Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-28
CHAPTER 80


Chief Engineer Ashmead of the
Madeira -NIamore Railway Company
ate largely of white bread, mashed
potatoes and fresh meat obtained by
slaughtering cattle imported on the
haof AS a rule twice a day and
often three times a day this diet OF
bread, biscuits cakes, crackers, roasts
steaks, and potatoes constituted the
bulk of his meals.
Reporting his experience to me- he
said: Il realized that | was not up
to snuff, but could locate no parucu-
lar cause for anxiety. | simply telt
languid and uneasy. Then l began
to observe among the men a tendency
to stub their toes while walking
along smooth roads. | noticed also
that some of them complained of
slight swelling in the ankles, which
gradually extended upward TO the
knees. When this swelling was at
its height a dent in the flesh, made
by pressure from the finger, would re-
main a long time.
"Shortness of breath and palpitation
of the heart were the next symp-
toms. All of the men suffered serious
heart trouble. after which they began
to walk as if they had locomotor
ataXia. AS the cases advanced the
swelling subsided and the limbs
gradually wasted away, suggesting,
prior TO deatn, COInpleie dlioplS.
Nothing remained but the bone and
skin.
THE twenty physicians with us gave
the victims every conceivable kind of
medicine. Nothing did them any
good, and, prior to their death, they
were. completely prostrated and help
less.
Some of our doctors said the dis
ease was not beri-ber because the
men had consumed no rice, although
the symptoms seemed to be peculiarly
the same. other doctors contended
that it was beri-beri.
The doctors did not know that rice
has nothing to do with beri-beri, and
that beri-beri is only an accidental,
oriental phrase by which white bread
starvation, in its last extremity is de-
scribed.
The fact that all mal-nutrition,
anaemia, or mineral starvation is ac-
companied by serious heart distur-
Dances had not suggested to the
twenty physicians in the Madeira
Mamore poison squad that the dying
men could have been saved had the
missing elements in their diet been
supplied.
Having observed with morbid inter-
est these symptoms among the sick
and dying laborers, Chief Engineer
Ashmead noticed with alarm, under
circumstances IIdl iHlplSSStu all liS
details upon his mind, that he him.
self was becoming a victim.
The camp had lost man in the
Jungle, which was so dense that, hav-
ing penetrated it. ones sense of di-
rection was completely confused.
Once lost it was a serious problem to
find the way back to camp.
Ashmead participated in an extend
ed search which failed AS night came
on he gave orders to have the camp
whistle blow at short intervals until
morning in order that the sound might
give the lost man some guide by
which to direct his course through
the brush.
During the search and while still
fresh he climbed a little hill. When
he reached the top he was out of
breath His heart was pounding. He
was obliged to stop and rest
That night when he removed his
leggings he noticed that his ankles
were slightly swollen. For three days
he found it difficult to buckle the
straps on his leggings. Then came
the consciousness that he was losing
his appetite for bread and desired to
eat nothing.
He remembered also that for the
first time in his life he had a craving
for orange juice. He had never been
fond of oranges until that time. He
are base-formers and that his body,
starved of bases, was clamoring for
the elements so necessary TO life
On the fourth and fifth day follow
ing the first appearance of the strik-
ing symptoms he observed that when
his flesh was dented at the ankles
the finger marks remained.
Laborers were dying around him
everywhere. "Beri-beri is killing
them" said the doctors.
'I have berl-beri too. 7 am not
going to stay and die" he said.
He quit camp at once.
BY first boat he returned to Eng