tangent
06-28-02, 00:10
The making of plaster
bandages
FI Tovey ChM FRCS WE Tovey
17 Priory Gardens, Old Basing, Hampshire RG24 ODS
TROPICAL DOCTOR, 1988, 18, 190
Ready-made plaster bandages can be a very expen-
sive item in hospitals in developing countries. Over
a period of 16 years in the Holdsworth Memorial
Hospital in Mysore, South India, we used "home-
made" bandages in a wide spectrum of orthopaedic
work and in reconstructive surgery in leprosy.
Initially it took us some time to find a suitable
gauze. About 16 threads to the inch was satisfac-
tory, but it had to be just the right thickness. If it
was too thin it did not hold the plaster powder, and
if it was too thick the plaster took too long to set
and dry. We obtained a large number of samples
before finding a suitable supply.
The gauze was cut into approximately 12-foot
lengths for ease of handling. It was then starched
by putting it into a bucket of rice water left over
from cooking the rice in the hospital kitchen. The
lengths were hung out to dry. Then threads were
pulled out according to the desired width of the
bandages. The gauze was cut accordingly and rolled
into bandages. The widths used were 1, 2, 4 and
6 inch.
Figure 1. Inclined plane for plaster bandages
(pic here is important, and a tif... not supported :( anyway, we have a tray at a 15deg angle w/ 3 strands of rubber tubing stretched across it. it is perhaps 8-10 inches wide and there is a catch box at the base to catch loose plaster. The gauze is placed under the tubing and the tubing is tacked in with ferring(sp?) strips allong the side that also act to keep the plaster on the tray. -t )
The bandages were then impregnated with plaster
powder by pulling them down an inclined plane
under 3 lengths of taut "No. 8" rubber tubing,
8 mm in diameter. A pile of plaster powder was
placed above each length of rubber tubing and the
bandages became impregnated with the powder as
they were pulled through.
The bandages were rolled and stored in air-tight
tins ready for use.
The resulting plaster casts, although heavier than
casts made with proprietary bandages, proved
satisfactory for all purposes and resulted in a great
saving of money.
bandages
FI Tovey ChM FRCS WE Tovey
17 Priory Gardens, Old Basing, Hampshire RG24 ODS
TROPICAL DOCTOR, 1988, 18, 190
Ready-made plaster bandages can be a very expen-
sive item in hospitals in developing countries. Over
a period of 16 years in the Holdsworth Memorial
Hospital in Mysore, South India, we used "home-
made" bandages in a wide spectrum of orthopaedic
work and in reconstructive surgery in leprosy.
Initially it took us some time to find a suitable
gauze. About 16 threads to the inch was satisfac-
tory, but it had to be just the right thickness. If it
was too thin it did not hold the plaster powder, and
if it was too thick the plaster took too long to set
and dry. We obtained a large number of samples
before finding a suitable supply.
The gauze was cut into approximately 12-foot
lengths for ease of handling. It was then starched
by putting it into a bucket of rice water left over
from cooking the rice in the hospital kitchen. The
lengths were hung out to dry. Then threads were
pulled out according to the desired width of the
bandages. The gauze was cut accordingly and rolled
into bandages. The widths used were 1, 2, 4 and
6 inch.
Figure 1. Inclined plane for plaster bandages
(pic here is important, and a tif... not supported :( anyway, we have a tray at a 15deg angle w/ 3 strands of rubber tubing stretched across it. it is perhaps 8-10 inches wide and there is a catch box at the base to catch loose plaster. The gauze is placed under the tubing and the tubing is tacked in with ferring(sp?) strips allong the side that also act to keep the plaster on the tray. -t )
The bandages were then impregnated with plaster
powder by pulling them down an inclined plane
under 3 lengths of taut "No. 8" rubber tubing,
8 mm in diameter. A pile of plaster powder was
placed above each length of rubber tubing and the
bandages became impregnated with the powder as
they were pulled through.
The bandages were rolled and stored in air-tight
tins ready for use.
The resulting plaster casts, although heavier than
casts made with proprietary bandages, proved
satisfactory for all purposes and resulted in a great
saving of money.