Pre WW1 British Army Esmarch Compressed Illustrated Triangular Bandage

 

Please note that this listing is for the unopened bandage. We had a spare opened one that shows you what the bandage would look like. There is some damage to the white label which can be seen in the photos for more details. 

 

The paper white label that goes around the dark blue paper packing, reads the following:

 

“ILLUSTRATED TRIANGULAR BANDAGE COMPRESSED Evans sons Lescher & Webb LTD , Liverpool London”

 

These triangular bandages were produced to help guide/ instruct the user of The triangular bandage (this could have been a medic, military personal, home front personal, medical student etc) how it should be used. They were depicted with elaborate illustration to inform the user of its many applications. There have been several examples of these illustrated triangular bandages made throughout the 19th century some of the more commoner and later patterns produced by St. John ambulance of a way of training cadets. However this rare original un opened and perfectly preserved illustrated triangular bandage dates between 1899 and 1916 period.

 

The top of this triangular bandage reads “POINT FIRST-AID BANDAGE (AFTER ESMARCH).” This is significant because A bandage seems like a normal thing for one to encounter in a first aid kit. This was not always the case. The triangular bandage is attributed to Johann Friedrich August von Esmarch. Esmarch was born 1823, a German surgeon who specialized in trauma and military medicine. During the Franco-Prussian war in 1870-1871, he became the Surgeon General. War fare technology was evolving in the Franco-Prussian war, but trauma medicine was lagging. Esmarch recommended that it become mandatory for first aid kits to be carried by every soldier on the battle field. He was among the first to push for the teaching of first aid to all people, not just medical professionals. This enabled soldiers to perform triage on the battle field. Esmarch made great progress in tourniqueting and the use of a triangular bandage. Also called the Esmarch bandage, the triangular bandage is a versatile tool. It can wrap sprains, bone breaks, and be used to stop bleeding as a tourniquet. The triangular bandage is printed with instructional drawings for users to bind limbs adequately until trained medical professionals are able to attend to the injured.

 

This will be sent via Royal Mail 1st class signed for and dispatched within two working days.