Malaria: Fully 50% of the 2,400 patients had malaria. For many months
all we could do was to give one quinine tablet after each malaria
chill, hoping to make them more comfortable. But after the Japs
conquered the Dutch East Indies, we received 30,000 three grain
tablets of quinine. This allowed us to control most cases of malaria
and to cure some.
Occasionally we saw a few cases of cerebral malaria; most of these
died in spite of quinine therapy.
Multiple Diseases: Most patients had more than one disease, usually
multiple vitamin diseases. Many had lost from one third to one-half of
their body weight. Most everyone had either wet or dry beriberi, or a
few both.
Beriberi: Wet beriberi cases were bloated with edema usually beginning
in the feet and gradually progressing upward to the head. A patient
with edema of the feet and legs, after lying in bed all night,
frequently found that the edema had spread to his chest and face in
the morning.
After being up for several hours, the edema slowly returned to his
legs and feet. When the edema became extensive, the patient became
nearly helpless unable to get about.
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