Villagers simply take a large stone to crush the spines arguing that the pain goes away quickly and that with time the crushed bits will work themselves out of the foot. Doctors suggest that pounding the foot with a stone will only drive the spines deeper and perhaps cause a secondary infection. Both the villagers and doctors agree that the spines must be removed quickly. If the swimmer isn’t carrying a scalpel with him and is far from a doctor, he may want to try a local method which, as many foreigners who have used it attest, seems to work without unpleasant aftereffects. The area should then be swabbed with Mercurochrome and covered with a gauze pad.