New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-08
CARE OF SOLDIERS IN CUBA.
IMPORTANCE OF THE OUTFIT IN AVOID
ING SICKNESS.
SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST MALARIAL AMI
OTHER FEvERs - PROTECTION AGAINST
RAIN AND suNsTROKEs- PRACTICAL
HYGIENIC PRINCIPLES.

HYGTENIC PRINCIPLES.
The proper equipment and care or American SOL
dlers IN Cuba quite necessary ana as vi'aliy
important as is the steel which protects the
e7lns and gun crews OF a monitor. Unless the w ar
Denar,ren, officers IRE careful regarding all de- |
tails tho men are liza bic 70 be landed I'm Cuba lack
Ing many things they should have Experience |
when extracted from the raw material. always |
comes high. and often II comes TOO late 10 be OF
any
The Surgeon General and Adjutant-General nave
received much valuable Information from tho
Cubnns now In this country. Tho conditions under
which the Cuban Army exists are we'll known put
II the equipment end OF those hardY and thor
oughlv acclima izod native Cubans taken as the
criterion FOR Judging the wants Of our cold-weather
men-drawn chiefly from offices and factories-t
may easily result In much unnecessary hardship
and sickness while extra attention 10 the wants oi
American soldiers IN Cuba will enable them to hold
tho,r own Many Americans I'm the trop'cs have
never had the slightest difficulty In undergoing rs
much exer,ion and hardship rs native companions
bu, they have lived a different basis
In evcrv campaign Ike that now beginning the
private soldier relies upon those above him to pro-
vide for his ateria wants AMI for the means ny
which he may xcep himself alive and well He
must take whatever OF clothing. 1000 ana camp
eoi,ipoge hap;ens 10 be Issued 10 him. and " any
thing IL wrong his comfort. MS health or his hfe
VIII b.. the forfeit. For campaign IN cupa IN"
responsibility Of the man who dictates ms 10 the
Z sDl,l food
IS ru n greater than that % the officer VINO leaos
them into actual battle For successful campaign
ing In Cuba several important changes are n"ces-
sary IN the Hcld equipment ~ tho seasoned
Regular but this applies to the volunteers with
! four-fold force. Arv VINO cnnps on the ground
! in Cuba during a week ~ rainy venther VIII ne
convinced Of this.
The idea seems to be gaining ground that tho
! volunteer soldiers Will require six months OF sea
| soning' before they be considered ht for
campaign IN Cuba. on tho contrary L is main
,ained Tint II they are properly fitted ont and cared
Tor the quicker they land In cuba the better.
man who IS II for n soldier can 20 to any climate
/ on earth and IN two weeks after landing be ready
to do his best work in the field II he is properly
fitted out the Northern energy ~ good sound
American will carry him through neat or through
cold through humidity through dryness. FOR
number OF months OF hard campaigning.
THE FOES WHICH THREATEN TROOPS
When the warships left Key Yves, for Cuban
winters they were "siripped for action" Even th"i-
| color was changed 20 meet the requirements OF now
/ conditions In like manner tho basis on which the
Army enters cuba should be totally different rom
the requirements q campaigning In the United
States The English are wide-awake TO tho re-
ou,rernen,s Of soldering IN the tropics Tho soldier
who renders three years service on the West
Coast Of Africa r. credited with Ave. In Ashanti
he was supplied with a hammock 80 compact and
o. light that no could carry Il easily
ual,,n Improperly equipped these nro some 81 tho
foo, they Will have 70 battle with every hour OF
their stay Oh the Island. Intermittent fever ~
phold fever diarrhOea. dyseni'ry. sunst'oke. sur
gcoa Cienerai Sfcrnbergs nowefg@ az yellow feve-
In 20 thorough that tho troops VIII successfully Do
pro. e.-,.d from H. Tho chief concern (, regarding
the other lis
The clothing tho camp OUTFIT. the food and the
rules OF rs ieno which have carried men through
many Jungle campaigns ould probably carry our
oh ar,lf,Q
part OF Cu,a-
II is n mistake 20 suppose that tho climate Of
cuba = certain TO prove particularly unhealthful 70
American troops Even In this country such cpl
def.ic Diseases smallpox and yellow fever can
and do break on, and commit ravages until
checked ard contronsd n properly equipped and
r,rov.loned any man % sound constitution and
temperate habit, should b" able 70 go through a
year's hard caInpnigrng I'm cuba with no more
s.ri,. diseases than fever and acuc and diarrhoea
TIE soldier who IS properly equipped should 20
confidently exp ting to preserve his health The
uan who 1. constantly expecting 10 become Ill., and
when III hcleves that he !. going 10 die. Ia always
tie one most liable to be attacked. determine
ton not 20 become III "a half the battle tho rest ia
detail
THE IMPORTANCE or HAMMOCKa
In cuba except in cases OF great emergency.
such as short forced marches and actual engage
. n,en, officers should 10 Il that their men do
no, .e.u on the ground This is FOR the reason that
in the ,rorics tho malarious eXhalations from the
earth and from sinenant water are d"nsest ana
most dangerous at the surface II the ground All
troops lanGing IN Cuba should be supplied win
comfortable hanmocks. % good strength but 80
lght IN weight and compact IN oulk mat "hel
rolled M the soldier can carry his hammock IN his
knapsack as easily he could carry flannel
shlr, Officers should to II that their men are
fully rnmilarzed with the simple facts which
when observed make OF the hammock 4 most rest
III ..I OF
: night IN wet weather. the only means by which II
70 poeslhle for "A campagncr 10 escape mosquitoes
. and above all the only means by which the sleep
lng soldier be kept above the malaFious Vhp"rs
that Ito like a deadly mantle upon the earth. AZ
n bed for Il sick man I'm hot climate there Ia a5-
, solutcy mono o'hcr COO and so reatful as the
hammock I; also furnishes the easiest OF all ap-
plianccs FOR carving sick or wounded man
In using the hammock Z should not be stretched
too tightly. When hung properly the sleeper can
lie upon his hack IN a comfortable curve II be
wishes 10 lie perfectly straight upon side or back
ne can easily do 40. lying diagonnlly across the
hammock.
Where mosquitoes arc plentiful many persons are
10 easily annoyed by them that without protection
NJ night their slcrp is 90 broken and their nerve,
~ irritntcd as 10 start them on the road 10 fever
In Cuba ordinary mosquito netting Is OF no use
for It's large permit tn" free entrance 81
san6nics and gnats. which are quite as pad as mos
ouitoes The most perfect protection for a field
| campalgner liz the mosquito rHlTt III OpHi"'"h "''
Q in some portions Of South America. II IL made 81
= about fourteen yards OF thin cotton cloth. and Is
n Ike a large bag suspended over and entirely en-
4 | velopinR the hammock.
PROTECTION FROM THE RAIN.
e Next to sleeping on the ground and drinking ba'
water without first boiling H. the most fruitful
.ource Of malaria I'm the tropics is sleeping In th'
rain or In wet clothing. There is no serious dnn
aer TO the health OF n soldier either In wadns
swamps or marching In the rain. provided ne car
n change 10 dry clothing when he halts. ana nave
shelter when he sleeps Experience mas proven ina
r 40 long as n water soaked man is moving his we