Well, I have certainly not posted much during February. Between snow, cold temperatures, more snow, starting to go to the gym to workout often, and more snow, I just have not found the time to post much here in recent weeks - at least those are my official excuses.
I also have not finished a Civil War book lately, though I should fix that in the next few days. The last book I read was about the origins of baseball - it was interesting, but not really material for here, or so I thought.
Tonight, I dip back into The Civil War in Song and Story 1860-1865 by Frank Moore. The version I have was published in 1882 and though it's falling apart at places, still has many interesting tales.
Tonight's story is a short one from pages 464-465, simply called "Good for the Ague" which seems rather appropriate for this time of the year.
A Southern paper gave the following novel treatment for curing chills.
"It is stated that a soldier of a Mississippi regiment at Pensacola went to his tent and blankets, the other day, to fight through an ague. A bottle of hot water to his feet not being convenient, some of his comrades went out and picked up one of the numerous shells Colonel Brown sent over during the bombardment, heated it at the fire, and put it to bed with the sick man's feet. Unhappily, the shell had lost its cap, but had not exploded. The heat of the camp fire accomplished what Lincoln pyrotechny had failed in, to wit, an explosion. The tent was blown to pieces, and some of the men a little hurt and greatly astonished."
Well, if that didn't cure it, I guess nothing will.
Yikes!
ReplyDelete