How to Carry a Patient

A four-handed seat can be made by two Scouts each grasping his own left wrist with his right hand and in the same way grasping the the right wrist of the other Scout with his left hand. If a back is required a three-handed seat is made in much the same way, except that one Scout makes a back by grasping the shoulder of the other. Stretchers may be arranged in some of the following ways:

• a door or gate, covered well with straw, hay, clothing, sacking.
• a piece of carpet, blanket, sacking, tarpaulin, spread out, and two stout poles rolled up in the sides. Put clothes for a pillow.
• two coats, with the sleeves turned inside out. Pass two poles through the sleeves; button the coats over them.
• two poles passed through a couple of sacks, through holes at the bottom corners of each.

In carrying a patient on a stretcher be careful that he is made quite comfortable before you start. Let both bearers rise together; they must walk out of step and take short paces. It should be the duty of the rear bearer to keep a careful watch on the patient.

If the poles are short, four bearers will be necessary, one at each corner of the stretcher.

Author

Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell (Chief Scout, London, UK)

Date of Creation

1908

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