Appendix V. to the second report on quarantine : report of Dr. W.H. Burrell on the plague of Malta in 1813.

  • Great Britain. General Board of Health
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Appendix V. to the second report on quarantine : report of Dr. W.H. Burrell on the plague of Malta in 1813. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    as near as my memory serves, to ]20. The majority of the iuclividuals araoBg whom this disease occurred Avere poor, and hetAveen the ages of 50 and 70, some of them habitually addicted to the abuse of intoxicating liquors, and the greater number living in low damp places. The situations of these tumors were generally the inferior part of the neck, between the shoulders and the loins, varying from the size of a pigeon's egg to a circum- ference of 8 inches, and preceded by rigors, headache, prostration of strength, nausea, and in some cases by vomiting and want of sleep. These symptoms were very soon succeeded by fever, by the eruption of carbuncle, slightly elevated ty]:)hoid symptoms, and in some cases with delirium and death. These sj^mptoms were invariably protracted in their course. Carbuncle is not a common disease in this island, but miti- gated forms of antln-ax are commonly to be met with. Dr. Bardon has furnished me with the following :— Dear Sie, Malta, 27th August 1852. With regard to cases of anthrax and carbuncle, I beg to reply to your questions as follows :— From ray registers I find that, in 1821, I treated in the Lazaretto of Malta, eight individuals under the above disease, and have transcribed their clinical history. From that you will perceive that the sufferers belonged generally to the poorer class and that five cases recovered and three died. From the situation and symptoms it appeared that these cases were those of mild Plague. Anthrax is a prevalent disease in Malta, particularly in summer, and when attacking weakly subjects is almost always fatal. I am, &c., Sal VAT Baiidon, M. CJdrurgo. Casel.— Salvatore Spiteri, set. 27, Tporter, of strong con- stitution; was attacked 25th March 1821, on getting out of bed, with severe pain of head, rigors, fever, white tongue, thirst, inclination to vomit, and general debility. 26th. Pain in the right groin and glandular swelling, prostration, and bilious vomiting. 27th. Restlessness and constipation, relieved by purgative, and followed by much diminution of fever and of the general symptoms, and at the end of 10 days was perfectly recovered.