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off the bacteria in your intestine and should be used for severe diarrhea.But they kill both good and bad bacteria, so you should take the minimumamount needed and follow recovery with yogurt to return a few good bacteriato the plumbing.31Caution: Lomotil is a drug related to the morphine family of narcotics.rts activity is limited to relaxation of intestinal muscles because itis poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Although little isknown about this absorption process, there is evidence that childrenabsorb Lomotil more efficiently than adults. This absorbtion ~ill causerespiratory depression and can cause death. Joung children should notbe given Lomottl, and older children as well as adults (due to individualvariation in absorption) should be carefully watched for signs of overdose.Initial signs include dryness of skin and ~ucous membranes,flushing, hyperthermia, and vapid heartbeat. These symptoms ~ay beginas late as 30 hours' after ingestion. The Physician's Desk Referencestates, "LOHOTIL IS NOT A..~ I~OCUOUS DRUG A.~D DOSAGE RECO'rIENDATIO:ISSHOULD BE STRICTLY AD'HERED TO, ESPECIALLY H CHILDRL~~. II (Emphasis theirs.)Terry SaytherVitatnin pills (multiple, C, and B-complex) were available on a kitchenshelf in the house, but only four people took regular advantage of theseextra nutrients. Extra vitamins and minerals are needed during times ofsomething as trivial as tension and stress. Illness and excessive wearand tear on a system cause the body to need more than an average vitaminintake. Many meals prepared on the surface were lacking in the vegetabledepartment. Small amounts of potatoes,tqmatoes. raisins. plus a varietyof fruits barely supply the daily minimum. Since every caver there wasill and worn and torn, everyone should have availed himself of the vitaminsupplements.Aspirin and non-aspirin were taken often. More than 50 Datril (nonaspirin)and over 100 aspirin were consUIned for headaches, fever andsoreness by the total crew of 19. There was only one caver with a migraineproblem and he carried his own prescription. Several cavers who tookaspirin would have been kinder to their stomachs if they had taken Datrilinstead but non-the-less some form of aspirin was needed and used.Vaseline was used on caver's skin where wet-suits were expected tochafe or had chafed.- More antibiotic cremes for bad wet-suit chafes shouldhave been brought. Noxema was a good salve for rashes, chafes. dry skinand massages.Elastic bandages were important items. The sprained hand and anotherhand (broken several months earlier) were wrapped in the two inch elasticbandages. They can also hold gauze pads on wounds. The broke'n lingershould probab.ly have been wrapped but was not. The trivial woundswhich normally use 'bandaids were largely ignored. The large numbersof cuts and scratches made it impractical to try to cover each small openingin the skin. Hands became pruney and soft due to being wet for ten or twentyhours at a time and received-cuts easily. Gauze pads were used on the facialinjuries in the accident but did not see much use elsewhere.