This article could more properly be written by our treasurer, Dr. E. F. Stevens, who has doubtless rendered more first aid to injured mountaineers than all the other mountaineering doctors in the state put together. However, as Dr. Stevens is a man of deeds rather than of words, it falls to me to state the general principles underlying the practice of medicine and surgery in the mountains.

It may be thought that the doctors and the patients work under many disadvantages in camp, or on the mountainside. Yet, while this is true as to conveniences, the reverse is true as to essentials. The essentials for a patient's recovery from accident, or illness are these: Good general health,pure air and outdoor living, freedom from routine, cares of business or family, clean water for drinking and bathing, and inspiring surroundings. These essentials we always have in a group of mountain climbers, and when you can add plenty of good food, well cooked, which we can count on in the Mountaineers' Club, the surgeon is well outfitted, even without the hospital equipment so necessary in the city.

The medical ailments most commonly brought to the doctor in the mountains are headache, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, earache and toothache. The first four are usually preventable and are worth mentioning, because the "first aid" should be applied by the patient himself before he becomes ill, that he may avoid the illness altogether.

Headache usually comes from prolonged exertion, coupled with anxiety, as in the leader of a refractory pack train over a bad trail, or in members of the official staff who conduct a carefree company up to the summit and back, past many dangers, keeping everyone both cheerful and careful till safe in camp again.

Indigestion is seldom heard of except in rainy weather, when exercise is interfered with and the idlers in camp overeat of the goodies our chef comforts us withal, such as beef stew with Spanish sauce, followed by mince pie.

Diarrhea in the mountains is almost always caused by weariness and worry, and is more apt to occur early in the trip, before the carping cares of city life are quite forgotten, and before the climber is rested from the preparations for the trip.

Constipation is rare in the mountains, when to the active exercise is added generous dishes of stewed fruits, daily.

For earache, the best prevention is to sleep with the head dry and closely covered with wool, as with a stocking cap, or a little shawl pinned snugly. For cure, be sides the doctor's internal remedies, glycerine with carbolic acid to sterilize and cocaine to stop the pain, will relieve. Glycerine two teaspoonfuls, carbolic acid two drops, cocaine four and one-half grains, is the proportion, to be warmed and put into the ear on absorbent cotton.

For toothache, half iodine and half aconite tinctures, painted on the gum every two or three hours, will make the sufferer call you blessed. These two preparations I always carry into the wilderness.

The surgical cases are the natural result of life on the trail. First come blistered feet from heavy boots, next blistered faces from the sun's reflection on the snow, then an interesting list of sprained knees, wrists or ankles; bruises, cuts and burns; rarely, frosted feet from long time in the snows and crevasses. The major cases, of broken legs and more serious injuries, we hope to avoid altogether by caution. But if they come, despite our care, impromptu splints made from the handle of an ice axe, or from pieces of an alpenstock, if above the tree line, and bandages of bandana hand kerchiefs will answer every purpose, till the stretcher improvised from the lifeline and two alpenstocks, as made by Mr. J. Fred Blake in the 1907 outing, can bear the patient into camp.

For blistered feet, the best prevention, far superior to adhesive plaster, is a chamois heel protector which should be worn next to the skin, not outside the socks, the feet being kept well oiled. These heel protectors can be bought for twenty-five cents a pair at shoe stores. If the blisters have actually occurred, there is no remedy more soothing and antiseptic than five per cent salicylic acid in lanoline, without which no "tenderfoot" mountaineer should go into the hills. This also is excellent treatment for frost bite and for sore feet of all degrees.

For the prevention of sunburn, grease paint is all sufficient, put on generously before going on the snows. The color of grease paint used seems to be immaterial. For the cure of sunburn, glycerine and water, 1 to 4, followed by the best cold cream, such as Daggett & Ramsdell's, several times a day.

For sprains or other muscular lameness, a liniment of chloroform, two per cent., in glycerine, rubbed in well and frequently, is a panacea even better than arnica.

For cuts and burns, a mild antiseptic salve, like the campho-phenique, called "Scrofonol," is good. Apply the salve, then cover with a thin layer of absorbent cotton, to prevent the adhesive plaster from coming in contact with the wound, then the adhesive to hold the dressing in place.

If a cut must be sewed together, and a tyro must do it, remember to sew muscle to muscle and skin to skin, and you may do as well as an experienced surgeon. If there is bleeding, as from a severed artery, which pressure alone will not stop, tie a handkerchief or strip of torn garment above the cut, as tightly as necessary to stop the flow of blood, till the artery can be tied with a stitch around it.

To be a good mountaineer is to be good in emergencies, and it is surprising how much a layman can do, whatever the accident, in the way of first aid. Every difficulty yields to common sense and a cool head.