1943 Instruction manual on filed dressing use. Author: Canadian Army instructions.
Field Dressing
Originally created for the Crimean War, the field dressing was created with the hope that it will give soldiers the ability to perform basic first aid on themselves or other in the field of conflict (Bricknell 808). This increased the soldier’s likeliness of surviving until they could receive more in-depth medical care from the miliary nurses or doctors. The first iteration of its design was in a wound dressing made of gauze or cotton contained in a small metal tin that would fit in a breast pocket (REF). The main structure of the bandage consisted of a pad of gauze folded over a few times to create a thicker and more absorbent dressing. The gauze pad is sewed to a long strip of gauze, this acts as a fastening component of the bandage.
World War One field dressing. Property of the VGH Archive. Photo: Anastasia Parkinson
To use the field dressing the soldier will open the container it is in. depending on the timeframe and the conflict, there are many different packaging designs. From fabric bags to metal tins and beyond, the field dressing has seen many changes (Bricknell). Once the container is open the soldier’s job is to elevate the injured body part, avoid touching the gauze pad, and to securely tie the straps around the wound. Each soldier receives training on how to properly use the field dressing. Over time the field dressing became an essential piece of equipment for the soldier. Therefore, the education on how to use the dressing was systematically integrated (REF).
As for the modern version, not much has changed since the world wars for field dressing design. The fabric packaging and the dressing itself have remained the same in design or material.
Military Field dressing. Traumafix. Photo:https://evaq8.co.uk/military-field-dressing-sterile.html