Morning journal and courier., 1888-04-16
IN HOSPITAL.
Suffering of the Italian Soldiers in
 M2sgowah.

Suffering of the Italian Soldiers in
 Massowah.
 Inaction, home sickness and the worst climate in Africa are telling on the health of the Italian soldiers in Massewah This is how Sig Norsa describes the military hes pital:
 The heat is increasing day by day, and if it continues to do SO at this rate it will be i'm the temperature is already very high. The sun beats upon this arid plain and brown hills, extracting from the drying herbs and bushes vapors that smell like the ruins of cenhagration. The zinc roofs of the militia " barracks glitter unexpectedly, and the white houses, the sand, the sea, dead like g pond, shine with metallic reflections that of fend the eye. In spite of the excessive heat the sanitary condition of the troops has not grown any worse. Still if the official figures show a sensible diminution in the number of patients in the Massowah hospital, which might be greeted ss an improvement, it is only the result of the sending of the conva- Iescents home, which is done on large scale by every weekly steamer. have again yisi- ted the crowded hospital of Ras Mudir and cannot tell you how sad is the impression produced by the wards full of sick youths. TAere our good soldiers lie stretched on their haugareps, which are beds used by the na- tives, consisting of strong frame of wood on four legs, with strips of leather crossed from side to side and end to end. In the eyes bright with fever of these sick men one perceives an intense longing for home and friends. If stronger passes between the two rows of haugareps all the patients gaze at him as if to find in his coantenance some news, sone word of comfort. The doctor, Lieutenant Groth, accompanied me on my visit He told me that here the maladies of the soldiers are generally complicated by 8 condition of extreme nervous excitement, which weighs upon the spirits and renders the patients strangely irascible and sensible beyond all describing. The sick men often cry like babies under the effect of 6 yio- lent nostalgia, an unsatisGed longing for home. We approached the bed of a young soldier more seriously ill than the others. He looked like wax figure. Not drop of black beard. ''He has the typhus," the phy- siciau whispered to me. Then turning to his patient and calling him by name, he said, s'How do you feels' "Very bad, Sig. Te- nente, very bad indeed. I want to die!" tDie Nonsense! Don't talk rubbish. Be good; be quiet; think of getting we'll, and then when you are better they will send you home" The doctor pronounced these last words very slowly, observing their effect upon his patient. I too watched the poor fellow and saw him smile; and sort of se- renity spread over his pallid face as flash of hope kindled his eyes. Then he closed his eyes as if he wanted to sleep and murmured low, "Home! I want to get better, Sig Tenente. I want to get better!" On the day when the steamer leaves for Italy all the pa tients sit up in their beds and listen to the whistle, stretching out their heads in sort of frenzy. They want to see the steamer that is going to Italy. They send a farewell .fA 4l,a.u Lo-,l chiefs without knowing exactly why. When the mail steamer arrives there is the same ex- citement, and when the lieutenant enters the wards to distribute the letters many poor fellow, disappointed in his expectation, turns on his face in his haugareps to hide his tears ih his pillow. When the doctor makes his evening visit the clinical thermometer al ways shows an increase of fever. "Have you had letter." he sometimes asks of one. ''Signor, no Sig. Tenente, and I expected one, expected ene!" "It is natural" mur murs the doctor, shaking his head at the 1 also visited the ward for natives and was immediately struck by the usual smell of rancid fat and ciyet which constantly ema- mates from these black people. I call it "odor of Massowah' for the benefit of per fHmers. The natives have also haugareps, pillows and coverlets, but they do not use them. Many remain for hours motionless as statues of bronze, leaning against the wall or erouched on the ground, with dull almost lifeless eyes. They wait patiently for cure or death. God is great! At first they be- lieved neither in the doctor nor in medicines. Then one or another was cured in good time and showed his gratitude. Many call the doctor of the native ward sfather" and kiss his hand and bless him. Looking at these black patients, I formed an idea of their paleness. Because we may call even the ns- groes pale when, instead of the natural glos- siness of their skin one perceives a kind of opacity, when the usual brightness of their eyes has vanished, and sad tint of despair and fatigue overspreads all the face. At the door of the native barraok there is a species of narrow and rude hut, where for many years has lived an old Bashi Bazouk. He was there during the Egyptian rule. The English left him there and he continues to dwell there in his character of Cerberus of the hospital under the Italian government. He never leaves his hut except to receive his pay or buy little clura. He is there night and day with his idolized gun, which he keeps covered with tow to prevent it from rusting. When an officer passes he presents his arm just as it is, reconciliug his idea of discipline with his love for his inanimate companion, and naturally it has never en tered his head to give it up. He knows nothing of different nationalities. If he sees well-dressed European pass he salutes him and calls him ''captain."