Cerebro-spinal meningitis in Massachusetts : being a succinct history of the epidemic of 1873 : with an analysis of upwards of 500 cases, collected from every part of the state / by J. Baxter Upham.
- Upham, J. B. (Jabez Baxter), 1820-1902.
- Date:
- 1874
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Cerebro-spinal meningitis in Massachusetts : being a succinct history of the epidemic of 1873 : with an analysis of upwards of 500 cases, collected from every part of the state / by J. Baxter Upham. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![Pharyngitis, pneumonia and otlier febrile diseases have, in almost every instance, taken on cerehro-spinal symptoms; and it is common for the patient to say, if his head is raised for any purpose,—' you hurt my neck!'— so that it is difficult to tell which is the disease,—the i)neumonia, etc., or the cerebro-s]3iual meningitis. This general observation has struck me forcibly in connection with disease in this locality. Palmer.—Dr. Holbrook had a single case about which he says, Water and drainage good; no traceable cause of the disease. Pectbody.—Tluee cases are reported. In one—the location is a level area of ground, nearly circular and surrounded by hills and farms,—a sort of am- phitheatre, as it were, perhaps three-fourths of a mile in diameter: the soil, dry. Not far from the house a field is used for the purpose of drying glue- stock, and from this the smell is sometimes very offensive. The drains of the house were in a slovenly condition, discharging within fifteen feet of the well. In the second, the house stands on low made land; a tannery on one side and a morocco manufactory on the other. The smell is offensive, and the air must be very imiiure. The third was in a healthy locality. The patient (a young woman) had been at work at Lynn for some time, at a shoe establishment, using a sewing-machine and confining herself very closely, Avorking, at times, sixteen hours a day; she had been for years subject to bilious attacks. Quincy Point.—A single case. The house of the patient stands on a low, porous soil, and Avithin an eighth of a mile of tide-Avater. His sleeping- room is large and well ventilated; cellar, dry; sink empties into the priA'y, which is about a foot from the house. Half a dozen other persons live there, and are all in good health. Boxbury Highlands.—Dr. Flint gives a report of two cases, of which he says : I cannot think either case referable to bad di'ainage or impure water. The first was in St. James Street; drainage, good; water, Cochituate. The second Avas at the Simmons estate. Highland Street, with which locality Dr. Derby is probably familiar. The water, I presume, is Avell-water. I made no inquiries in regard to drainage. Dr. Streeter also rej)orts two cases Avhich he could not trace to any special cause. He had also seen many cases accompanied with cephalalgia and rachialgia, requiring a few days' release from business; no special treatment; others did not give up business or occupation. Evidently a strong epidemic influence prevailed throughout the winter and spring. Salem.—Dr. Johnson writes: We have not seen much of cerebro-sx>inal meningitis in Salem. There have come under my own observation scA^eral cases of intense and uncontrollable headache, affecting chiefly the back of the head, with muscular pains and slight stiffness of the neck, suggesting for several days the commencement of an attack of cerebro-spiual meningitis. But, without further develoj)ment of symptoms, the pains would slowly decline and cease. These cases seemed to me peculiar, and in conversation with Dr. Kemble, I found he had met with scA^eral cases in which there seemed to be but little lacking to constitute the initial symptoms of the disease. The quiet departure of the symptoms suggested to me an abortive cerebro-spinal meningitis; yet, the cases were too ill-defined to be satisfac- torily classified. Of the few genuine cases which have occurred, the locali-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21081967_0039.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
