The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same ©

 

 

Recently, while reading some early firsthand accounts of scouts, or “spies” as they were called at the time, I was struck by the similarities between the situations that these spies and scouts faced, and those that the Special Forces trained Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) soldiers of Vietnam faced.  The Vietnam War was a conflict which had many similarities to the Indian Wars of the Old Northwest Frontier of North America, during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. 

 

And one of these parallels, was the impossibility of keeping your feet warm and dry and the likelihood of being afflicted with warm water immersion foot (WWIF) and/or tropical immersion foot (TIF), or as it was known during late 18^th and early 19^th centuries “scald feet”, “scald foot” or “scalded feet”, a common affliction at the time.

  

Recently, while reading some early firsthand accounts of scouts, or “spies” as they were called at the time, I was struck by the similarities between the situations that these spies and scouts faced, and those that the Special Forces trained Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) soldiers of Vietnam faced.  The Vietnam War was a conflict which had many similarities to the Indian Wars of the Old Northwest Frontier of North America, during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. 

 

And one of these parallels, was the impossibility of keeping your feet warm and dry and the likelihood of being afflicted with warm water immersion foot (WWIF) and/or tropical immersion foot (TIF), or as it was known during late 18^th and early 19^th centuries “scald feet”, “scald foot” or “scalded feet”, a common affliction at the time.

 

Warm water immersion foot, (WWIF) occurs after long term exposure, over one to three days, to warm and wet conditions.  By the end of the third day, it is nearly certain, that a person will be affected to some degree or another with warm water immersion foot¹.  Generally, it takes more than three days of long term exposure to warm-wet conditions, to move to the second, more serious stage, of warm water immersion foot, tropical immersion foot (TIF). 

 

Both maladies are caused by hyperhydration, or waterlogging, of the skin, through immersion in water between the temperatures of 59^oF to 90^oF (15^o C to 32^oC).  Tropical immersion foot is caused by the passage of water through the compromised outer layer of skin, the epidermis, into inner layer of skin, or the dermis. 

 

Today, warm water immersion foot is treated by bed rest, elevating the feet and pain medication, and recovery usually requires no more than four to five days of hospitalization².  Warm water immersion foot is treated by keeping the injured person off their feet and allowing the feet to dry out  for one to three days.  Symptoms usually disappear quickly after the feet are allowed to dry out, with most people being pain free within 24 hours³.

 

Much like their rangers and ancestors of the Old Northwest Frontier during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) soldiers in Vietnam, had developed some commonsense tips to take care of their feet while on patrol.  These tips were later published as The B-52 Tips, in August 1970, as a means of capturing hard learned lessons.

 

Vietnam war era U.S. Army socks

 

Tip 30.     If you change socks, especially in the rainy season, try to wait until RON (Remain Over Night) and have no more than two patrol members change socks at one time.  Never take off both boots at the same time.

 

Tip 31.     When a team member starts to come down with immersion foot, stop in a secure position, remove injured persons boot, dry off his feet, put foot powder on his feet and place a ground sheet or poncho over his feet so that they can dry out.  Continued walking will make matters worse, ensuring that the man will become a casualty, thereby halting the further progress of the team.

 

Tip 32.     Desenex or Vaseline rubbed on the feet during the rainy season or in wet weather will aid in the prevention of immersion foot.  It will also help avoid chapping if put on the hands.

 

Vietnam war era U.S. Army foot powder, the same ingredients as Desenex foot powder today.

Tip 52.     Carry one extra pair of socks, plus foot powder, on patrol, especially during the rainy season. 

 

During the War in Vietnam, it was found that applying a thick coating of a hydrophobic balm, such as Vaseline® or a silicone grease, daily to the soles of the feet prevented, prevented the hyperhydration and pruning of the soles of the feet, which leads to warm water immersion foot.  Similarly, using Desenex foot powder, a white, free-flowing powder, containing the active ingredients undecylenic acid 2% and zinc undecylenate 20%, would help dry feet out, after they had been exposed to water, and it would help prevent warm water immersion foot brought on by excess sweating.  

 

For more on “warm water immersion foot” (WWIF), and “tropical immersion foot” (TIF), see “Wet Feet! ... Immersion Foot!? Part One©”, HERE, “Wet Feet! ... Immersion Foot!? Part Two©”, HERE and “Cold Feet...Wet Boots! ©”, HERE.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “A Ranger’s Story, 1756 ©”, where the elderly and enigmatic “Dr. Blank” will recount his adventures as a member of Rogers’ Rangers in 1756, to the “New Contributor”, a young college student, who would later, in May 1845, send it to the Knickerbocker magazine for publication.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ Lt Col. Alfred M. Allen, Internal Medicine in Vietnam: Skin Diseases in Vietnam, 1965-72, Vol. I, Office of the Surgeon General and Center of Military History, Washington, D.C., 1989, page 115-117

 

² Ibid, page 111

 

³ Ibid, page 117

 

 

Sources

 

Allen, Alfred M., Lt Col.; Internal Medicine in Vietnam: Skin Diseases in Vietnam, 1965-72, Vol. I, [Office of the Surgeon General and Center of Military History, Washington, D.C., 1977], p 102-117, https://books.google.com/books?id=Quw5DlbHKt0C&pg=PR17&dq=Internal+Medicine+in+Vietnam:+Skin+Diseases+in+Vietnam,+1965-72&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiw1cjXjqP9AhWID1kFHf7qBEoQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=Internal%20Medicine%20in%20Vietnam%3A%20Skin%20Diseases%20in%20Vietnam%2C%201965-72&f=false, accessed 2/19/2023

 

An American Physician, Mackenzie’s Five Thousand Receipts, [John I. Kay and Co., Pittsburgh, PA, and James Kay, Jun. and Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1831], page 212, http://books.google.se/books?id=bWLe9UcnYH8C&pg=PA212&dq=rheumatism+symptoms&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OqsKUZnBO-in4gSHnIGQDw&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=rheumatism%20symptoms&f=false, accessed March 9, 2023

 

Barber, John W.; Historical Collections of the State of New York, published by Clark, Austin & Co, New York, 1851 page 151

 

Belue, Ted Franklin, edited by; The Life of Daniel Boone by Lyman C. Draper, [Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 1998], page 480 & 490

 

Belue, Ted Franklin, The Long Hunt, [Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA 1996] page 91

 

Buchan, William, M.D.; Domestic Medicine, [Otis, Broaders, and Company, Boston, 1848] page 281, http://books.google.se/books?id=5fArAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA281&dq=rheumatism+%22wet+feet%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=N60KUYW9EqOq4ATZooCACg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=rheumatism%20%22wet%20feet%22&f=false, accessed March 9, 2023

 

Cobb, Daniel J.; The Medical Botanist, and Expositor of Diseases and Remedies: In Two Volumes, [Printed by Geo. H. Bidwell, Dansville, NY;1846], page 201,

https://books.google.com/books?id=3omsbZjTso0C&pg=PA201&dq=rheumatism+feet+symptoms+cold+wet&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHyd2p2tT9AhW_F1kFHXvBBp44ChDoAXoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=rheumatism%20feet%20symptoms%20cold%20wet&f=false, accessed March 11, 2023

 

Doddridge, Rev. Dr Joseph; Notes on the Settlement and Indian Wars of the Western Parts of Virginia & Pennsylvania, from the year 1763 until the year 1783, [Wellsburgh, VA; printed at the office of the Gazette, 1824] page 144 , http://www.archive.org/details/notesonsettlemen00dodd, accessed July 26, 2011

 

James, James Alton; George Rogers Clark Papers: 1771-1781, [Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, Illinois, 1912], pages 210 – 212, https://books.google.com/books?id=z0kSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA210&dq=%22our+feet+being+wet+for+three+or+four%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Tz8HUdD9EcrL0QGU74D4CA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22our%20feet%20being%20wet%20for%20three%20or%20four%22&f=false, accessed February 18, 2023

 

Hammon, Neal O., edited by; My Father, Daniel Boone: The Draper Interviews with Nathan Boone, [University Press of Kentucky, 1999, Lexington KY], page 36-37

 

Hartley, Cecil B.; Life and Adventures of Lewis Wetzel, the Virginia Ranger, [Published by G. G. Evans, Philadelphia, PA, 1860], page 264, http://books.google.se/books?id=wUozAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA264&dq=%22moccasins%22++tied++spy&hl=en&sa=X&ei=giwJUdCBMOiI4ATrqIGQDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22moccasins%22%20%20tied%20%20spy&f=false, accessed March 8, 2023

 

Hutchinson, William T.; Kentucky and the Revolutionary Era, 1770-1815, [The University of Chicago, November 1976-February 1977], page 19, http://storage.lib.uchicago.edu/pres/2009/pres2009-0501.pdf, accessed March 7, 2023