Tourniquet Use on the Battlefield

This article examines the history of battlefield tourniquets. The tourniquet, if used properly, is perhaps the leading lifesaving device available to soldiers in the field. However, tourniquet use has been surrounded throughout history by controversy and dogma which continue today. Only after examining the historical context of warfare, weapons, injuries, and medical thought can we gain insight into the proper role of the tourniquet on the modern battlefield.