Editing First aid (section)

===Formalization of life saving treatments===
During the late 18th century, [[drowning]] as a cause of death was a major concern amongst the population. In 1767, a society for the preservation of life from accidents in water was started in [[Amsterdam]], and in 1773, physician [[William Hawes (physician)|William Hawes]] began publicizing the power of [[artificial respiration]] as means of resuscitation of those who appeared drowned. This led to the formation, in 1774, of the [[Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned]], later the [[Royal Humane Society]], who did much to promote resuscitation.<ref>New Scientist, Vol. 193 No. 2586 (13–19 Jan 2007), p. 50</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Price |first=John |title=Everyday Heroism: Victorian Constructions of the Heroic Civilian |publisher=Bloomsbury: London |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4411066-5-0 |page=203}}</ref>

[[Napoleon]]'s surgeon, [[Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey]], is credited with creating an ambulance corps, the ''[[ambulance volantes]]'', which included medical assistants, tasked to administer first aid in battle.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=David |last2=Cazalaà |first2=Jean-Bernard |last3=Carli |first3=Pierre |date=September 2005 |title=Resuscitation great. Larrey and Percy--a tale of two barons |journal=Resuscitation |volume=66 |issue=3 |pages=259–262 |doi=10.1016/j.resuscitation.2005.03.009 |issn=0300-9572 |pmid=15990216}}</ref>

In 1859, [[Switzerland|Swiss]] businessman [[Jean-Henri Dunant]] witnessed the aftermath of the [[Battle of Solferino]], and his work led to the formation of the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]], with a key stated aim of "aid to sick and wounded soldiers in the field".<ref name=medicinenet/> The [[Red Cross]] and [[Red crescent|Red Crescent]] are still the largest provider of first aid worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.redcross.org.uk/en/What-we-do/First-aid/Event-first-aid-and-ambulance-support |title=Event first aid and ambulance support |publisher=British Red Cross |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908033750/http://www.redcross.org.uk/en/What-we-do/First-aid/Event-first-aid-and-ambulance-support |archive-date=2014-09-08}}</ref>

[[File:Esmarch original.jpg|[[Esmarch bandage]] showing soldiers how to perform first aid|thumb]]

In 1870, [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] military surgeon [[Friedrich von Esmarch]] introduced formalized first aid to the military, and first coined the term "erste hilfe" (translating to 'first aid'), including training for soldiers in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] on care for wounded comrades using pre-learnt bandaging and splinting skills, and making use of the [[Esmarch bandage]] which he designed.<ref name=early/> The bandage was issued as standard to the Prussian combatants, and also included aide-memoire pictures showing common uses.

In 1872, the [[Venerable Order of Saint John|Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in England]] changed its focus from hospice care, and set out to start a system of practical medical help, starting with making a grant towards the establishment of the UK's first [[ambulance]] service. This was followed by creating its own wheeled transport litter in 1875 (the St John Ambulance), and in 1877 established the St John Ambulance Association (the forerunner of modern-day [[St John Ambulance]]) "to train men and women for the benefit of the sick and wounded".<ref>Fletcher NC, The St John Ambulance Association: its history and its past in the ambulance movement. London: St John Ambulance Association, 1929:12–3.</ref>

Also in the UK, [[Peter Shepherd (British Army officer)|Surgeon-Major Peter Shepherd]] had seen the advantages of von Esmarch's new teaching of first aid, and introduced an equivalent programme for the British Army, and so being the first user of "first aid for the injured" in English, disseminating information through a series of lectures. Following this, in 1878, Shepherd and [[Francis Duncan|Colonel Francis Duncan]] took advantage of the newly charitable focus of St John,<ref name=early/> and established the concept of teaching first aid skills to civilians. The first classes were conducted in the hall of the Presbyterian school in Woolwich (near Woolwich barracks where Shepherd was based) using a comprehensive first aid curriculum.

First aid training began to spread through the [[British Empire]] through organisations such as St John, often starting, as in the UK, with high risk activities such as ports and railways.<ref>[http://www.sja.org.uk/history/victorian_britain.asp Industrial Revolution: St. John Ambulance] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220111208/http://www.sja.org.uk/history/victorian_britain.asp |date=2007-02-20 }}, retrieved December 10, 2006.</ref>

The first recorded first aid training in the United States took place in [[Jermyn, Pennsylvania]] in 1899.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://jermynpa.com/community/history.php |title=Jermyn Pennsylvania - History |website=jermynpa.com |access-date=2024-09-10}}</ref>