The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-10-25
LIFE-GIVING DRAUGHTS
We're Those Quaffed by a Cholera
Stricken Soldier.
While His Grave Was Being Dug He
stole From His Bed and Found
New Lease of Life In
Water Jar.

wafer UaFs
| came to India in 1S5-- as o private
In the --th Regiment; and my company
formed part of the garrison at Arcot.
Life in barracks in India is very dull
and have often wondered that British
soldiers out here are, on the whole,
such a steady, well-behaved lot of lads.
Compare soldiers life in a small 1n-
dian station with being quartered even
at Malta or Gibraltar, and either OF
these places will seem like paradise;
though the Rock is by no means pop
uar, and is always called prison by
the troops for the time being in gar.
rison there
Well, we found Arcot horribly dull.
and it was with great satisfaction that
we heard that an order had been given
for our company to march to Vcllore
to strengthen the garrison there, which
had been very much reduced by
cholera
1t was then about tho middle OF
March, and consequently later than is
usual for moving troops, as the days
begin to get very hot on the plains in
the Carnatic about that time OF the
us we should only march in the very
early morning, VIC did not fear the ILL.,
convenience Of the midday heat; but
looked upon the whole thing as rather
u lark, and welcome change from the
monotony of garrison duty As to the
cholera, not one Of us gave it a
thought. Not likely it would touch
one Of us.
1t was on the second day after leav-
ing Arcot, that Private Thomas At
kins, who was my right file, suddenly
had to fall out. | expected him to re-
join the ranks before long; but did not
trouble myself about his absence. 1t
was not until we reached camp, and
had finished breakfast that heard any
thing more about him.
then learnt that he was buried!
knew cholera was awfully sudden
in its attack and effects, but had not
imagined the possibility of its carrying
off healthy man quite so rapidly. OF
course immediate interment must take
place in case of death on the line of
march. ! had liked Atkins much, but
/ fancy his death and burial were so
sudden that the rest OF us failed to
realize the truth of what had happened
to our comrade, and half expected to
SEQ him turn up again. Any how, We
boon forgot the incident
Late in tho afternoon was listening
to description of Vellore by one of
our fellows who had been there, and
specializing on the chance OF seeing the
crocodiles which Tippoo Sultan had
placed in the moat round the fort, as
the best possible sentinels to prevent
prisoners from escaping or any of his
troops from attempting to desert, when
suddenly felt spasms and sickness.
"Holloa! old fellow, how blue you
look" remarked companion sitting
next to me; and as he spoke my COM
rades shrank terror-stricken from me.
1t needed no doctor to tell me what was
the matter. The cholera had seized
mel
/ was hastily conveyed to the tenn
porary hospital, where our assistant
surgeon already had several cases Of
tho disease under treat, and ! was laid
on charpoy. ! rapidly passed from
the first to the second stage of that
malady and by nine o'clock at night
the incessant vomiting and purging
had reduced me to condition OF
weakness approaching insenslbility. ]
was consumed by burning, raging
thirst but the dresser disregarded all
my entreaties for drink of water.
The system of treatment for cholera in
those days allowed the patient nothing
more than just to have the lips moist
ened occasionally with weak brandy
and-water; and this simply aggravated
the torture OF thirst. Nowadays cham
pagne is given, and the sufferer is al
lowed to drink pretty freely.
The hospital was. of course, only a
pandal. hastily constructed with pal
myra.leaves. with large cuscus mat
at the entrance at each end. Two large
chatties OF water were placed just out
side each entrance, from which coolie
from time to time threw pannikinful
on the cuscus tathis, so that the wind.
blowing through the wet mats, might
cool the temperature inside the pan
dal. This result certainly WAS at
taiDed, but at tho cost Of intensifying
'ae papgs of the pauants, whose thirst