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Articles of Interest
Jackie Southworth of SOVRIN Training takes a look at the Band-Aid™
Although, the most frequently used piece of first aid equipment, by far the most readily available, the chances are you’ll never have read the instructions that come with it and its highly unlikely you’ll have been shown how to use it on a first aid course.
Yes… the humble adhesive bandage, or more commonly known in the UK as a sticking plaster, or Elastoplast RM or just plain and simple plaster, in Canada and the United States the generic name, Band-Aid™ is most commonly used.
Regardless of the name, most adhesive bandages are used to dress minor wounds that do not require a conventional bandage, their primary functions are to protect the wound from further damage and keep out dirt, and in doing so, aid in the healing of the wound.
Simple adhesive bandages consist of dressing normally, a woven gauze type material, which is fastened to a form of sticky tape in such a way that the dressing can be held in place over the wound, but designed in such a way that the dressing and the sticky tape do not actually stick to the wound.
No one really gives much thought to sticking plasters. It’s something everyone has lying around the home and hopefully in the first aid kit at work. Most people would be surprised to know the sticking plaster has been listed amongst the top ten modern day essential inventions, alongside the battery, ballpoint pen, cats eyes, bar codes, ring pull, post it note, (diy) work mate, micro wave oven and the some what less popular parking meter.
Earle Dickson, an American, who was employed as a cotton buyer with Johnson & Johnson, invented the sticking plaster. In 1920, the recently married Dickson was concerned that his young bride, Josephine would regularly suffer cuts and burns whilst carrying out her domestic tasks. At that time the only options available were a standard bandage with dressing, or to cut a small piece of woven cotton gauze and secure it to a wound with sticky tape. As both of these methods were bulky and clumsy when working, and knowing how difficult it was to apply a bandage or dressing to your own hand or arm, Mr Dickson set about preparing dressings for his wife that she could apply herself when he was out at work.
Dickson made his first adhesive bandages by unrolling a length of adhesive surgical tape, placing a series of small folded pieces of gauze along the centre of the tape and then place a strip of crinoline along its length to prevent the adhesive tape sticking to itself. The tape was then rolled up in such a way Mrs Dickson could unroll and cut off the required strip as and when needed, and then apply the dressing herself with out any further assistance.
As a result of the success at home, Dickson was persuaded to demonstrate the idea to the management of Johnson & Johnson who at the time were a major manufacturer of cotton and gauze bandages supplying hospitals and the military. The ability to self apply the dressing impressed Johnson & Johnson who soon began producing the adhesive bandages which were sold under the now name famous brand name Band-Aid™.
The original handmade Band-Aid™ were not an immediate success and it is recorded that in the first year of production only $3000 worth were sold. The lack of success may well have been due to the originals being in strips 2 ½ inches wide and 18 inches long. A major turn around in sales came following the mass distribution of free samples to Scout groups across the US, this resulted in their widespread use, and by 1924, sterile sticking plaster were being mass produced in various sizes. Earle Dickson later became Vice President of Johnson & Johnson, and at the time of his death in 1961, more than $30,000,000 worth of Band-Aid™ adhesive bandages were being sold every year.
Today there are many manufactures of sticking plaster throughout the world making them readily available for use in every country. They have been developed to meet the changing needs of modern society and now bear little resemblance to the early prototypes made in the Dickson home.
Modern day sticking plasters are mostly manufactured from plastic or latex and coated with adhesive and have an absorbent pad, which in some cases contains antiseptic. State of the art plasters have tiny strands of silver woven into them that is proven to shorten healing times and reduce the risk of scarring.
Decorative plasters using bright colours and images of cartoon and novelty characters have been designed to appeal to children, but this in itself is not a new idea as the first decorative Band-Aid™ were produced as early as 1951.
Plasters specifically designed for food handlers make use of far stronger waterproof adhesives and are made to withstand wear and tear, frequent hand washing and to prevent them falling off. They are produced in bright colours- normally blue- in order they can be easily spotted if they fall into food and are manufactured in such a way as to make them easily detectable by the specialised machines, used in the food processing industry, designed to check food for foreign bodies prior to it reaching the retailer.
More advanced sticking plasters incorporate a pad impregnated with various medications, which is designed to be released in a controlled dose through the skin, the most common being HRT patches and nicotine patches used to help smokers quit.
Having now evolved into an everyday item to which we give little thought, next time you reach for a sticking plaster remember how convenient they are and take a moment to remember how Mrs Dickson managed before her thoughtful husband invented the Band-Aid™.
Sources:
1.Lemelson-MIT Program
2.Johnson & Johnson Band-Aid™
3.Wikipedia
4.UKTV Documentary Top Ten Modern Inventions
