They should also prevent, as much as possible, the too free Use of Wine, Spirits, or other strong fermented Liquors; and in Wine Countries give every Man a daily Allowance of Wine, to be mixed with Water for his common Drink; and in Countries where nothing but Spirits can be got, make the Spirit be mixed with Water, or made into a very weak Punch, before it is given to the Men, as Lemons, Oranges, Limes, and other Fruits proper for this Purpose, are generally to be had in most warm Countries.
They should be careful not to march their Men in the Heat of the Day, nor order them upon Duty where they must stand exposed to the Dews and Damps of the Night, unless where the military Operations absolutely require it.
They should endeavour to make the Bottom of the Tents be covered with Straw, or dried Leaves of Trees, or dried Reeds, and with Blankets[132], for the Men to lie upon.
The Time of standing Centinel, and being upon Out-posts, if possible, should be short, where Men are exposed to the scorching Heat of the Sun; and when Men are upon Out-posts in the Night, it should be recommended to them to lie down on the Ground as little as possible; and if they do it, to chuse a dry Place; and, where it can be done, to have it covered with Straw or a Blanket, and to have some light Covering to defend them from the Dews.
The Tents should be covered with Boughs of Trees, and the Men should be ordered sometimes to strike them in the Middle of the Day, and air well every Thing within them.
The Men should be obliged to keep themselves neat and clean; to comb their Hair, and change their Linen often; and if the Camp be near the Sea, or a large River, they ought to bathe early in the Morning as often as the Nature of the Service will permit. However the following Caution, mentioned by Dr. Lind, ought to be observed, which is, not to go into the cold Bath when overheated with Work or Liquor, or when the Stomach is full, or when a critical Eruption, called the prickly Heat, appears on the Skin[133].
When Men are seized with inflammatory Symptoms on entering into warm Climates, they may be blooded freely: Afterwards they do not easily bear such copious Evacuations, but rather require to have them made in smaller Quantities, and very early and frequent, as Inflammations make a rapid Progress in warm Countries. Dr. Lind says, many Practitioners disapprove of Blood-letting in the Countries lying under the Torrid Zone, on a Supposition that the Blood is too much dissolved; but he thinks that this Rule will admit of many Exceptions; and that Sailors (and consequently Soldiers), being strong and robust, and exposed to greater Vicissitudes of Heat and Cold, and more Excesses, and other Accidents in general, bear freer Bleeding than any other Set of People.
After some Time, the Diseases in these warm Climates tend to the putrid Kind, and must be treated as such.