LIFE IN CAMP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17096, 19 February 1916, Page 5

LIFE IN CAMP.

lEATHERSTON GASTRITIS. SOME FACTS AND FIGURES. ABATEMENT OF EPIDEMIC. (By L. S. FANNING.) (Specially 5Y lit ten for the “Lyttelton Times.” Heat colic, summer colic, summer sickness, English cholera., gastro-entcritis, gastric fever, abdominal influenza, diarrhoea and gripes are some of the names current at Foathcrston camp foi an epidemic which is passing away with the “ dog days ” —and theories of the cause arc as numerous as tne naines. However, the many men who were smitten had the same symptoms, and' they are satisfied that they had thd same trouble, which is officially entered 1 as gastritis. In the milder cases a patient may escape with .about a day of internal disturbance and spasmic pains, but others have vomiting in addition to the discomfort that accompanies diarrhoea. The patient feels limp and depressed 1 , hut happily tne affliction is not usually a long stayer. The men who arc hit hard enough to need treatment in hospital are only a small proportion of those who parade sick with this complaint. The remedy is the customary one for this transitory disease. which is net a mystery. lhc patient lias a rest from food for sonic hours while the internal plant is being thoroughly cleansed with sterilised water, and then he builds up on milk puddings and other suitable food. RUMOUR RAMPANT.'

Rumour alleged in Wellington on Tuesday siftcmoou that ten men had died at camp. Ofhceis out there laughed heartily when this can- | aril was mentioned. Ihe only death known to the authorities is that of a soldier who did not survive an opeiation for appendicitis in the Greytown Hospital, and it is believed that this d boa so was not contracted in camp. This is the only death recorded during the whole run of the Tauhereiukau and Feathers ton camps—a stretch ot seven months. On Tuesday afternoon men at I rentham were saying they had henicl that only six or eight hundred men .at Foathcrston were able to turn out tor work. Inquiry proved that this rumour was as weird and wild ns the other. The full strength of the camp on Wednesday was GtKSS, and the sick panicle total was 173. 'he maximum official figure. lor a sick parade is 410. but it is probable that at lhc time, when the epidemic was at its worst, the men suite ring in various degrees from gasti itis were considerably above that number. for not- all of those who had a touch of the ailment reported tliem- * elves sick. They had a day or so of <• seediness.” and then swung back to normal health. Others who tried to avoid reporting the first warning pains suffered for the attempt to. carry on ns usual; it was a difference m physique. The gastritis has not been a respoetier of ranks. Numbers ol officers inclnding the Commandant am. Adju pint have been atneked. Tbo impression among the outs.de pulilic that something was senoi.s > \vrou <r at Fontherston has been due probably to two causes =--0) j*J 1, * r * letters from the camp: 12) a belli I that the facts were not wholly “wclomM lhc first official statements issued Doin Wellington. When the writer paid a surpris'd visit to Featherstou on 55 ednesday he found no conspiracy ol silence' or evasiveness, no attempt io hide or disguise the truth The visitor liwt missed the Commandant (Colonel Adams), but met the adjutant (Captain Neville Newcomb), who promptly invited questions, and offered the freedom of the camp, including the hospital, with its records of cases. Ino ( . a „ip stands four-square to all investigation : the military and medical heads welcome fair inquiry. The rev-art ol the inspection is given in the course ol this article. LAYMEN’S NOTION'S. Water., (lies, ■ ordinary beer, herbal 1 1 ear straight-out. heat and tomatoes have, been blamed bv laymen lor the outbreak of gastritis. The water theory probablv bad its origin m the tact- that 1 1m trouble, began, and had its widest spread, soon after the new camp was occupied, during very suiti > . is said that the men. hot .from .lien work on the parade ground, rushed the nearest taps, and did not bother to read the labels which distinguished the well-water (for drinking) irom t he rivet service. However, even tl.q river water lias not yet been proved guilt; >• The flies may have helped, but- the disorder has not. been traced to them. However, the light against; tdioiu 1 siren,ions and pitiless; oi { afternoon Professor Kirk had his coat 01l foi the battle, and he was very busy with the slaughter. The two beer theories were used to men who hold that soldiers bad thus their stomachs slightly a„d therefore became a. comparatnch easy prey to gastritis. Here, again, proof is lacking. , When the tomatoes were, suspected bv some, credulous persons the owner of a. large patch a few miles from the camp stopped the sale till a bacteriological examination had been made, and the tomatoes canto out without a stain on their character; one can imagine their taking a deeper red ot indignation at the insult. the MEDICAL VIEW. \ Franklv, the medical opinion at the camp is‘that tho gastritis cannot ha satisfactorily explained by the conditions there.. First of all, it w Poetically the same locality ns nikati. where the standard ot health was rerv good. Indeed, t!,c sum ground is even better than the other, for the new camp is at the higtiost part of the plain; the ground slopes awav Tiiohtlv o;t both flanks. then there is'the' elaborate sanitary equipment of a permanent camp, alic.u t ■.described fully in these 'i 01 '!' E’ „ is open country, with no lack of ten--1 Ahm'over. the medical officers relor io the appearance ol tiro saine ai "u t (gastritis) in the towns of leatheisiou, Carterton, Greytown, Gisborne, Napie and others. One doctor °t -mo o said recently that three-quarters o ns practice at that time was in tho treatment of gastric cases, similar to those in the camp. The disease is said to K identical wit.ii the one which mills cities of the Old Country during the hottest part of the summer. . Tho comforting truth to-day is tlmt thq epidemic Ims much abated, ) parades have declined by about ha the recent numbers. An improvementwas noticed last week with the arrival of two or three comparatively cool da>s. and the medical staff is confident that as the sun loses his sting the gas i will vanish. THE FIGURES OF SICKNESS. Here, briefly, is a summary, of the 1 camp's state, as reported officially on Wed nesdav; Total strongt 1, ’ paraded sick, 173; sick m linos, -0. , in hospital, 75.

A man may “ parade sick ” on very little provocation, if he tears that a slight “ seed in ess ” is something to he caught in time, and it is not very hard to have a ease ot “ seedinoss ” when the sun lias been aggressive and oppressive on the parade ground; this remark applies particularly to those men to whom tho vigorous camp training, under a searching, scorching sun, is a complete “ social revolution.’ The term “sick in lines'’ covers the men who are not ill enough to be sent to hospital; they are able to lounge about in their lints and stroll about at their ease-having the rest cure. The 75 hospital eases included only 25 of gastritis, and the whole miscellaneous group of 75 included only 2(i tied cases. On 55 eduesday tho hospital was more notable lor empty beds than for occupied ones. The octagonal building can take about 150 cases, but tho accommodation lias not been taxed at an\ stage of the gastric trouble. Usually a stay of three or tour days in hospital is enough for one ot those patients, but. of course, tho great majority do not need this course. The following list of gastritis admissions to hospital is an effective answer to alarmist .rumours:—-tth February, 11, sth, 0; 6th. 5; 7th. 9; Bth, 4 ; 9H>, 9; 10th, 12: 11th, 7; 12th, 2; 13th, G; IHli, 1; loth, 4. The men who are regaining them strength in flic lines have light diet (including milk puddings), cooked by a special staff. \H along, the working line of Fcatlicniton Camp has boon “ Business as usual.” The visitation of “ summer sickness” has not upset the programme of work, 'fhe members of the medical staff sav. in effect, that they have not been baffled nor mystified, nor staggered by the advent of gastritis: the usual treatment for this trouble was proved to bo right. The writer did not see any signs of “scare” at the camp, which was working according to syllabus. He spoke to privates, non-commissioned officers, and officers, ns well as to civilians in the town of Foathcrston, and the net result of the investigation is a boiici that the friends and relatives of soldiers have no cause to fear Featherstou Camp.