New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-07
JUST A LITTLE THERMAL FEVER.
QUEER DELIRIUMs DUE TO THE CUBAN
sUN-THE LONGING FOR ICEWATER.

QUEER DFLIRICMS DUE TO THE CUBAN
SUN-THE LONGING FOR ICEWATER.
frRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuSr.l
Siboney Province OF Santiago de Cuba. July
25-An ambulance came to Sboney from the
fever hospital on Observation Hill, near the
Guiana River the other day. The distance is
seven or eight miles There were six patients
in the wagon, the driver and a passenger who
rode on the step One man strong enough
TO sit on the seat: the rest were lying down.
three on the floor and two the upper tier
| All had some form of fever. several being III
with the simple thermal variety.
/ No sooner had the journey begun than one
man In the upper story asked the driver to stop.
/ He spoke so nationally that the ambulance was
brought to a halt He explained that he didnt
care to go any further that day. With a look
Of disgust at having been taken in by dehrious
man. the driver went on.
! A little later there more trouble me
other patient lying above insisted on sitting UP
! In the rear OF the ambulance where ne WouId
certainly have been jostled out He was pac'-
fed. mile further on. one Of those on the
! bottom of the wagon called out to the driver:
| Give me some of that"
Some Of WHAT" asked the driver.
"Of that you're eating" explained the patient.
The driver had not tasted anything on the
trip. but he cheerfully said 1t was al gone; how
! ever there was lots more in the hospital. Pretty
soon a young soldier lying beside the previous
sneaker drew near the back OF the ambulance
and gave a hard kick. 1t caught the man on the
! stem in the stomach and would have knocked
him off had he not been holding tightly and had
/ the sick man been stronger Then the patient
rained a series OF kicks at the tailgatc, at which
| he had aimed so poorly the first shot lie
| thought II he could open that he would have
more air. He too was quoted. At every rough
Mace in the road there were loud groans and
complaints.
When he had discharged his load at the hos
pital here the driver said TO his well passenger;
Those fever fellows act as If they were dying
You get load Of wounded men. and you won't
hardly hear a groan. But these fever men 60
/ plumb crazy the first thing"
The slight attack Of thermal fever that brings
on derIum and the apparent nationality OF
the patient are source OF wonder to the mex
perienceG layman. He meets a friend whom ne
has known for years as clear headed man.
He has seen him daily here and merely knows
that he was trine Ill from exposure to the sun
The man will draw to one side and explain that
there is a conspiracy against him among all the
| physicians in Siboney TO prevent him getting
we'll But in Santiago there's doctor who can
foIed The man talks as he usually does ana
looks as II well. If he will stay In the shade
| for a day or two he will be all right.
Perhaps a little later you get touch OF the
| same fever Yourself With the example OF your
| friend before you. you determine not to MAKE a
fool Of yourself. Yet there is the strongest I'M
| pulse to say silly things. You nave 10 weigh
| every sentence carefully before you utter II, 10
| make sure that you are merely asking for some
water and are not telling how you Killed a lot
ho. rtild hGHG TtA =
ing outside your tent. You get an idea That II
you say one irrational thing you Will be regard
ed with suspicion the rest or your ire ana VIII
sooner or later land in lunatic asylum Inc
struggle to keep back the vagaries that con-
tinually suggest themselves is terrific. Yet the
next day beyond little weakness. you are
entirely well.
In the more serious fevers which are OF longer
duration, the decisions often deal with cool
drinks There has been almost no Ice In the
hospitals here, and the greatest boon inlashaDle
TO the sick is a draught Of cold water Yellow
fever patients get no food whatever. They may
have all the water they want. and their thoughts
| continually wander toward refreshing drinks.
one officer constantly had in his minds eye a
silver pitcher In his far-away home. He could
see the beads OF moisture on the outside, and
have tasted far better to him than nectar
Another officer conjured up table having on
II a lot of ice, some lemons. and All open bottle
Of mineral water, with "a lot Of other bottles in
the background. His fevered brain reasoned
out that he could drink only the one bottle. and
these might all be empty; he wouldn't insist on
too much but he would like 10 see the bottles
with their labels, so as TO deceive himself with
the idea OF boundless refreshment. Now the
officer vows that when he gets TO the United
States he is going TO enact this picture. and
feast his eyes dozen bottles OF his favorite
table water.
In Santiago there are many cases OF calentura,
which is a heat fever due to long exposure 10
the suns rays. The Army furnished many Of
the patients but the sickness Is found IN many
,,rixy pl
pitfalls a large number Of the United States
cavalrymen (dsmounted) had form of this
thermal fever in consequence Of the four or five
miles in heavy marching order covered on July
II. At noon the Stars and Stripes were hoisted
| over the Governors palace in Santiago. and
after the salute had been fired and the formal
surrender had been cheered the men were start
ed off their march 10 Il more wholesome
camp site Previously. the troops had been
moved before q or 10 o'clock in the morning.
and after or } o'clock In the afternoon There
seemed sufficient reason for this exception,
and the ordeal was too much for the troopers,
weakened by exposure and insufficient food In
the 1st Volunteer Cavalry alone III reported
sick the next morning. Fortunately. the illnt g
usually yields to a few days rest in a cool place
and to proper
1t must be confessed that some OF the soldiers
are inclined to attach undue weight to triflng
ailments. and to run to the doctor for medicine
when there Is no real need They have lots of
time for talking with another and descrip-
tons or disorders are favorite topic. This
dwelling on their health leads them to imagine
that slight symptoms betoken something ser-
Gus. Then. too. the volunteers sometimes yield
TO the temptation to bother the overworked doc
tor because IL doesn't cost anything If they
were at home and had to pay him 81 for a visit
they would forget about their Illness or take
some simple remedy prepared by their wives
But in camp many Of them rush the Red
Cross tent the slightest provocation with
stories of pains and aches told in most melan-
choly fashion OF course. this does not mean
L. NOT mt NJ d..,r -l<-ls