9 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



had not the mortality or the severity of forms of disease in the 

 hospitals around me. I have seen two waiting men attending on 

 delirious cases, holding the patients in their beds, and preventing 

 their injuring themselves, just as I have seen in the old regiment 

 typical cases of delirium tremens ; but I had no such cases, and I 

 had no doubt then, nor have I now, that the delirium arose from 

 the free use of stimulants combined with want of food. 



After the regimental system had been abolished I found my- 

 self superseded in charge of the corps of artillery with which I 

 had served four years, and was attached to a regiment of in- 

 fantry. The surgeon-major in charge went on leave soon after 

 I joined, and as I was the next senior, according to the new regu- 

 lations I assumed charge, although quite a new comer. It was 

 then for the first time I became aware how much I had diverged 

 from the ordinary practice at least as it was then in the service. 

 The surgeon of the regiment next in rank to myself soon after I 

 joined consulted me about a bad case of hepatitis, with high 

 fever, foul tongue, and diarrhoea. He had given a variety of 

 drugs, which I do not remember. I found, however, that he was 

 giving large quantities of food : jugged hare, strong soups, and 

 six or eight ounces of port wine daily. I said I thought the man 

 was getting too much food to digest, recommended milk diet, to 

 stop the wine, and give salines. He replied, to my astonishment, 



in a nervous way, he would ask his opinion. Now this man 



he mentioned was only a short time in the country. He was ten 

 years my junior, and six or seven years his junior. I said no 

 more, and went about my business. A few days afterward, how- 

 ever, the matter cropped up again, and he spoke with an aston- 

 ishing degree of bitterness on the subject. He said he had once 

 before met a man with these views, and he proceeded to refer to 

 a case of mine which he had visited for me on the previous day 

 as likely to die of hectic from want of support. I pointed out to 

 him reasons why the ailment was not hectic, and assured him the 

 man was not in danger. In truth, my case was severe Peshawur 

 fever which resisted quinine, and the diagnosis was doubtful, 

 as the man had originally come to hospital for treatment of a 

 stricture. And, I may add, the man did not die. I saw him often 

 years afterward at Woolwich. I was greatly surprised at the 

 degree of irritation this surgeon displayed, and became aware 

 that the administration or withholding of alcohol was not merely 

 a scientific question, but one for faith and belief, with strong 

 feeling attached thereto. His case of hepatic disease died; so 

 did at least one other in the two months I had charge of the regi- 

 ment. My colleague did not again seek my advice in his diffi- 

 culties, and he was clearly not converted, for, I regret to say, he 

 died himself from the disease in the following hot weather. 



