ter, and when that can not be procured by some improvised substitute which secures the comfort and safety of the person disabled.

158. Improvisation of litters.-Many things can be used for this purpose: Camp cots, window shutters, doors, benches, ladders, etc., properly padded.

a. Litters may be made with sacks or bags of any description, if large and strong enough, by ripping the bottoms and passing two poles through them and tying crosspieces to the poles to keep them apart. Two, or even three, sacks placed end to end on the same poles may be necessary to make a safe and comfortable litter.

b. Bedticks are used in the same way by slipping the poles through holes made by snipping off the four corners.

c. Pieces of matting, rug, or carpet trimmed into shape may be fastened to poles by tacks or twine.

d. Straw mats, leafy twigs, weeds, hay, straw, etc., covered or not with a blanket, will make a good bottom over a framework of poles and cross sticks.

e. Better still is a litter with bottom of ropes or rawhide strips whose turns cross each other at close intervals.

f. Litters may also be improvised by lashing two short poles about 2 feet long across two long poles with bandages or other materials and securely lashing a blanket, shelter half, or poncho over this; or rope, wire, or other similar material may be woven between the poles and this network covered with a blanket.

g. The usual military improvisation is with blankets or shelter tents and poles about 7 feet long. The blanket is spread upon the ground, one pole is laid across the center of the folded blanket, which is folded back over to the first pole. Should it be desirable, the following methods may be used:

(1) One-half of the blanket is rolled lengthwise into a cylinder, which is placed along the back of the patient, who has been turned carefully on his side. The patient is then turned over upon the blanket and the cylinder unrolled on the other side. The poles are then laid down and rolled tightly in the blanket, each a like number of turns, until the side of the body of the patient is reached.

(2) A litter may also be prepared with two poles and two or three blouses by turning the blouse linings out and buttoning them up, sleeves in, when the poles are passed through the sleeves, the backs of the blouses forming the bed.

159. Methods of removing wounded without litters.-a. By the rifle seat.-A good seat may be made by running the barrels of

two rifles through the sleeves of an overcoat, turned inside out and buttoned up, sleeves in so that the coat lies back up, collar to the rear. The front bearer rolls the tail tightly around the barrels and takes his grasp over them; the rear bearer holds by the butts, trigger guards up.

b. A stronger seat is secured in the following manner.—A blanket being folded once from side to side, a rifle is laid transversely upon it across its center, so that the butt and muzzle project beyond the edges; one end of the blanket is folded upon the other end and a second rifle laid upon the new center in the same manner as before. The free end of the blanket is folded upon the end containing the first rifle, so as to project a couple of inches beyond the first rifle. The litter is raised from the ground with trigger guards up.

c. By one bearer.-A single bearer may carry a patient in his arms or on his back. (Pls. 18 and 19, T. R. 112–5.)

(1) The bearer, turning patient on his face, steps astride his body, facing toward the patient's head, and with hands under his armpits lifts him to his knees; then, clasping hands over abdomen, lifts him to his feet; he then, with his left hand, seizes the patient by the left wrist and draws left arm around his (the bearer's) neck and holds it against his left chest, the patient's left side resting against his body, and supports him, with his right arm about the waist.

From this position the bearer, with his right arm upon the patient's back, passes his left under thighs and lifts him into position, carrying him well up.

The patient is first lifted erect, as described in previous paragraphs, when the bearer with his left hand seizes the right wrist of the patient and draws the arm over the head and down upon his left shoulder, then shifting himself in front, stoops and clasps the right thigh with his right arm passed between the legs, his right hand seizing the patient's right wrist; lastly, the bearer with his left hand grasps the patient's left and steadies it against his side, when he rises. (Pl. 20, T. R. 112-5.)

The patient is lifted erect (as described), when the bearer shifts himself to the front of the patient, back to the patient, stoops, and grasping his thighs brings him well upon his back. As the patient must help himself by placing his arms around the bearer's neck, this method is impracticable with an unconscious man. (Pl. 21, T. R. 112-5.)

(2) In lowering the patient from these positions the motions are reversed. Should the patient be wounded in such a manner as to require these motions to be conducted from the right side

instead of left, as laid down, the change is simply one of hands--the motions proceed as directed, substituting right for left and vice versa.

d. By two bearers.-Besides the methods (already described) for carrying patient to litter. By the extremities:

The bearers take position at patient, one man between the patient's legs and one at his head, both facing toward his feet. (Pl. 22, T. R. 112-5.)

The rear bearer having raised the patient to a sitting posture, clasps him from behind around the body under the arms, while the front bearer standing between the legs, passes his hands from the outside under the flexed knees, both rise together.

This method requires no effort on the part of the patient, but is not applicable to severe injuries of the extremities.

e. To place a patient on horseback.-The help required to mount a disabled man will depend upon the site and nature of his injury; in many cases he is able to help himself materially. The horse, blindfolded if necessary, is to be held by an attendant.

(1) To load from the near side. (Pl. 23, T. R. 112-5.)

The patient having been lifted, is carried to the horse, patient's body parallel to that of the horse and close to its side, his head toward the horse's tail. He is then carefully raised and carried over the horse until his seat reaches the saddle, when he is lifted into position. One man goes to the offside and puts the patient's right foot into the stirrup. One man puts the left foot in the stirrup. (Pl. 24, T. R. 112-5.)

(2) To unload, the patient's feet are disengaged from the stirrups and his right leg swung over the pommel, one man going to the offside for the purpose and then resuming his post at the left side. The patient is brought to a horizontal position, gently lifted over the saddle, and carried backward until free of the horse, when the squad halts and lowers patient.

(3) The patient once mounted should be made as safe and comfortable as possible. A comrade may be mounted behind him and guide the horse; otherwise a lean-back may be provided, made of a blanket roll, a pillow, or a bag filled with leaves or grass. If the patient be very weak, the lean-back may be made of a sapling, bent into an arch over the cantle of the saddle, its ends securely fastened, or some other framework, to which the patient is bound.

f. The travois.-The travois is a vehicle intended for transporting the sick or wounded when the use of wheeled vehicles 39854-27- --6

or other means of transportation is impracticable. It consists of two long poles, one end of each pole being attached like shafts to the side of a horse, the free end dragging on the ground. Behind the horse, crossbars extend between these poles, holding them parallel and affording support for a patient.

A travois may be improvised by cutting poles about 16 feet long and 2 inches in diameter at the small end. These poles are laid parallel to each other, large ends to the front, and 21⁄2 feet apart; the small ends about 3 feet apart, and one of them projecting about 8 or 10 inches beyond the other. The poles are connected by a crossbar about 6 feet from the front ends and another about 6 feet back of the first, each notched at its ends and securely lashed at the notches to the poles. Between the crosspieces the litter bed, 6 feet long, is filled in with canvas, blanket, etc., securely fastened to the poles and crossbars, or with rope, lariat, rawhide strips, etc., stretching obliquely from pole to pole in many turns, crossing each other to form the basis for a light mattress or an improvised bed; or a litter may be made fast between the poles to answer the same purpose. The front ends of the poles are then securely fastened to the saddle of the animal. A breast strap and traces should, if possible, be improvised and fitted to the horse. On the march the bearers should be ready to lift the rear end of the travois when passing over obstacles, crossing streams, or going uphill.

PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL HYGIENE

(T. R. 113-5)

160. Introductory remarks.-Hygiene means, in plain terms, the art of keeping in good health. When we speak of personal hygiene we refer to those precautions which every man can take in his own efforts to prevent disease and thus keep himself at all times in the best possible physical condition. Attention to hygiene is especially important to the soldier in view of the fact that the Government, before allowing you to enlist, has given you a thorough physical examination to determine that you have no disease, and it then becomes your duty toward yourself and toward your country to aid in every way in keeping well and ready for any service. In the following pages you will be told many facts which should be of interest and value to you; if the advice given is strictly followed, you will be the gainer in every respect; any failure on your part to follow the rules here given may not only harm you, but may also bring disease to large numbers of your comrades. In most of the wars of the past more men have died from illness than have been killed in battle. Many of these deaths from disease can be prevented if every man does his part toward following the principles of hygiene. Therefore you must not only observe these rules yourself, but must also insist that each of your comrades does the same. Sanitary regulations may be published and orders on this subject issued, but unless each and every one, from the highest to the lowest in rank, complies with the rules, satisfactory results can not be obtained. Your officers can caution and advise you, but there are many details which only you yourself can look after and carry out; hence it is "up to" each individual to help in every way.

161. Importance of early medical treatment.-If at any time you do not feel perfectly well or believe that you have any disease, report at once to the first sergeant, who will send you to a medical officer for examination. Do not try selftreatment, since by so doing you may not only harm yourself, but may also be a source of danger to all those around you.