Newspapers / The Caduceus (Charlotte, N.C.) / June 29, 1918, edition 1 / Page 5
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WOULD NOT DIE HOSPITAL SERGEANT KNIGHT IGNORED DEATH’S CALL, Three times, during hie thirty years of army service, Sergeant Abel K. Knight has refused to listen w;ien Death called. He has been pronounc ed fatally injured, w*is through the Galveston flood and has been gassed. On Monday he received his warrant, which makes him one of the two Hos pital Sergeants at the base hospital, and he is feeling better than he has felt in fifteen years. He is in charge of a branch of the medical supply de partment of the hospital. It was in 1899, at the Phillipine insurrection of Laguna Bay that Ser geant Knight, then a line sergeant, was injured. He fell in making a dash over a wall. He was removed to a field hospital at once and an oper ation perfoimed. “He can’t live,” said the colonel in charge, as he jotted the same text in his chart book. The wounds of the injured sergeant were only temporarily dressed and two days later he was placed on board the hospital ship “Relief” and was brought to the United States to die on his natvie soil. But he did not die and was soon in line again. Three years, later he was brought into the presence of the colo nel who had treated his injuries at Laguna Bay. He reminded the sur geon of the case. The officer hunted out his old records. He found the exact case— “Sergeant Abel K. Knight—will die.” “I’ll rub that out,” said the colo nel. Then there was the Galveston flood of 1915. Sergeant Knight was in the thick of it all and rescued several people from flooded homes. The wind biew at 100 miles an hour and swept all military supplies before it. Lives were lost and there were soldiers who perished but Sergeant Knight came out without a scratch. After he had returned to Cuba and had later spent two years in Alaska, caring for the frost bites of his com rades and facing the cold with the ' rest, he was given a “hitch” on the border and later sent to -Camp Greene. It was just a few weeks ago that he was in a supply room when a gas tank sprung a leak. He was over come and was not rescued for sever al minutes. For a time his iife was despaired of. But there was, no down ing the sergeant. He has fully re covered. . Enlisted Thirty Years Ago. In 1888, in Boston, Mass., Sergeant Knight first enlisted in tlie army. Ho was in the fitful Sioux war of 1890 and was not many miles away when Custer made his last rally against the forces of Chief Sitting Bull. The sergeant was in the line during the Spanish-American war and the Philippine insurrection. He has been under fire so many time.s that he has forgotten the number. For two years he was a medical sergeant attached to a company whicli aided in laying the telegraph lino through the Yukon, between Dawson and Fort McMichaelSu THE CADUCEUS. From his tropical service to his polar experiences the sergeant has lived through a range of temperatures from 109 above to 65 below zerow. When on the border Sergeant Knight was attached to Field Hospital No. 3. He was moved to Gettysburg, Pa., but was there only a few weeks until he was brought to Camp Greene, with the Seventh infantry. He was transiferred to the base hospital sup ply department. SERGEANT ABEL K. KNIGHT. Sergeant Knight is fifty years old, with just a few streaks of gray through his dark brown hair. When he looks over the top of his gold rim med glasses and tells of his harrow ing experiences, as though they were but passing incidents, he impresses his hearer with the truth of that poem about the “Cool and steady Rough and ready Fighting Regular man.” _ “What would you do in case of sea sickness on your trip across?” Sgt. Hughes: “I give up.” STOP MALARIA TALK Charlotte Asked To Help Camp Kill Mosquitoes. Let us stop this talk about this be ing a malaria region,” is the appeal that Private Carl F. Bissell makes to the people of Charlotte and Mecklen burg county in his article on “How To Beat the Mosquito.” Malaria is caused by mosquito bites and nothing else. If there is ma laria here it is because the malaria mosquito is present,” writes Private Bissell. ‘It is the anophellnae species of mosquito that carries malaria germs. Only the female bites and therefore only the female carries disease. “The aedes calopus, the yellow fe ver mosquito, bites only in the day time, but the malaria mosquito is ac tive both day and night. The malarial mosquito differs from the other varie ties of the insect in its having a palpi as long as the probocis and in that the probocis and the body in the ano- phelinae form a straight line while the yellow fevor mosquito is decidedly humpback. In it’s resting position the malaria mosquito holds Its body nearly vertical to the surface upon which it alights while other mosquitoes stand horizontal to the supporting surface. Males of all mosquitoes are distin guished from the females by their feathery antennae (Wooly heads). ^ “Mosquitoes breed in water but very little water is required for the pur pose. “The female deposits her eggs to the number of from one to five hundred on the surface of the water and us ually within , from thirty-six to forty- eight hours they hatch, becoming- lavrae. This period lasts from one to two weeks until the pupae is form ed. After three or tour days the pupal shell splits and the full-grown in sects emerge. “Any body of water that is moderate ly still, proves adequate for a breed ing place of the mosquito. j ■ “The first thing in the batUe . against the mosquito is to destroy all pools of sta.gnant water. This is done either by digging draining ditch es to allow the water to run off or to till in the pool. Another way to de stroy mosquito lavrae is to apply crude oil to the surface of the water. “Fire pails if allowed to stand too long without refilling offer an excel lent place for mosquitoes to breed. It is a good plan to change the water in all pails of water at least twice a week, “Water leaking from pipes under neath buildings offer another good breeding place. In fact any thing that w'ill contain water offers a nursery for thousands of mosquito larvae. “Since malaria is not uncommon in this section of the country it is up to all of we hospital men to make every effort to stamp out the disease aiid we arc hoping to have the support of the people of Charlotte and of Mecklen burg county.” ( V Cook’S Wright and Zeissett have re turned from well-s])ent furloughs.
The Caduceus (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 29, 1918, edition 1
5
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