Realistic First Aid

Summary:
Very realistic-looking wounds and burns can be created from clown / 
theatrical makeup (face-white, black, red, and blue), talcum powder, 
Knox gelatin (to simulate skin); chicken bones (to simulate broken 
bones); broken thin Plexiglas sheets (to simulate broken glass); 
charcoal/graphite (added for 3rd-degree burns); cocoa powder, corn 
starch, and food coloring (to simulate blood).  

Having a little knowledge of theatrical makeup used in motion pictures, 
I decided to merge the theatrics into my First Aid Merit Badge classes 
to spice things up a bit and hold the scout's attention.  As an example, 
instead of tagging a leg with a sign that read "severe cut on lower 
leg", I made up an artificial cut the way the makeup artists do in 
Hollywood when they do not use latex.  

The recipes:

SHOCK / HEAT EXHAUSTION
1) Use white clown grease paint to whiten the face, arms and hands until 
the healthy pink appearance disappears.  Do NOT put so much on that the 
skin is completely white like that of a clown.  
2) Add a touch of blue to the lips and earlobes.  
3) Use a "fixer" spray or dust lightly with talcum to keep the makeup 
from smearing.  
4) Spray a very light coating of water on the face to make it cold and 
clammy.

HEAT STROKE
1) Sparingly apply a very thin white grease paint coating to the face.  
Do not add so much that it is very noticeable.  This is needed to help 
thin the red grease paint and make it easier to apply a thin read coat.  
2)Use red grease paint sparingly to "flush" the face.  Put just enough 
on to make the person look embarrassed, not the devil.  
3) Use a "fixer" spray or dust lightly with talcum to keep the makeup 
from smearing.  

1ST DEGREE BURN
1) Sparingly apply a very thin white grease paint coating to the area.  
Do not add so much that it is very noticeable.  This is needed to help 
thin the red grease paint in the edges to blend into the non-burned 
areas.
2) Apply the red grease paint to the center area to where it looks like 
severe sunburn.  Without applying any more red, taper the red on the 
edges to slowly blend into the natural color of the skin by smearing the 
red into the thin white base layer on the edges.  
3) Use a "fixer" spray or dust lightly with talcum to keep the makeup 
from smearing.  

2ND DEGREE BURN
1) Create a large 1st degree burn by following the procedure above.
2) Add thin slices of white grapes on the reddest parts to simulate 
blisters.  White grape skins can be used to simulate broken blisters.  

3RD DEGREE BURN
1) Create a large 2nd degree burn by following the procedure above.
2) A layer of flesh-colored gelatin is added to the areas where you want 
to simulate the tearing and scarring of flesh.  Work with the gelatin 
before it begins to set.  
3) Add charcoal or graphite to the top ridges of the gelatin to simulate 
seared flesh.  Black grease paint will do also.  
4) Add the fake blood to the deep valleys in the gelatin.  
5) Burning a hole in the article of clothing and burning feathers nearby 
adds to the realism.  (Note: My favorite choice is the upper arm.  Burn 
the sleeve of a worn-out short-sleeve shirt or T-shirt and create the 
fake rd-degree burn there.)  

DEEP CUTS
1) Create a layer of flesh-colored gelatin where the fake cut is to be.  
It is important to match the color of the skin as much as possible and 
make the layer smooth and tapered on the edges.  The idea is to form 
some fake skin 1/4 inch thick that is not noticeable where it starts.  
2) Before the gelatin sets, using something not sharp, create a fake cut 
or gash into the gelatin.  
3) Add plenty of fake blood.  (It is possible to hide a small clear 
plastic tube to squirt the fake blood from the cut.  The smallest clear 
tubes like those used in fish tanks are OK.  I use the small oxygen 
lines used for patients.)  
4) Dulled knives, broken Plexiglas, sticks,... can be inserted into the 
fake cut to add more realism.  

COMPOUND FRACTURES
1) Create a layer of flesh-colored gelatin where the fake cut is to be.  
It is important to match the color of the skin as much as possible and 
make the layer smooth and tapered on the edges.  The idea is to form 
some fake skin 1/4 inch thick that is not noticeable where it starts.  
2) Break a large chicken bone to get bone fragments and a small stump of 
a bone.  Before the gelatin sets, add the bone stump and fragments into 
the gelatin to look like the bone broke and cut up through the skin.
3) Add plenty of fake blood.  (It is possible to hide a small clear 
plastic tube to squirt the fake blood from the cut.  The smallest clear 
tubes like those used in fish tanks are OK.  I use the small oxygen 
lines used for patients.)  

FAKE SKIN FROM GELATIN
The hardest part is to match the skin color.  I have had very little 
experimentation to match people with very dark skin, so I apologize 
ahead of time.  But, if someone finds out how to match very dark skin, I 
would appreciate hearing from you.  
1) Fill a small clear glass with hot water.  Add food coloring (red with 
a little green) until the water is the color of the person's skin.  It 
is OK if the water is slightly more red than the person's skin because 
usually the hurt area is inflamed and red.  
2) Add the heated colored water slowly to unflavored Knox gelatin to 
where the gelatin just dissolves.  The gelatin must be very thick and 
fast setting in room temperature.  
3) Judge the color of the gelatin to the skin color.  Usually the 
colored water is the right color, but too dark and has to be diluted 
with hot water.  
4) Allow the gelatin to cool to where it can be placed on the person 
without scalding the person.  Taper the edges to blend into the skin 
when applying.  

FAKE BLOOD
The problem with using just red food coloring and water is that it is 
too thin, too transparent, and stains skin and clothing.  Adding cocoa 
powder will make it thicker and opaque, and adding corn starch will 
prevent staining because the starch is stained ahead of time instead.  
1) Mix water, red food coloring, cocoa powder, and corn starch until the 
correct color and thickness is obtained.  
2) I have substituted honey or glycerin instead of water where I do not 
want the fake blood to dry out as fast.  

MISCELLANEOUS
1) Cold cream or Vaseline removes the grease paint makeup.  Use either 
one to wipe off the grease paint before using soap and water.  The 
gelatin peels off and the remaining gelatin dissolves in water fairly 
easily.  
2) I also dabble with creating latex fake wounds.  By accident, I found 
that applying a thin layer of clear latex to the skin and allowing it to 
dry before adding the gelatin fake skin makes it easier for the person 
to remove the gelatin during clean-up.  
3) For small piercing wounds like a fishhook, any loose skin can be 
glued around the item.  Wash off any oils, apply rubber cement and allow 
to dry.  Place the fishhook, wire or thin item onto the area and pinch 
the skin around the item.  Add fake blood to the fake entry and exit 
wounds.  The area must be an area that has loose skin so that movement 
does not pull the glued area apart (elbow, back of hand, inside forearm 
next to elbow crease, neck,...)