New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-25
A DRINK FOR LIFE OR DEATH.
A CHOLERA ADVENTURE.
rom Blaclxwood.

Regiment.
at Arcot Lie In barracks " ,ndia y very an
and / have often wondered that bnSh soldiers
out here are on the whole sea ne N mail Indsa
station with being qnariered even az Sitra ,,y %
a sh Sd 81 s b. no means popular
and IS always called prison by th' uoops lor INC
We'll, We found Arcot horribly dull. and # was
with great satisfaction hat we 1eaI an VtuiE haa
lie n gvon for our company to march 10 ielore 70
strengthen the garrison Le.e. which had Lesh Vey
much reduced by choera 49,.
sequcntly later than is usual for moving uo,ps as
the days begin to get very hot on the plans IN ihe
was special duty and as We should only march In
the very early morning. We dh not fear the lneon-
whole hing rather lark and welcome change
from the monoto9y OF garrison d5t * Not 70 iisc2 3
1t would touch one of us
1t was on the second day after leaving Arcot that
Private Thomas Atkins. who was my right me, Sna-
ranks oefoIo lcag but did not trouble myself abOI.
has assd Breakfast F0t thai R Ee heard Anything moe
] then learnt that he was buried
hgey cholera was awfully sudden in rs attack
ana effects but bad not imagined the possibility of
course Immediate intcnncnt must take place in case
Of death on the line Of march. 7 had liked Atkins
ddcn P that the ~ US ssh failed a TO rs sa the %er
Of what hal happened 10 our cOmrade, and half ex-
pected to see him turn up again. Anyhow, we soon
Late y 1 the a1 Re was listening to dsssrp
seeing the cFocodes which Tlpp So''' sutSa
possible sennes to prevent pri,oncrs from escarins
suddenly felt spasms and Sickness
Holloa old fellow, how blue you look7
spoke my comrades shrank terror stricken from me.
II needed doctor 10 tell me what was the matter.
The cholera had seized me!
was hastily conveyed 10 the temporary hospital,
whore our assistant surgeon already had several cases
Of the disease under treatment. and was laid on
|
ond stage Of that malady and by o'clock at 1ighs
to a condition Of weakness approaching iEsensbIlity
was consumed by a burning, raging thirst but the
dresser dsregaTded all my cntreates for drink %
water. The system OF treatment for cholera in those
have the lps moistened occasionally with weak brandy
and-waer; and this Simply aggravated the torture
Of thirst Nowadays champagne IS given, and the
sufferer IS allowed to drink pretty freely.
The hospital was. Of course, only pandal, hastily
constructed with palmyra leaves, with large euscus
mat the entrance at each end. TWO large chattles
from which cooie from time TO limo
throw, pannkinful on the euscus faiths, 90
cool the temperature INSIDE the panda This resus
certainly was attained but at the cost OF ntensfyin;
by hearing the splashlng OF the water.
had begged sworn and monaced at intervals, bus
ing into that condition of orpor which Is the ihmed ate
precursor Of the third and fatal stage OF cholera when
heard voices in the pandal. The assistant surgeon
was making his last round for the night accompanied
by the hospital dresser. win violent effort l
wanted to hear my fate pronounced
They stopped at length where lay, and the doctor
Wottleds I heard him remark 10 the dresser.
nearly deafened by the singing or rather drumming
in my ears. so lay perfectly m9iioncss 50 as MOI -
let single word of what they might say escape me- II
possible. -.
six Sns will not last long "',"''," WI, .,.
SIX corpses of course. for burial at daylight To-
morrow morning. voice seemed TO laugh out WIN
hendish eXultStion. 81,
The dresser said something which could not dis.
tlnctly hear but the enlightened me as 10 INC
subject they discussing -,.. - ,o., IN,
"Oh yes, there VII be room enough i'll i'0'' "'
wv" Thew lad cons and the place was in darkness save
for my thinner OF . cocoahIlt-ol lamp. heard tho
scracbIng of mltmootcs just outside The pandal ,>
Ii was the noise made by the camp -l4io"e[s NM
were digging a common grave tof SIX Vi u'' ""''"o
room for two more. If necessary ,,r. - =. rr
felt utterly stunned, and quite indifferent as 10 my
fate, which Of course Go cro Nv onaie was ike
a niece of dry leather in my mouth whlcn hat o's
since ceased to yield any SALIVA u could not
have made any sound hal Attempted 10 90 So pu
did not try, for the attendants we're al dsertcd
i0I was beginning to wander think, and was . 6aSs
ocaip en- tbe bright green English mealoWs' Pichns
JsiScs with nv little sister, and so shoud na @
ossSed away But just at thar moment the coones
,bn emtTanre TO the pardal and one OF them WIN
more consideration than his class nsuaih S"'"'
J a
IT was like a gavanc shock 10 me. reS so MAJ
have drink at any risk. had 10 die. 50 n VIZ nv
FASTENED my death ssif an b o1I be- be- SaS
fom tSe torture of thirst and die happy -t.nd and
tried get up bat was too w weak aha 70 vaS mcrs
s ey oT TO be seen walked and if detected IN hs
attempt should be brought tr,e eII to crawl
Ts about ten minutes dragging myself me rofy
feet from my cot % the entrance, nIa anu
There the chattieS before ND the dlsappoint-
The fist seized was empty b a'u t hue second wa,
bTm.fnll. thew my arms around IT, s ana ae,ica's
myself TO it. PLUNGED NY r a than drank huge
molthfis of the cool and heaveny hr nnh,s wal
stomach swelling with the enormous m a1aiu and again
loved ns,o, G naugbt i1 OF lie or dc.th then
At length e,ted f tse anew had TO right to bs
out there. and thought | c,nn, bscI b ," waV
foT coe and shortly after fell into profound Sleep
II was broad daylight when a~oke, and saw
the assistant surgeon anu oiosss. - W o rht
to hpXe e sirs said l. am feeling much better,
and have no wish TO make the sixth this morning
an n, inovv had overheard his remark the pre-
ced,ng night he smiled sadly. and said . l am sorry
80 esy there we're six without you. But cannot UNI
Scrstand how it is you are alive. Most eXtrao'
uiI rsndIy recovered and as had never INDUCED IN
tbe perncous country arrac sold TO soldiers out herc
! I was soon quite strong again. was made sergesns
very soon, and | remained upward OF twenty yes s
serving with different regiments out here but u was
some time before told any one how recovered rom
my attack of cholera. However, | told the doceyt,
one day all about it; and though he said me coa
water ought TO have killed me. I Observed the poor
fellows who in hospital with cholera got an eAuS
All my people were dead or scattered and had n2
wish to return to England. 50 took my pension zoe,
the hountles ! had obtained. added to my ss'nLn'
| enabled TO buy this bit Of land. am dong VIZ
and have all man can wish for 20 make him hapi''