Where did the cotton-gauze bandage come from and how to make it yourself?

Each person for certain has repeatedly seen (and someone even wore) a cotton-gauze bandage. This simple remedy is capable, if not completely, then significantly reduce the risk of infection with infections and viruses transmitted, as you know, by airborne droplets. But whence and when did the cotton-gauze bandage appear ? You may not believe it, but this peculiar respirator has been almost a hundred years. And it all began in 1915, on April 22: on that day the German army first used a gas attack with chlorine against the Anglo-French forces. It turned out that this "reception", made suddenly in relation to the enemy, who does not have the means of protection, is very effective and can lead to huge human losses.

In connection with these events, the Russian rate was given a number of instructions on how to protect in case the enemy decides to use poisonous substances against domestic troops. It was gauze or cotton-gauze dressing, moistened in soda or hyposulfite, was proposed as the main means of personal protection. Responsible for the production and supply of the army with masks was the Office of the sanitary and evacuation units, but for an unknown reason it delayed this process, which resulted in the May 31, 1915. Russian troops were either without them, or supplied with them in a catastrophically small amount. And it was on this day that even more powerful and toxic attacks were applied against the Russian troops against the Russian troops, therefore, all who could, were saved with moistened water or a small amount of hyposulfite with handkerchiefs.

At present, no one attacks us with chemical weapons, but all sorts of viral infections that fly in the air and always mutate, no poison is needed to take possession of the human body and cause various diseases. Especially active viruses in the autumn-winter period, when the human immune system is weakened. Every year, we are notified of the epidemic of the bird, then the pig, then God knows what kind of flu, and during this period, a cotton-gauze dressing is very recommended, especially when visiting crowded places. This reduces the risk of contracting not only the flu, but also other viral infections that are activated at this time.

Despite the fact that you can buy a mask in any pharmacy, it is almost impossible to do it in the epidemic period. However, there is no reason to panic before the time, because this task has a simple solution: a cotton-gauze dressing by one's own hands. Yes exactly. And make it much easier than it seems. In fact, this simple thing can be made even by a child. The most elementary way how to make this protective mask is: take a piece of gauze 100x50 cm and spread out on the table. Then you need to take a layer of ordinary cotton wool 30x20 cm, 1-2cm thick, and lay in the middle of the spread gauze, which is then bent on both sides, applying on cotton wool. Now you have to cut the long ends on both sides along 30-35 cm along the halves. The cotton-gauze bandage is ready. To bind it it is necessary in the following way: the upper ends are knit at the nape, and the lower ones - on the thread. This, you can say, an ideal bandage, she covers her face almost completely, reaching the very eyes.

If it turned out that you do not have gauze, you can use a regular bandage instead. This should be in your home medicine cabinet. Here's how to make a cotton-gauze bandage bandage: take, in fact, a bandage width of 14 cm and, unwinding, measure about 60 cm in length. Next, we take a little cotton wool and form it so that we get a small square 14x14 cm, 1-2 cm in thickness. We put the fleece at the very beginning of the bandage, which then begins to fold. In total there should be three curls (or four layers of a bandage). It remains to make a couple of strings. To do this, cut off another 60 running centimeters of bandage and cut them along, into two parts. Each strip is folded several times along or twisted into a tube, after which we pass them from both sides of the almost finished mask and stitch it.