Dengue
p. 41 · Read in the full issue
Tahiti Has Cold Weather and Bad Fever
From Our Own Correspondent
Papeete, Nov. 1.
TAHITI has been stricken with a full dress epidemic of dengue fever. The young and old of every household, one after the other, are seized suddenly with a chill, followed by fever.
Our honky-tonks are waiting im patiently for permission to resume their office as incubators of epidemics acquired from passing ships. At the present time, all places of assembly are closed until the dengue epidemic shall have abated.
If our thermometers, our rheumatic joints, our Filaria-haunted lymphatics be accurate guides, it would seem that General MacArthur’s earthquake bombs have shaken Tahiti from its moorings, and that this island has drifted to some where in the vicinity of 45° South Lati tude. Each morning we inspect our “romantic lagoons” in quest of floating ice to cool our Blatta-flavoured rum punches. We are searching the markets of the world for red-flannel underwear.
Whatever the cause, our once-cele brated tropical climate has altered to resemble the cold, clammy climate of the sub-Antarctic. rIS period of suffering has brought out all the engaging qualities of our neighbourhood noise-makers.
The Celt who honours “Limehouse” by his presence has consistently sent up the temperature of every fever patient there about, by turning on his very loud radio at 5.30 every morning: the drivers of empty lorries have faithfully patrolled the highways and byways with sounding horns and unmuffled exhausts; the wielders of hammers have smitten wood and metal unceasingly; the Brotherhood of the Bottle have made the nights hideous with drunken cries.
It may be that these charming people are following the ancient Chinese cus tom of beating gongs and exploding fire works in order to frighten away the demons of disease.
Papeete, Dec. 10.
THE dengue fever epidemic has abated to the extent that only a fresh case, here and there, is reported. Every household has been invaded. Happily, there have been no deaths—although the malady has “shaken” its victims very
thoroughly.