The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-08-13
TAKING THE YELLOW FEVER
TOLD BY ONE WHO TRIED IT.
First n Golden Mist Before the
Eyes, Then the Desire to Sleep.
and Finally "Up in the Woods"

The man on the next cot boosted him
self into halft-sitting position with one
arm and made swift dabs at the small
of his back with the other.
"As between yellow fever and feas,"
said he, 81 choose yellow fever"
His was a more than usually mild case,
or ne might have chosen otherwise.
At Siboney doctors and nurses try TO
comfort the patient with that thought
because they know if man with yellow
fever gets scared he is as bad as lost.
The edd 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
DIR. Reilly of the health department, say
that what we had down there wasn't
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 so high as it would be if the
disease We're 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 l
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 and to spare, and every man who
got it will assure you that little yellow
fever goes long ways.
The late spring and early summer days
at Tampa were the best kind of prepare
ton for catching any malarial 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
derstand 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 avaunt, and Incl
dentally you observe that the hand is a
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
dash of cold water on the head drives
away the pretty yellow cloud, and if you
think about it at all il is only to decide
that you are bilious and to take half
dozen grains of quinine.
In few days, say a week, an inn
mense desire to sleep and calm indif-
ference to food take possession of the pa
tent Up to this time it has been easy
One goes about his usual affairs and there
is only a vague cons aousness of mot
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
I of strength and lightness. That passes
and the sick man feels worse than ever
Then a sense of worry is added to the
physical agony, and an army surgeon is
YEARLY sought. He says it's bihousness
or a touch of malaria and gives the pa
tient, who all this time is staring stupidity
at him and letting out a frequent groan
by way of keeping up the conversation,
six Quinine pills of two grains each, to
be taken two at a time between the hours
of 3 and in the morning, whenever
/ you happen to wake up" The fact that
the doctor gives the quinine shows he
doesn't believe the trouble is yellow fever
for quinine is never given in that disease.
Next day the visit to the physician is
repeated and the patient is stupider and
more listless than before. Hence, l can't
remember what the doctor said during
the second visit, but l have a faint i'm
preston he was very busy man, and
wondered where he got his clean clothes.
Also L said. Doctor. if l could only
have a bath, | think that would do me
more good than anything else" l knew
there was a big stone basin in the hos
pital he presided over-which had been
the quarters of Spanish officer in the
days before the occupation-and that it
had a shower spray over it.
you don't need a bath" he answered.