Nylon Stockings and Safety Pins--Occasional Notes from the Expedition Physician

We have had an accident and illness free expedition, thus far. Nevertheless, we are well prepared with conventional and improvised methods of first aid. I have learned a lot in just a few days in the jungle. Most of my experience has been expedition travel to areas of extreme heat such as the Gobi Desert, but never the jungle. The arachnologists and botanists are super hardy. I have never sweated so much in my life. I am learning collection techniques such as aspirating insects through rubber hoses I would normally use as tourniquets or catheters. I am learning, but have not mastered the art of sifting leaf litter... mvi_4326 mvi_4327 ...I have been experimenting with women's nylon stockings as a barrier to the leeches locals refer to as fire leeches. They are very comfortable under socks and I haven't had a single leech attach to my legs, yet. I don't know how durable or effective the nylons will be as I already have a run in one of them. I will go back to the store and try a different type next time we are in town. The salesman seemed to think my questions about the den numbers were a little odd. Occasional Tip: Safety pins can be useful for immobilizing an arm without having to remove the victim's shirt. The techniques are slightly different for those wearing long- or short-sleeved shirts.

[caption id="attachment_457" align="alignleft" width="565" caption="Method of splinting arm or shoulder using safety pins if patient has long-sleeved shirt. Try to use sturdy parts of the shirt to secure the pins (e.g. pocket seems and cuffs) to reduce the chances of tearing. "]