Tourniquet, 1918 (c)

Textile and wood tourniquet from a medical orderly's pack, 1918.

Tourniquets like this one were used to stem the flow of arterial blood from extremity wounds which were very common in World War One (1914-1918). Used on the battlefield, tourniquets can be helpful for casualties in the short term but if they are misused, used unnecessarily, applied incorrectly or left in place for too long, they can lead to serious complications including the loss of limbs.