A treatise on relapsing or famine fever / by R.T. Lyons.

  • Lyons, R. T.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on relapsing or famine fever / by R.T. Lyons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    367/408 (page 351)
    GiTE HTM vrATEB,! nor would one of them at tlie window attempt to touch it until I had drunk. But from the water I found no relief; my thirst was rather increased by it, so I determined to drink no more, but patiently wait the event, and keep my mouth moist from time to time by sucking the perspiration out of my shirt-sleeves, and catching the drops as they fell, like heavy rain from my head and face. You can hardly imagine how unhappy I was if any of them escaped my mouth. I came into the prison without coat or waistcoat; the season was too hot to bear the former, and the latter tempted the avarice of one of the guard, who robbed me of it when we were under the verandah. Whilst I was at this second window, I was observed by one of my miserable companions on the right of me, in the expedient of allaying my thirst by sucking my shirt-sleeves. He took the hint, and robbed me from time to time of a considerable part of my store; though after I detected him I had ever the address to begin on that sleeve first, when I thought my reservoirs were sufficiently re- plenished, and our mouths and noses often met in the contest. This plunderer, I found afterwards, was a worthy young gentleman in the service, Mr. Lushington, one of the few who escaped from death, and since paid me the compliment of assuring me he believed he owed his life to the many comfort- able draughts he had from my sleeves. I mention this in- cident, as I think nothing can give you a more lively idea of the melancholy state and distress we were reduced to. Before I hit upon this happy expedient, I had, in an ungovernable fit of thirst, attempted drinking my urine; but it was so intensely bitter, there was no enduring a second taste, whereas no Bristol water could be more soft or pleasant than what arose from perspiration. By half an hour past eleven, the much greater number of those living were in an outrageous delirium, and the others quite ungovernable; few retaining any calmness but the ranks next the windows. By what I had felt myself, I was fully sensible what those within suffered; but had only pity to bestow upon them, not then thinking how soon I should myself become a greater object of it. They all now found that water, instead of relieving, rather heightened their uneasiness; and, Air, air, was the general cry. Every insult that could be devised against the gnard, all the opprobrious names and abuse that the suba, Monickchimd, etc., could be loaded with, were repeated to provoke the guard to fire upon us, every man that could, rushing tumultuously