Plaster casts. Can 67.

This is an US army training and recruitment film for medical personnel which starts with an intertitle explaining that 'This film will not be shown to the general public without permission of the War Department'. Firstly it outlines the value of plaster casts in the transportation of the injured. In an operating theatre, an arm is placed in plaster and the patient is wheeled back to the ward. A man reading a 'Baseball Stories' booklet will, apparently be firing a gun soon. In preparation for fitting plaster casts, injuries are divided into 'clean' and 'septic' with separate cupboards. There is a specific member of the medical team responsible for the creation of the management of plaster cast supplies; the technician and assistant organise the material ready for creating a cast (the different processes are covered in detail). The cast is split, a picture of the original injury is drawn on the cast and clinical data is transcribed onto the plaster. In the ward, a male nurse checks on swelling - the risks are muscle contracture and even amputation. A technician consults a poster on the wall about processes; in other situations just a table will suffice. The technician prepares the theatre for a septic case; he is responsible for providing x-rays to the surgeon; a case with a man with an infected thigh bone is shown (the wound is quite deep). Back in the ward, the patient is made comfortable - a 'baker' is placed over the cast to dry it quickly. The technician helps clean up the plaster room - taking care that plaster doesn't enter the plumbing system. There are a number of pressure points to be aware of either in the leg, ankle or the arm or spine. More dramatic body casts and bridging casts are demonstrated. Another duty for the technician is to help patients with hygiene and skin condition. For a patient with a plaster over his foot; a 'rocker' is attached to aid walking. The final patient is discharged.