How to Ruin a Morning

I've been reading Dr. Paul S. Auerbach's "Medicine for the Outdoors" the past few days and today I got to the chapter on minor bruises and wounds and it's some toe-curling information including how to drain a boil, repair an ingrown toenail, handle blisters on the trail, and more. There are lots of images (line drawings) of how to use your scalpel to ease pain and suffering of common ailments that affect hikers and backpackers. OUCH!

There's tons of great information for those of us who spend time out and about and it can be especially useful to those of us who carry and use sharp tools like axes, knives, and saws, who spend time outside during biting season with blackflies and mozzies, and who like to drink "wild" water and may suffer ill effects if purification isn't used. Sure, the water looked clean...

I'm hoping to get some training from the local Boy Scout Council on wilderness medicine in the near future and I've taken several first aid classes in the past so this book should be very useful to me in this pursuit. I think it was about $25 and, so far, I'd say it's been money well spent.

Thanks for reading,


B