Australian soldier POWs suffered severe weakness and partial paralysis from leprosy due to forced labor on the Burma-Thailand railroad by the Japanese. Numbness of limbs, loss of muscle function, vomiting, and mental confusion were observed. The beriberi caused edema. Fluid in the body flowed toward the legs, causing swelling of the feet and legs. Her legs were severely swollen and it was very painful for her to stand or walk. The disease was caused by vitamin B1 deficiency and was spread by the poor diet of the Japanese army.
From December 5, 1943, the Japanese military executed the construction of the Burma-Thailand Railway connecting Thailand and Burma in order to supply supplies needed for the Greater East Asia War. The Thai-Burma railroad was constructed for about 420 km through rugged jungle. Built by a captive labor force of about 60,000 Allied prisoners of war and about 200,000 Romusha Asian laborers, the railroad was laid with hand tools and muscle in the monsoon of 1943. All were driven by cries of "speed" from the Japanese army. Relentless forced labor in a deadly tropical environment with inadequate rations took an enormous toll: by the time the railroad was completed in October 1943, at least about 2,815 Australians, more than 11,000 other Allied POWs, and some 75,000 Romushas had died of disease.
Disease was the leading cause of death on the Burma-Thailand-Burma railroad. Almost all POWs fell ill as a result of overwork, malnutrition, poor diet, and the refusal of the Japanese military to provide adequate medical supplies. POWs who were forced to work often contracted more than one illness at a time. Only those who were seriously ill were allowed to rest. Civilians would continue to work even if they were considered seriously ill.
Dysentery and diarrhea were the most common illnesses, accounting for more than one-third of all POW deaths. The continual passing of stools led to dehydration and the loss of vitamins essential for survival. The lack of a nutritious diet led to widespread avitaminosis (a disease caused by vitamin deficiency). The most frequent diseases were beriberi (lack of vitamin B1) and pellagra (lack of niacin).
Malaria caused about 8 percent of the deaths on the Burma-Thailand Railway. Malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes, and symptoms included chills, fever, and weakness. Victims sometimes had recurring cases after the war. Tropical ulcers were particularly frowned upon, although they accounted for only 2 percent of deaths from railroad accidents. They were caused by infection of the wound with microorganisms, which ate away flesh to the bone. In many cases, amputation was the only option. However, many patients lost their lives due to lack of appropriate medications and equipment.
In other cases of illness and death, cholera was so contagious and deadly that about 12% of prisoners died. It was spread by food and water contaminated with feces and was prevalent during the rainy season when latrines overflowed. The patient rolled on the ground doubled over with severe stomach cramps, limbs twitched, and muscles twitched and jerked. Vomiting and a whitish liquid of rice water was forcibly forced out and gushed from the intestines.
During the "speed" period of the Thai-Burma railroad's eviction in mid-1943, each camp had a crude cemetery because of the daily death toll. Medical personnel recorded details of the gravesites of the dead so that the bodies could later be recovered and identified. Funerals were solemnized and last post notes were heard from the jungle. The pungent smell of campfires wafted through the camp. The Japanese allowed the dead POWs to be buried and witnessed their funerals. Even though they were indifferent to the suffering of POWs during their lives, they respected them after their deaths.
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