The weather is very hot. I have never experienced anything like it,
quite tropical. One of our doctors has been taken ill to-day; that
makes twelve of our staff down with fever.
Mrs. Dearmer has been taken ill. Mrs. Stobart, a doctor and I had a
conference about the disease. It was pronounced by the doctor to be
typhoid. One doctor stated that it was due to flies; but this point
was condemned, as the flies have only become plentiful the last week.
It was suggested that it might be raw salad; but this was again
knocked on the head, as no raw salad has been eaten for about three
weeks, and then it was washed in distilled water and vinegar, and
several of the fever patients never ate salad. The last suggestion was
the camp itself. This is the most probable, as before we arrived this
camp was covered with refugees from all parts; and with the very dry
weather, and then the heavy rains, most of the doctors think it is due
to this. Some of the cases have been pretty bad in spite of the
inoculation. Temperatures are 104.8 and several are delirious.
Fortunately none of the wounded have it.
We have had a terrible hurricane to-day, and a bad thunderstorm. Two
tents were blown down. The hailstones were as big as large marbles.