A collection of papers, intended to promote an institution for the cure and prevention of infectious fevers in Newcastle and other populous towns. Together with the communications of the most eminent physicians relative to the safety and importance of annexing fever-wards to the Newcastle and other infirmaries / [John Clark].

John Clark

Date:: 1802

Credit: A collection of papers, intended to promote an institution for the cure and prevention of infectious fevers in Newcastle and other populous towns. Together with the communications of the most eminent physicians relative to the safety and importance of annexing fever-wards to the Newcastle and other infirmaries / [John Clark]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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a typhus fever and.a dysentery became prevalent; and | go persons died during the voyage.. The state of this ship exhibited a stil] more shocking scene than the for- mer. When she arrived at New-York, 180 were sick; and many had suffered from three or four relap- ses. About 40 were taken ill after their arrival. ‘The - sick were immediately. stripped, washed, then wrapt up in clean blankets, and carried to the Marine Hospi- tal; which not being capable of receiving so great a number, tents and other temporary accommodations were provided for the remainder. « Scparation, venti- lation, and cleanliness, accomplished every thing that could be expected ; and only 26 died after their arrival at this port.” After the power of ventilation and cleanliness in rendering innoxious the effluvia arising from so ma- ny patients under the most virulent infeétion, can any person, except under the influence of ill-founded fears, entertain a doubt of the complete safety of the fever- wards annexed to the Newcastle Infirmary. Sr ab In order to shew that the contagion of fever is not confined to so narrow limits as Dr Haygarth and others have proved, Mr Horn adduces instances from the West-Indies, where ships, by being moored to the windward of another ship where the master believed there was a contagious disease, and ay confining his people to their own ship, never buried a man; « whilst in ships — that did not use the same precautions, the mortality — has been dreadful!” How does this prove that moor= — ing to the windward was of any use, or that the range — of contagion was extensive? Was not confining the peom ple to their own ship, and allowing no sick person nor — tainted clothes to be brought on board (which would — be undoubtedly a restri€tion imposed by so cautious — and so intelligent a man as Captain Renwick) alone sufficiently effectual means for preventing the intro- 3 duction of contagion, an {

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