Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-11-03
PHASES OF DESERT THIRST.
Terrible Experience of Man Lost
Waterless Wastes of the Southwest.

terrible Experience of Man Lost in
Waterless Wastes of the Southwest.
Of the three types into which thirst as
a pathologic condition has been grouped
that of the desert is most purely the dep
rivation of moisture without the nfu-
ence of modifying external circum-
stances. That form known as ordinary
thirst occurs under the favorable sur
roundingS of humid air and often pro-
lection from the sun. Sea thirst is also
under the influence of air heavily
charged with yapOr, with plenty of wa
ter, though nOn-drinkable, at hand, and
is modified by the presence of salts eX-
ternally.
In cases of desert thirst, water. even as
vapor, is entirely lacking or nearly so
and the influence of external salts is a
minimum. Death from thirst is a hor-
ror that has many times been described
by onlookers, or, paradoxically speak
ing. occasionally by those who have
really suffered its pangs by going through
the various stages until Inconsistencies
is reached but who happily though rare
~, are rescued and survive.
Never have the phenomena of extreme
thirst been pictured more graphically
than by w. ]. McGee, director of the
st. Louis public museum, in a paper re-
porting the remarkable survival of a
Mexican in southwestern Arizona. This
nights with only one days supply of
water. During that time he rode in the
saddle thirty-five miles and walked or
crept between 100 and $50 miles.
For seven days he was entirely with
out water. AS a result of the depriva-
ton the man lost one-fourtlI his body
weight. An extraordinary feature was
the lack of totally insane delirium which
so commonly is part of the mental
condition of these persons. This allowed
him to follow the trail and accounts for
his reaching aid, although his phenom-
email physical condition was the real
cause of survival.
The case recorded by DR.. McGee was
most unusual in that naif Of those dy-
ing from desert thirst perish in thirty
six hours, g quarter witnln forty-eight
or fifty hours and all others of which the
history is known by the eightieth hour.
Dr. McGee discusses thirst in general
phenomena of which he arranges under
three stages, normal thirst, functional
arrangement and structural degenera-
ton.
Making up these stages are five
phases, most of them descriptively
named by survivors and well known to
those who frequent the desert. namely,
the clamorous, cotton mout' phase, the
Shriveled tongue. the blood sweat and the
living death. The first phase is re-
lieved by water, or in some instances
fruit acids or similar substances may
be required. Thirst in the second phase
is best relieved by water taken by quarts
in small sips and thrown over the body
in quantities. Persons in the third
phase also require water by gallons, in
side and out, but cautiously applied
Usually in addition a febrifuge should
be given, and in some cases a heart
tonic also is indicated. Little of value
may be possible for those in the fourth
phase. Water may be a damage. If
physical recovery does occur the mental
condition may never clear.
In the final phase there is no allevia-
ton but the end. Fortunately this ap-
pears to be painless. DR.. McGee has
spent great deal OF time in the des-
erts of the southwest and has himself
gone half through the stages of desert
thirst. and is thus personally well quail
fed to speak upon the subject.-Amer-
lean Medicine.