that in itself would be sufficient to restore the circulation. At any
rate, when the oil gave out, we still kept up the rubbing game and
there was no noticeable change in the result.

Another hitherto unknown disease which developed during that season
was what is commonly known as "trench fever." The victim's temperature
runs up around one hundred and three and he is affected with lassitude
and general debility and it requires from three weeks to a month in
hospital to put him in shape for duty. The medical officers use a
Greek name for this fever, which, translated, means, "a fever of
unknown origin" but the colloquial designation is "G. O. K.," (God
only knows). It is rarely, if ever, fatal. I never heard of any one
dying of it.

Then there is a sort of skin affection; a "rash," which is said to be
caused by eating so much meat, especially fats, without taking
sufficient exercise. A few sulphur baths at specially prepared places
behind the lines soon eradicate this trouble.

Really dangerous diseases are extremely rare. Typhoid fever is almost
unknown, pneumonia is seldom heard of and even rheumatism, which one
would naturally expect to be prevalent, is by no means common. The
ratio of sickness, from all causes, was far below that in any of the
training camps in this country although never, in Canada, England,
Flanders or France, did we have as comfortable quarters as are
furnished for all the troops here. But we _did_ have at all times,
plenty of good warm woolen clothing and an abundance of substantial
food. Cotton uniforms, underwear or socks are unknown in any army
except that of the United States. Perhaps you can find the answer in
that statement.

During February an almost continuous fight was waged for a small
length of trench on our left, known as the International Trench,
because it changed hands so often. It culminated, March second, with
the Battle of the Bluff, by which British troops took and held this
line. We were in support, as usual, and suffered rather heavily from
shell fire. This was the beginning of the spring offensive, and from
that time on we caught it, hot and heavy, for four solid months.

CHAPTER XII

THE WAR IN THE AIR

From the time we first caught sight of our guns shelling the German
airplanes there was rarely a day that we did not see many of them,
scouting, bombarding or fighting. At first, as mentioned elsewhere,
they flew very low; within easy range of machine-gun f