Dr Brian Price, Chief Commissioner for the Brigade in Wales, and the Commissioners for Clwyd and Gwynedd, Major D. J. Griffiths and Mrs E. A. Jones, the only lady commissioner in the Principality.

The display covered all aspects of first aid training and as always the Duchess was particularly interested in the activities of the cadets and to their delight spoke at length

to many of them.

A great deal of thought and planning had been put into the exhibition and it was obvious Her Royal Highness appreciated all that was taking place.

Because of the weather the procession from the Wrexham Guildhall to St Giles Church, which was to be led by the Rhos Silver Band, had to be called off.

However, this did not prevent crowds gathering along the route and at the Church to catch a glimpse of Her Royal Highness.

Forty people were invested by the Prior, Lord Aberdare, in the presence of the Duchess, after the re-dedication service, during which the Prior presented St Giles Church with an invalid chair and a first aid kit on behalf of the Priory for use in the church Both were dedicated by the Arch Deacon of Wrexham, Dr R S. Foster.

Ambulance' s well-known personalitie s in North Wale s , the Commi ss ioner for Clwy d Major D. J. Griffith s, wa s made a Kni gh o f the Order.

Despite the rain it was a day that will be remembered and talked about for a long time, particularly as one of St John KNIGHT from Commander

COMMANDER (Brother) from

Shropshire Star )

of Llanelli Division - Gaynor Davies Alison Davies and Hilary Bowen. (Photo

MANCHESTER

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team of consultant and his house officers (4). 14. Broken molar becomes virtuous in character (5). 16. Straighten a joint (6). 17. Nightmare in copper road vehicle (7). 22 Free fluid in the peritoneal cavity (7).23. Physique characterised by poor muscle tone and weakness (6). 26. Examines diagnostic procedures (5). 29. Lose the epidermis after sunburn or scarlatina (4). 30. Bones of the sk ull, thoracic cage, and pelvis (4) 32. Haemorrhages in the skin (7).

33. Primary lesion of syphilis (7).34. Indications of the cause of the ill-feeling (8) . 35. An elementary one may be epithe lial mu sc ular, nervous, or connective (6).

Down

1. Doomed to poor health? (3-5). 2 Inflammation of a vein (9).

3. Zodiacal sign for a pubic louse (4). 5. Calciferol (7.1). 6. Watery discharge beginning rheumatism (5).7. Bury between (5).8. Require the French surgical instrument (6). 9. Bone giving attachment to the tongue (5). 15. Against a part of Atlantic (4). 18 Repulsive in appearance (4). 19. Depre ssion in centre of abdominal wall (9). 20. Tumour in Psalm one (8). 21. How the ophthalmologist examines his pati ent (3.2.3).24. Hot fomentations for foolish peop le (6). 25. Shelter and a small church for an old doctor (5). 27. Liq uid separati ng whe n blo od clots (5) 28 Dangerous feat to retar d growth (5). 31. The t hree wise men (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No 10 (81)

Across: 1. Tachycardia; 7 Spa; 9. Bursa; 10. Complaint; II. Ring; 12. Wing; 13. Vi.car; 15. L.ark.ing; 16. Dr.am; 19. Chap; 21. Presage; 24 Patc h ; 25. Stew; 26. Bier; 28. Delirious; 29. Tal.us; 30. Run; 31. Arthrodesis.

Down: l. Tubercle; 2. Coronary; 3. Year; 4. Ar.ch in g; 5. Dam.aged ; 6. Alleviated; 7 Stitch; 8. Artery; 14 Diphtheria; 17 Bacillu s; 18 Necrosis; 20 Pass-out; 21. Press.or; 22 Spider; 23. Stolen; 27. St ud

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