Kadmal bedbugs

Kadmal bedbugs are recurring parasites in Lin’s account of imprisonment at Arthur Road Prison. Their bites accumulated night after night, adding to the burden of his confinement and affecting him alongside the prison’s body lice and other harsh conditions.

Infestation in Prison

Lin describes hundreds of bites building up over successive nights. The infestation was distinct from the body lice he also encountered, though both formed part of the same oppressive prison environment.

Narrative Significance

The bedbugs’ repeated attacks make the physical costs of imprisonment cumulative rather than confined to a single episode. Their presence underscores how Lin’s weakened condition was aggravated by the conditions around him, while the account treats the infestation as a concrete hardship rather than an isolated symbol.