Lewis Norris: Malaria

Lewis Norris (second from left), others: unknown

In talking to my dad last Saturday about the war years, he talked about Uncle Lewis having been in the Merchant Marines during the war. Daddy said Uncle Lewis had malaria but Daddy didn't know where or when he contracted it. He said Uncle Lewis would come home on leave periodically and would arrive at home well and robust but after a little while would begin to lose weight and would become sickly again before leaving. I asked if Uncle Lewis was taking any kind of medication when he was at home and Daddy said "Not as far as I was aware." It may have been that Uncle Lewis took medication while he was serving at his duty station but didn't have it to take when he was home.

Mother mentioned that many men and boys had malaria in the "old" days and that her brother Melvin had also had it. We discussed that since malaria carrying mosquitoes were more prevalent in those days and that most men and boys worked outside, it probably was pretty common. Daddy said the common medication for malaria in those days was called "Three Sixes". It may have been quinine as that was the common treatment back then.