Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-08-12
TAKING THE YELLOW FEVER
TOLD BY ONE WHO TRIED IT.
First Golden Mist BEFORE the
Eyes, Then the Desire TO Steep
and Finally "Jp i'm the woods"

self into i halft-,itting position with one
arm and made swift DADS at the elnaiI
of his back with the other.
As between yellow fever and tleas,'
said he. Il choose yellow fever"
His was a more than usually mild case,
or he might have chosen otherwise.
At Siboney doctors and nurses try to
comfort the patient with that thought
because they know il u man with yellow
fever gets scared he Is as bad as lost.
The odd part of it is that one doesn t
get scared easily. Perhaps it is because
the senses are blunted and the mind
clouded by the disease.
One ceases to care about things and
the only desire in life Is to sleep.
Several physicians III Chicago, notably
DR. Reilly of the health department, say
that what we had down there WASH
yellow fever at all, but only an accent
uated form of malaria. As the doctor
has had the fever his opinion is to be con
sidered. He says the patients recover too
quickly for one thing, and that the death
rate is not 80 high as it would be If the
disease were genuine yellow fever.
Doctors in Cuba were unanimous,
think | may safely say, in the opinion
that the scourge Of Siboney was the real
article, though mild type. When /
left Cuba July IA there were between two
and three hundred cases, and the number
was growing hourly.
Mild type or not, what we had was
enough aud to spare, and every man who
got it will assure you that little yellow
fever goes a long ways.
The late spring and early summer days
at Tampa were the best kind OF prepare
ton for catching any malaral disease
that may be lurking about. Those two
months debilitated everybody, and the
forces modified there went to Cuba full
OF ague and biliousness.
As recall it now-though l didn't I'M
delstand the significance OF it at the time
the first hint OF oncoming yellow fever
is to be found in lovely golden hued
mist that hangs in front OF your eyes
when you open them in the morning.
Lying in the tent, half awake and half
asleep, You see it move lazily in front
of you, and you lift your hand to brush
it away. 1t refuses to ayaunt, and Incl
dentally you observe that the hand is
bright yellow shade-about the color OF
a mulatto.
You say, That's funny and then get
up. A vigorous blinking of the eyes and
a dash of cold water on the head drives
away the pretty yellow cloud, and ii you
think about it at all ii Is only to decide
that you are bilious and to take half
dozen grains of quinine.
In few days, say week, an i'm
mense desire to sleep and calm indif-
ference to food take possession of the pa
tient. Up to this time it has been easy
One goes about his usual affairs and there
Is only vague cons aousness of "not
feeling WELL" Then some fine morning
one wakes to the knowledge that every
bone in his body is being twisted, broken
and ground. More quinine is taken, and
for awhile it gives an unna tural feeling
OF strength and lightness That passes.
and the sick man feels worse than ever.
Then sense of worry is added to the
physical agony. and an army surgeon is
YEARLY sought. He says it's biliousness
or a touch of malaria and gives the pa
tient, who all this time is staring stupidity
at him and letting out frequent groan
by way of keeping up the conversation,
six quinine pills Of two grains each, tn
be taken two at time between the hours
of 3 and 6 in the morning, whenever
yon happen to wake up" The fact that
the doctor gives the quinine shows he
doesn't believe the trouble is yellow fever
for quininc is never given in that disease
Next day the visit to the physician is
repeated and the patient is stupider and
more hstless than before. Hence, l can't
remember what the doctor said during
the second visit, but have a faint inn
preston he was very busy man, and
l wondered where he got his clean clothes
Also | said. doctor. if l could onH
have bath, | think that would do IN,
more good than anything else" l knew
there was a big stone basin in the hos
pital he presided over-which had beer
the quarters of a Spanish officer in tn.
days before the occupation--and that il
had shower spray over it.
"You don't need BATH" he answered
OF course that was matter of opinion
but l thought at the time the refusa
was brutal in the extreme. 1t seemed a,
if a bath in clean, soft water, in rea
tub, with real soap and a real towel, wa
a thing more to be desired than anythin;
else in the world.
The third day, somebody, or severa
somebodies, would come around and say
How do you feelr" and a drowsy 'Bou
same" would be the answer.
The somebodies evidently were worrie,
for along toward night couple of doc
tors would be brought in by your friend:
Usually one was a Cuban physician WIN
had had yellow fever and knew all tn
ms and outs of its progress, and the othe
an American army surgeon, who scenes
rather awed in the presence of this new
form of malaria" which quinine would
mt cure. Together they would tap gent
ly on the abdomen and ask if it hurt
and take down the Harinp candle and hol,