A MEDICAL AND SURGICAL OUTFIT FOR 



FORESTERS. 



BY 



DR. JOHN GIFFORD, 



NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF FORESTRY. 



THE ordinary medical and surgical 

 emergency outfits, as prepared 

 by drug houses for parties living in 

 regions far away from physicians and 

 drug stores, are for several reasons un- 

 satisfactory for the forester. Many of 

 these outfits contain drugs of doubtful 

 medicinal value. Some contain drugs 

 which should never be placed in the 

 hands of others than regular physicians. 

 Others lack the common but efficient 

 household remedies with which men of 

 ordinary intelligence and experience are 

 familiar. Many contain drugs which 

 are never used, and none familiar to the 

 writer seem especially fitted to the needs 

 of men living for several weeks in re- 

 mote districts. 



In cases of illness it is, of course, 

 always proper to call in a physician ; 

 but the backwoods doctor is often so 

 far behind the times that one is safer 

 without his services. In cases of light 

 illness a doctor is very often an unnec- 

 essary expense. 



Whether doctors are available or not, 

 it is nothing short of criminal negligence 

 to send a party into the woods for a 

 considerable stay without an emergency 

 outfit. 



A careful, intelligent member of the 

 party should be given sole charge of 

 the emergency kit. He should adminis- 

 ter medicines and order more when one 

 or more articles are exhausted. This 

 should be done at once, because the 

 most useful articles are the ones first ex- 

 hausted. Many expeditions have with 

 good intentions started out with com- 

 plete emergency outfits, but which, 

 owing to lack of replenishment and 

 care, soon became useless impediments. 



It should always be borne in mind 

 that to the sick and wounded ft) staid 

 is the important aid. Serious illness 



and even death may be averted by doing 

 the proper thing at the proper time. 

 This aid is often slight and of such a 

 nature that a thoughtful, intelligent 

 person can give it as well as an expe- 

 rienced physician. 



I have had charge of an emergency 

 outfit for several years. This has un- 

 dergone and is still undergoing change. 

 A lot of medicines recommended by 

 doctors whom I have consulted have 

 been discarded and only those are car- 

 ried which I have found most useful. 

 Other persons might prefer other kinds, 

 for in matters of this nature there is 

 ample room for diversity of opinion. I 

 have been frequently asked for a list of 

 the materials in my chest. I give it 

 below for the benefit of those in need 

 of such an outfit. 



I. A pocket Cyclopedia of Medicine and 

 Surgery, by Gould and Pyle. 



II.* Quinine, 2 gr. pills. For malaria, fever, 

 cold, and general tonic. As a general tonic 

 and preventive against malaria, one after each 

 meal. 



III. Anti-malaria. Quin. sulph., i^ gr. ; 

 acid arsen., ^ gr. ; powd. capsicum, y 2 gr. 

 Two every three hours for chronic and acute 

 malaria. 



IV. Oil of citronella. Since malarial fe- 

 vers are transmitted by mosquitoes the damage 

 of infection is much reduced and comfort se- 

 cured by the free use of this oil on face and 

 hands. The genuine should be used, and not 

 cheap, ineffective substitutes. 



V. A. S. and B. pills for chronic constipa- 

 tion. Aloin, A gr. ; strych. sulph., ^ gr. ; ext. 

 belladonna, % gr. Two tablets at night for 

 torpid liver and as a laxative in chronic con- 

 stipation. 



VI. Excellent laxative. Ext. cascara sag. , 

 I gr. ; ext. nux vom., l /& gr., ext. belladonna, ' s 

 gr. ; ipecac powd., % gr. ; podophyllin, '$ gr. 

 One to three at night. 



VII. Calomel, ^ grain. One every two 

 hours until cathartic action is produced, fol- 

 lowed by seidlitz powdt-r or epsom salts, for 

 biliousness and torpid liver. 



* These doses are for adults only. 



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