New Britain herald., 1917-08-21
LESSON NO 8. MARCHING AND CARE OF FEET.

Preceding Lessons: 1. Your Post of
 Honor. 2. Making Good As d
 Soldier. 8. Nine Qualities of .
 Soldier. 4. Getting Ready for
 Camp. 5. First Days in Camp.
 6. Cleanliness in Camp. '. Your
 Health.)
 The new soldier seldom under stands how important it is for him to learn to march and to develop his muscles so that he can easily carry his arms and equipment. Marching constitutes the principal occupation of troops in campaign" (Infantry Drill Regulations, paragraph 623.) Modern trench warfare in Europe has for the time being reduced the amount of marching required in cam paign; yet it remains just as impor tant an element in the soldiers train- ing as it ever was.
 In order to march for long dis tances che soldiers feet must be good condition As has been aptly re- marked, "the infantryman's feet arc his means of transportation.' Special attention should be paid to the fitting of shoes and the care of the feet Marching shoes should be quite little larger than shoes for ordinary wear. Sores and bisters on the feet should be romptly dressed during halts, At the end of the march feet should be bathed and dressed; the socks, and if practicable the shoes, should be changed.' Infantry Drill Regulations paragraph 627)
 You will learn in time the practical rules for taking care of your feet that are followed by experienced sol diers You will avoid considerable discomfort, however. if you learn some of these rules now and put them into practice from the very beginn- ing:
 1. See that your shoes are large enough. They will at first look and feel unnecessarily loose. This is needed because it has been found that feet swell and lengthen on marches. especially when carrying packs. But shoes fitted this way will give you no corns bunions, blisters, or other foot ills. In fact, they will cure any that you may already have.
 2. Take pains to keep your shoes in good condition. It is a good idea to apply light coat of neat's-foot oil, which will both soften the leather and tend to make them waterproof. Don't neglect to smooth out wrinkles in the lining of the shoe. Break in' new shoes before wearing them on long marches.
 g. Wear light woolen socks, such will be issued to you. See that you have no holes or wrinkles in them If a hole has been worn and can not be mended at once, change the sock from one foot to the other so that you foot will not be irritated more than is necessary
 4. Keep your feet, socks, and shoes clean When on the march try to wash your socks at night and put on a clean pair every morning, or at least wipe them off with a wet towel.
 g. Keep your feet scrupulously clean. A foot bath can be taken. when other facilities are not at hand. ground, throwing a poncho over it and pouring water into this from your canteen. Even pint of water will do for a foot bath. You can bathe all over by making or finding a depression of suitable size and us- ing your poncho as for a tooth bath.
 6. Keep your toe nails trimmed closely and cut them square across the ends. This will tend to prevent ingrowing nails. By all means avoid the common error of rounding the corners of the nail and cutting 1t to point in the center.
 '. In case a blister Is formed while on the march, open the edge of the blister with the point of knife or a needle that has been heated in a match flame. Be sure to squeeze all the fluid out of the blister. To leave any in it may make it worse. Do not pull off the loose skin but press 1t back. Then put on an adhesive plaster, covering the skin well beyond the edges of the blister, putting it on as tightly as possible without wrinkles. In the same way put an adhesive plaster over any red or tender spots.
 8. In case any tendons become intlamed or swollen Casually due to facing the logging or shoe too tight ly or to some other unnecessary pres sure) soak the foot in cold water, massage the tendon, and protect it as much as possible by strips of ad- hesive plaster You should report to a medical officer at your first oppor- tunity to make sure that the trouble does not grow worse.
 One sign of a green soldier is his tendency to drink too much water while on a long march. Tho exper- fenced man gargles his mouth and throat once in a while, but drinks only in sips and does not overload his stomach with either water or food.
 After you have arrived in camp and have cooled off you can drink slowly as much as you desire. It is, of course unwise to eat fruits, candy, soft drinks. ice cream. and the like while on the march.
 Another sign of a green soldier is a carelessly adjusted pack or any other equipment not neatly and se- curely fastened. Your comfort on the march depends very largely on