▁and ▁applied ▁wet . ▁These ▁dress ings ▁required ▁ 2 ▁to ▁ 3 ▁days ▁to ▁dry , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁temperature ▁and ▁hum id ity ▁of ▁the ▁surr ound ings . ▁The ▁substitution ▁of ▁De xt rin ▁for ▁st arch , ▁advoc ated ▁by ▁Vel pe au , ▁the ▁man ▁widely ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁leading ▁French ▁sur geon ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁reduced ▁the ▁dry ing ▁time ▁to ▁ 6 ▁hours . ▁Although ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁vast ▁improvement , ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁long ▁time , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁har sh ▁environment ▁of ▁the ▁battle field . ▁ ▁A ▁good ▁description ▁of ▁Se ut in ' s ▁technique ▁was ▁provided ▁by ▁Sam pson ▁Gam ge e ▁who ▁learned ▁it ▁from ▁Se ut in ▁in ▁France ▁during ▁the ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 1 – 5 2 ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁promote ▁its ▁use ▁in ▁Britain . ▁The ▁lim b ▁was ▁initially ▁wrapped ▁in ▁w ool , ▁especially ▁over ▁any ▁b ony ▁prom in ences . ▁P aste board ▁was ▁then ▁cut ▁into ▁shape ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁spl int , ▁and ▁d amp ened ▁so ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁m old ed ▁to ▁the ▁lim b . ▁The ▁lim b ▁was ▁then ▁wrapped ▁in ▁band ages ▁before ▁a ▁st arch ▁co ating ▁was ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁outer ▁surface . ▁Se ut in ' s ▁technique ▁for ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁the ▁st arch ▁appar atus ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁technique ▁used ▁with ▁pl aster ▁of ▁Paris ▁dress