Another interesting and unique addition to Chindits series.
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/chindits-5---dysentery
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/chindits-5---dysentery
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Too graphic to be shown?
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The use of the term “dysentery” implies an illness. These troops stripped their clothes to cross the river, not because they all had “the squirts”.
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Something’s amiss here; by no measure does the photograph indicate any illness amongst troops - certainly not the ones shown engaged in a river crossing. I mean, what the hell?
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Maybe the idea is they got dysentery from entering the water.
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“the squirts”. ….. AKA: “The Quick Step”!
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Or maybe it was no-pants day?
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During operations Longcloth and Thursday dysentery was indeed rampant. Severe diarrhea meant they had a constant need to relieve themselves while marching. I had also heard of soldiers cutting the seats out of their trousers for this very reason. It’s the next logical step. “Dick swinging” I believe was the term. Makes sense - save the trousers for when you need them instead of sutting them up.And even when they just cut holes out of their trousers, I imagine there was still a good chance of ass-spray. Who wants to march around like that?
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Exactly, the closest most of us will get to experiencing dysentery (mercifully) is the prep for a colonoscopy i.e. Epsom salts chugging. It got to the point I too was wandering around full commando waiting for the next sprint to the john, my wife was…confused…
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i feel your pain. endoscopy and a barium enema. neither was nice or convenient.
i did lose weight rather rapidly though
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Indeed, it’s the opposite of the bottom falling out of one’s world…
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I had ameobic Dysentry when I was stationed in the Sinai. Went on for months. Apart from the god aweful smell the reaction time from food, water in was a few minutes at best, to vile stinking liquid out. The only thing that kept it half under control was a sundowner, either gin and tonic or whisky and soda. 
Timimg was everything, eat make for the bog then carry on You loose weight fast 
Had a 7 day cycle as i recall, pills from the med centre did nothing.
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