The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-12

SeflVus danger to the health of SOL
uier eather In wadlng swamps or
n 1t'si ol,,ils IN the rain, provided he can
cnange 10 dry clothing when he baIta
ana nave shelter when he s'eans ~
l'ei.eLce mas proven that so long as a
Water-Soaked man is MOVING he 80
clouhlng will cause him no real b. w.
put rest or sleep in water-soaked esa ~
nien.s lhouces an excess Of relaxation
which the average constitution cannnt
long successfully counteract o'''''o'
In order that the above nrecart;o,,
may be observed. every soldier ordered
to march should carry one ccmnIsta
change of clothing Except sho 81 even
though that suit should consist of
nothing more than a light shirt and
trousers to wear in camp and while
sleeping. This suit should be kent div
on the march by wrapping it in tie
rubber blanket which will form an
important feature in the equipment OF
every soldier.
In the tropics the only shelter neces-
saTy IN a temporary camp is a roof. the
slues or which should come within four
Ieet or the earth. The weight -cf
waterproof canvas roof Is necessarily
considerable. and in active operations
II Is oIten impossible to carry it. To
n;eet Cne requirements of the army in
Cuca, 1t should be supplied with rain
sheets Of several sizes, to shelter either
| TWO -FOUR, eight or sixteen men. The
rain sheet in common use by tropical
explorers is merely a square of strong
| muslin. made like tent-fy and soaked
IN Hnseed OIL and paraffin to render 1t
| lmperVlouS to water without becoming
sticky. A paclSmule can carry enough
rain sheets to shelter a number Of men
whenever for any reason the soldier
finds himself without rain sheet or
| other roof to shelter him, he can secure
very fair protection by hanging his
rubber blanket tentwise over his ham
mock. If his hammock is provided
with mosquito shirt, the cord on
which the latter is suspended between
| the supports of the hammock forms a
ready ridgepole for the rain-proof
blanket. In timbered country,
| where small trees furnish ready means
| for hanging ham1nocks, the soldier can
| in fifteen minutes or less have ready
| for use a most restful bed, above the
| mud and water and the worst of the
| malaria, a perfect protection from the
mosquitoes and a roof to shelter him
| from the rain.
THE PITH HELMET.
If soldiers are sent to Cuba wearing
| ordinary felt hats or close-fitting straw
| hats, there is danger that cases of sun
stroke will be numerous. A majority
of the volunteers come from offices and
| factories, and seldom exercise in the
sun in midday in summer. so they will
| need the best protection for their heads
| that can be procured. The ideal hat
| for the tropics is the pith helmet (made
| from the pith Of the sofa tree), with
the whole body Of the hat kept away
| from direct contact with the head by
| means of sweatband which is attach
| ed to the body of the hat through four
| or more pieces of cork. The air cir
culates freely around the head of the
| wearer, and passes out at a shielded
| hole in the top. In addition to all this.
| the back part of the helmet comes low
enough to protect the most vulnerable
| spot-the back of the neck. 1t is prob
able that large supply Of pith helmets
| could not be secured on short notice.
The next best thing would be cork he'll
NETS Of the same shape, with the same
| sort of ventilated swaziland and q hole
in the top. The cloth cover should be
painted leaden gray, because white
would be too conspicuous.
RULES TO BE OBSERVED.
In reality, the hygienic principles
| which promote the preservation of
health in the tropics are few and SIM
pie. 1t is a mistake to burden the SOL
| dier or traveller with unnecessary rules,
or rules which it is utterly impossible
| LOl Hill " OU5eINS. LIE rules OIL ny
| giene which have carried travellers
safely through some very malarious
| portions of the tropics are these:
| Keep the bowels open at all hazards
| Whenever possible boil drinking wat
+ er, but there is not the slightest need
| to boil water before using it for wash
ing or bathing purposes.
| AS previously stated, remove wet
| clothing as soon as practicable after
going into camp. or
l. Sleep at least two feet above the
ground.
Be strictly temperate in everything
except marching and fighting.
Drink no whisky nor brandy, save
| when in need OF a stimulant after ex-
| traordinary eXertion, exposure and re-
| taxation, or when really i'll. To a man
who does not use whisky as beverage
| it is a most valuable medicine espe-
| cially in connection with disorders Of
| the stomach and bowels
Never overload the stomach with any
kind of food, especially meat.
Never eat any unripe fruit. Ripe
fruits, eaten in moderation, are not
| only not injurious, but are decidedly
beneficial in all parts Of the tropics.
OF all fruits there is none more HARM
less than the banana, and in the trop-
les none other so nutritious and bene-
fetal to man.
we'll man should not take medicine
to ward off disease. Even the best of
tropical medicines, quinine, wears itself
cut II taken too frequently, and its use
should be confined to sick men.