The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-12
HEALTH HINTS FOR CUBA.
Teachings Of Long Experience il
Tropical Couatries.
REAL DANGER ToHEALTH NOT GREAT
The Less Mcdicine the Better-Even
Quinine wears Itscif Out--The
Value Of Ha m Knocks.
New York Sun.

for tho use Of soldiers who may go to Cuba
some suggestions as to the preservation OF
health He spent nearly five years in the
tropics, travelling In the jungles OF Cuba.
South America, India. the Malay peninsula
and Borneo. During all this time in which
he was exposed to all the dangers to health
posslbie in tropical campaigning he suf-
fered from nothing more than few slight
attacks of jungle fever In India. The pub
LEGATION OF the suggestions Is the result of
An earnest desire on the part OF the author
and Professor Henry f. Osborn of Column
bia university TO place in the hands Of
American soldisrs who may so TO Cuba in
formation which Il acted upon can not fail
to be OF benefit to them.
These are his suggestions:
Nov Conditions TO BE Met.--Every SOL
dier. and particularly every officer, who
Sos foot In Cuba N ist continually remom-
Der that In that climate, particularly In
tho rainy season. the conditions to be me-
are totally dlfernt from those that obtain
In the United States. Yet with proper
equipment and food the soldier cannot only
survive. but he can maintain his health In
fighting condition. The needs OF the soldier
VINO goSs to cuba have already been
pointed out, and there is every reason TO
expect aud believe that the requirements
oil tho new conditions viii be properly INST.
II the government proves n good provider.
the individual soldier must do the rest
Avoid Sleeping on the Ground. The at
tentlon OF officers is particularly invited to
the fact that, next to drinking stagnant
water, the easiest way to acquire fever in
tropical jungle is BY sleeping on the
ground This Is for the very simple reason
that the malarious exhalations from the
urth tr,,,N oil amt aud 1.s, ttt,,
vegetation, are densest ami most dangerous
at the surface OF the ground To meet this
condition the writer has never tsavo once)
gone into the tropics without a hammock
and 1t was by sleeping on the ground from
the lack OF a hammock that he acquired In
India his only spell OF jungle fever
The Hammock.Thc war department has
been strongly advised to provide hammocks
for the uss OF our army In Cuba and their
priceless value In the avoidance OF ma
laria fevers Is now urged upon the atten
ton Of both officers and men. Where
transportation is abundant. canvas ham
mockS are excellent, but on the marsh their
weight and bulk are serious obstacles 10
their use. In an active campaign IL Is 10
be- hoped that every infantiyman will be
provided with a hammock made of linen
twine. so strong that 1t will carry the
largest man. SO light that 1t weighs less
than pound, and SO compact that whom
breast pocket of a dress coat The package
II makes Is ten Inches long by two and one
half inches in dian8gter.
Officers should see to II that their men
are fully familiarized with the very simple
naGts which, when observed. make Of the
hammock "a most restfu and comfort
able bed (D a mcans of keeping dry at
night In wet weather. go the only mcaI3
by which 1t Is possible for campaigner TO
escape mosquitoes. and above all, IA the
only means by which the sleeping soldier
Dan be kept above the malarous vapors that
lie like a deadly mantle upon the earth. AS
bed for a sick man In a hot climate there
H. absolutely none other so cool and 80
restful as the hammock. II Also furnishes
the easiest OF all appliances for carrying q
sick or wounded man. In using the ham
mock ID should no. be stretched too tightly.
When hung properly the sleeper can lie
upon his back. In n comfortable curve, and
If he wishes to lie perfectly straight, upon
side or back he can easily do so, lying dag
onally across the hammock, l. e.. head AZ the
upper right corner and feet at the lower lriI
corner.
Hammock Supports. The only difficulty
about the use of the hammock by an army
Is ~ regard 10 it's supports, and this one
difficulty Is not half so serious as it may
seem. With supply OF hammoeks avail
able, American soldiers who havN not suf-
ficieiN sumption" 10 find or to provide
supports for them are not iii 70 send 10
Cuba TO make war. With an article "a
vitality important TO the health of the SOL
dior as IL n good hammock properly hung,
the question OF suppors--whAt II lie
trees. light woclen tripods or stakes OF
netal pipe or OF woods one which must
be settled for each body OF troops accord
Ing to tho conditions 10 be met In earri.
son CIR In permanent camp Il As a simple
matter. On tho march, through tree ess
country, something of wood light ,noush
to tnnsport, must be provided. Ii is fair
TO assume THAT In all tho thousands OF
American soldiers who win land in Cuba
there VIII be very few so lacking in Ing N :
uity and resources that they will sesp on
tho ground because they can neither fin,,
nor make supports for their hamnocks
The Mosquito Shirt.--Where mosquitoes
are plentiful many persons are so easily
annoyed by them that without protection
at night their sleep is so broken and their
nerves SO irritated as to start them on the
read TO fever. In Cuba ordinary mosquito
nettirg is OF little use. for its large moshes
permit the free entrance of sand flies aud
gnats, which are quite as bad as mos
quitoes. The most perfect protection for a
Held csmpnigner 10 the mosquito shirt. In
common use in some portions OF South
America. but elsewhere almost unknown
anu uhappreciated, II Is very easily made,
ana the only materials required are about
ten TO twelve yards OF cheese cloth, or any
other thin cloth or fine mosquito netting,
about twelve feet OF stout cord, a dozen tiny
bross rings tbut cloth hoops will seryej.
and needle and thread. The hammock
swings within this miniature tent The
occupant enters through the large opening
al tho bottom. takes his position in tho
hammock. pulls tight the drawstring. and
at once Is perfectly protected from ali in
sects. Not only chat. but this miniature
tent Is also said to afford considerable
protection against the malaria present, in
the atmosphere. To one who has never
made nor seen q mosquito shirt, 1t may
seem. as to bulk. weight ana cost, but in
neither respect IL It anything OF the sort
With model and the materials. every SOL
sier could make one for himself, and after
9 few nights with mosquitoes would be
very glad to do so. N
Protection from ain.--Next to sleeping
en- the ground and drinking bad water
without first boiling It. the most fruitful
source OF malaria In the tropics is sleeping
IN the rain. or in wet clothing. The att
tention Of officers. and men Is particularly
invited 70 the following axiom:
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