 A person exposed to excessive heat may react in one or more of these three ways. He may experience painful muscle cramps, or he may show signs of heat exhaustion, or even worse, he may experience heat stroke. In all three cases, he needs prompt and specific medical help. When a man has muscle cramps, he may have a great deal of pain in his legs or lower abdomen. His body temperature is probably normal. These cramps are caused by an excessive loss of salt from the body through sweating. Your patient may be damp, or his clothing may have long since dried. To treat him, you need to replace the salt that he has lost. Using the patient's canteen, prepare one-tenth percent salt solution with one-quarter teaspoon full of table salt, or two crushed tin-grain salt tablets. Add this to a one-quarter canteen of cool water. Replace the canteen cap and mix the solution until the salt is dissolved. Then have your patient drink all the solution that he can. A man with heat exhaustion usually has stained, sweaty clothes. He may be weak, dizzy, and vomiting. His skin may be moist and cool, and he may even have muscle cramps. To treat the heat exhaustion victim, you must cool him off, elevate his feet, and replace the water and salt he's lost through sweating. First, remove him to a cool, shady area. Then, lie him down and loosen his clothes. Also, elevate his feet. Next, mix one-fourth teaspoon of table salt, or two crushed salt tablets with one quart canteen of cool water. Be sure to shake the canteen until all the salt is dissolved. Encourage your patient to drink three to five canteens of this mixture over a twelve-hour period. If the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion continue after you have begun the treatment, evacuate your patient to the nearest medical facility. A heat stroke victim will have stopped sweating. His skin will be hot and dry. If he is conscious, he may seem confused. He may even be vomiting. It is also possible that he will be unconscious. Headache, dizziness, and a fast pulse are usually further results of the injury. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. You will need to treat your patient quickly and accurately. His temperature must be brought down as soon as possible. First, remove him to a shady area. Then, immerse him in water if a river or stream is nearby. If you do not have a body of water at hand, pour water from a canteen over his face and clothes. Then, fan him briskly. Do not take time to remove the casualties' clothes. The material will retain the moisture and keep him cool longer. Immediate evacuation is very important. Get the patient to a hospital facility as soon as possible. During the evacuation, keep your patient wet and fan him continually. If he is conscious and can hold anything on his stomach, give him the salt solution you used in the other heat injury treatments. Give him three to five canteens of the solution within a 12-hour period.