History Of First Aid

When a simple question, “what is first aid?” is thrown at you, how would you answer? People usually have a range of different responses, from the simple “ it’s putting a band-aid”, or “ it’s giving CPR” and “calling 911”. Actually, all these answers can be considered correct and appropriate since first aid covers and entire gamut of medical assistance to a seriously ill or injured person. So to have a better understanding, it might prove beneficial to take a quick peek on the history of first aid.

First aid is not only a complicated subject that requires knowledge and skill; it also has a rather complicated history. While we may have little information about the prehistoric man, it is mostly likely that they were confronted with many health situations that would require first aid such as learning how to stop bleeding and stabilizing broken bones as well as determining which type of plants are poisonous or not. Through the years, man have become more resourceful and adept in dealing with medical situations and among the first recognized healers are the shamans and the witch doctors. According to first aid history, this is perhaps the very first distinction between the medical professionals and the amateurs. Another important aspect that should be pointed out in the history of first aid is its major involvement in warfare. Men are constantly injured in battles and the lack of expert medical attention would commonly result to the loss of lives. It was in 1099 when religious knights have recognized the need to train for medical care under the Order of St. John in the hopes of providing care for battlefield injuries. In the history of first aid, they were considered as laypersons and were formally trained to administer first aid.

However, it was not until mid-19th century the First International Geneva Convention took place and the Red Cross was organized and the very first term of “first aid” was said to have been used in 1878. In Britain, a number of civilian ambulance crews were specifically trained for respond and provide medical assistance in mines, railways, and the police. As recorded in the history of first aid, practical skills continually evolved and have somewhat triggered the separation between emergency medicine and first aid. Today, first aid procedures are widely recognized all over the world in providing immediate and temporary medical assistance in emergencies and injuries.


First aid has stated three key aims or what is popularly known as the 3P’s: Preserve life, Prevent further injury, and Promote recovery. Some trainers added the 4th P, which is to Protect yourself, especially if assistance is not available. Most of the procedures in first aid is greatly based on common sense of a person. However, life-saving techniques can only be performed effectively with expert hands-on training, especially those that would relate to fatal injuries and illnesses, such as in situations that would require CPR. In order to have adequate training, a person needs to attend courses after which, he will be provided with a certification. Today, a great number of service-oriented industries and other workplaces require their employees to have basic first aid training knowledge that can prove to be a very important skill in handling possible medical emergencies in the working environment.

So now that you have a broader knowledge on the scope of the subject as well as a short history of first aid, you will hopefully develop a better appreciation and understand its importance. No matter have vigilant we may be in maintaining a safe and healthy environment, accidents are bound to happen from time to time, waiting to catch you off guard. So if you want to be better prepared in responding to such emergencies, better not just content yourself with knowing a thing or two on the first aid history, but seriously consider enrolling on one of their training sources today.