Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 191, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1916 — ONE SOLDIER SICK IN THOUSAND TROOPS [ARTICLE]

ONE SOLDIER SICK IN THOUSAND TROOPS

Reports to General Lewis Show That Percentage in Indiana Camp at Llando Grande. Mercedes, Texas, August 9.—Briga-dier-General E. M. Lewis, commanding general of the Llano Grande camp, was well pleased when report was made to him yesterday that the sick list amounted to about me sick soldier in every 1,000 troops. This referred only to Indiana. It did not mean, however, that there arc no sick at the camp, because that is not true. The one sick soldier in 1,000 troops meapt that the soldiers’ sickness was of such a character that if they were at hom ethey would be under a doctor’s care.

There are a large number of minor complaints, overeating, drinking too much cold stuff, heat sickness and some who brought their sickness with them. On the day the report was made to General Lewis there were three sick in the Indiana field artillery, and Captain Thompson said one of them would be on duty in a day or two. In the First regiment Major Foxworthy, chief surgeon, ° reported no one seriously sick. In the Second regiment Colonel Coulter reported two of his men as serious but not dangerous. In the Third regiment Colonel Aubrey Kuhlman, after medical officer, reported none of his men seriously sick. The same ratio kept up in the signal corps and in the two ambulance companies. There is no guess work about this; these are the official reports for the way department. “It don’t look as if this was such a camp of sickness,” wai the only comment the commanding general would make.

“One of the ills that human flesh is heir to in this country is a fever called dengue. It is pronounced as if spelled dengay, with the “g” hard. Its -common name is breakbone fever and though it never is fatal, the victim wishes sometimes that he might die. The fever begins in the wrists and ankles and soon all other joints are affected. The pain, which is simply awful, is accompanied by a high fever. After two or three days, a rash breaks out and the fever subsides and the patient thinks he is well, until there is another attack of joint racking. Then the patient gets well. Usually the fever lasts about a week. It is contagious and a fellow may have it as many times as he has hairs in his head. Brigadier General Lewis is guarding against dengue as much as possible and hopes the camp will escape it. There is one case at Mercedes, a hardware merchant being the victim, but he will be kept in quarantine until he gets well.”