Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

40 THE CLIMATE -INSECTS INNUMERABLE.
number of lives lost by disease in Mexico has caused a very
general belief among our people that the country is unfavorable
to health. But it must be remembered, in this connection,
that our army landed there at the very worst season, and, indeed, the only unpleasant one of the year. The low grounds
were, overflowed, and the whole country saturated with water,
the exhalations from which were quickened by the heat of
summer into pestilent malaria. For weeks (until September)
it rained every day; not continuously, but at intervals, in
sudden and drenching showers, each followed by a burst of
melting sunshine. These deluging rains cooled the enthusiasm of a few modern paladins, who found but little romance
in the privations and sober realities of the camp.
Among the little dcsagrements attending our sojourn on
the lower Rio Grande, not the least were caused by the venomous insects and reptiles that swarmed on those burning
sands, and allowed us no repose. Our camp was infested by
snakes, tarantulas, ants, centipedles, lizards, horned toads,
scorpions, fleas, spiders, —c icZd yedzs omlze. Of these, the
ants were, I think, the most annoying. They not only found
their way into our food, but attacked our persons boldly,
crawling into our blankets or clothes, and stingin, with remarkable severity. But the far-famed tarantula was most
dreaded. Our assistant surgeon was bitten by one of them,
and his was the only case of the kind in our regiment. TIhe
effect of the poison was immediate and alarming. So violent
were his spasms, that thle unitedl strength of several men was
required to confine him to his tent, from which he had deliriously rushed soon after receiving ther wound.