The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-24

men In gOuu SplI'ts lioh" oN'.A -,
change, and prospective novelty, we
marched at good rate. Water enough, we
started with tull cauteens, and for whatever
need of replenishment abundance was al.
forded by the way. Grows cooler as night
apprt aches; all a favorable Initiation OF
fifty mile march.
Reaching point beyond Moscow, over
ten miles from our "pasture," amid green
or ones, and by the still waters, where iced
Is also abundant, the division encamps. No
hardships nor mishaps experienced In the
53i. Shortly smokes from hundreds OF
campfires not offensive, but bearing sue
gestive incense of favorable refreshment,
pervsde the atmosphere. These solitudes
soon, as In changeful dream, have be-
come popuious and voiceful. Not revelry
military order prevails-but quiet
blended hum and lnurmur OF contentment
and satisfaction. If the scenes and expe,
riences OF today were but the all OF war
I'VE need 20 but little distance from
whatever locality to find some remarKaDie
changes. No further south from the iati-
tude of Chicago than Tennessee, the short
ness of the twilight Is remarkable. Hard
ly shutdown when It is dark. We hyper
boresn Yankees" as some sarcastic South
rons INDUCED In terming us, early anu
gladly learned again the constant tact
that, In whatever, the worst experience al
Is never as bad as II looks. Hot as the
summer weather was, the nights were unl'
formly cool, enabling all, when duties Ia
vored, TO put solid bars OF most refreshing
sleep between the days. Nothing 30 re
storing 20 exhausted vital forces. And sell
dom, and bu, slightly, did insects ever
disturb our slumbers These things 30 Ia.
voring sleep, were agreeable surprises. l
don't remember In hottest days when
blanket or two at night was not needed TO
sleep In perfect comfort. These were
highly favorable conditions tor sick and
wounded.
The evening meal over, the camp soon
subsidized into quietude and all slept, save
the small proportion 10 whose lot 1t fell to
serve as pickets and guards, ever indispen'
sable.
A SEVERE MARCH
How seldom favoring conditions abide
long, anywhere. The night not well ad-
vanced till q heavy thunder storm arose,
such as nowhere else so violent as believe
occur In Dixie but soon subsidiDg. De-
slrable 70 advance early in the coolest OF
the day, the division was in motion
again re the dawn had risen. The heavy
rain had made heavy marching The heat
was great, from sunrise; Intensely oppres'
sive from the stiffness Of the air, and the
moisture, which obstructs free respiration;
and Precipitation does not so freely relieve
Of heat, rs when tho air Is dryer. Dry
heat even at high temperatures compare
lively endurable, as the skin and pulmona.
ry exhalents freely carry 1t off. Universal
testimony of our officers aud men that
though the heat was so much greater at the
South, tho air was usually dry, and, sweat
ing profusely, they could endure II much
better than In Illinois, for example, where
was sure exhalation from the soil and the
atmosphere always more humid Men
found 1. good precaution against head
ache and sunstroke 10 keep wet cloths In
their caps-or the caps wet In the absence
of cloths-or even fresh leaves, If they
could get them, where las often) water was
scarce Though, If possible, 1.-The blessed
canteen'' was never TO be empty. Even If
water or moisture In any form, be warm,
it relieves of heat by evaporation,
AS the morning advanced, the heat In
creasing, the men, not yet accustomed to
continued hard marching, began to give
out" My two ambulances (the number
regularly allotted TO each regiment, to the
end of my field service) were soon filled
to their capacity. One case with symp-
toms of so serious congestion of the brain
as nearly to represent the degree of sun
stroke. He fell In his place In the ranks
Though soon restored to partial conscious
ness, his case was 30 serious he had to be
carried all the way to Memphis. | un.
derstand this man, who believe was dis
charged soon after reaching Memphis, has
long been claimant for pension, but has,
up I'LL recently failed, through some
technical rulings of the bureau
1t Is but fair to remark that with all the
superb outfit provided the medical depart
was much handicapped on marches, such
as this for example, In having so many and
serious cases precipitated upon him for
treatment and transportation. None but
physicians can fully realize 1t. Suppose;
We have case of well pronounced "sun.
stroke" as II Is technically as well as prop
erly called. Medicine alone Is OF but par
tial and supplementary avail In Its treat
ment. The conditions OF quietude, cool
ness and rest, are important. Many ply
sicians are aware that 1t WAS quite well
determined by the late lamented Prof.
Flint, of Belleveue," by many cases OBJ
served and analysed In that hospital under
different and combined methods Of treat
ment, that the persistent and continued
application of cold to the head, In the form
of the "ice cap" the patient being mean-
while stimulated, while sinOpisms an
frictions we're as steadily applied to the ex
tremities by thus reducing the volume of
the blood In the brain overcoming Its stdsis
Afforded absolutely the best, often the on
ly means Of recovery. Such pronounce
ments as this are what are called "authori
ty," and our guides of action, which, In alb,
sence of better knowledge, II Is not war
rantable TO ignore. The impossibility of
conforming thereto, In the circumstances
stated, more than slightly approximately,
will at once appear. Quietude and rest In
marching army are conditions difficult
to procure. AT the time referred to, ice
was not plenty nor easily obtained. Infer.
ence Is plain that only actually available
means remained; and the wonder still con.
tinues that we passed that severe trial and
reached Memphis without loss Of life In
the SD; though not a few suffered perma-
nent disability In different forms,-of
which l still remain witness.
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