Second report on quarantine : yellow fever : with appendices / [by the] General Board of Health.

  • Great Britain. General Board of Health
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Second report on quarantine : yellow fever : with appendices / [by the] General Board of Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    182/428 (page 174)
    Inefficacy of Seclusion. In the Gibraltar epidemic of 1814, Mr. Donnet, Surgeon of the Naval Department, did not lose more than 1 out of 32 cases; while the disease at other points, was much less manage- able. In 1828, while it ran so mildly through a family at one point, as not to destroy a single victim, the disease carried oflF the whole of a large family at another; and out of 34 Jewa treated in the Civil Hospital, in the early part of the epidemic 33 died. Are not these things far from characterising epide- mics reputed contagious ? We know that contagious diseases, will differ in force, as it respects individuals according to certain circumstances, but constant differences, such as these, are not found to take place. The greater security which has been remarked to exist in upper floors in diseases from malaria was, in some instances, distinctly verified at Gibraltar in 1828. In a particular instance, the whole of a family, living on an upper floor, escaped; while f every one of another, on the ground floor of the same building, \ suffered. \ The existence of local causes was also demonstrated by | persons remaining well on the Neutral Ground, while attending \ their sick relatives, but being attacked on their return to town,. • a considerable time after, when not in contact with sick. i The late Assistant-Surgeon Fraser, 73rd Regiment, who had [ been living in the lazaretto establishment, on the glacis near the Neutral Ground,* remained well while there, but was \ seized, on his return within the garrison, which exposed him infinitely less to contagion, had such existed. One man having a family of several children, had a part of them attacked early in September, while residing in the quarter where the disease first appeared. He removed into camp, where the children, i who had been sick, joined the family after recovery, and the whole continued well whilst they lived in camp. He returned home some time after, when he conceived he might do so with impunity, (expurgations, &c. having taken place), but the remainder of the family were soon attacked. It would be an endless undertaking to quote all similar instances which occurred. The medical world may find abundant details in a work since published by Dr. Chervin. The inefficacy of perfect seclusion from persons labouring under the disease, as well as from all who came in contact with the sick, was clearly exemplified in 1828, and other epidemics of Gibraltar, (see the remarkable dockyard case in 1813. f) One remarkable instance, under my own observation, occurred in the house of a lady residing near Rosia Barracks.;]; Her niece was attacked with the disease, which ended in death, though the most rigorous segregation had been adopted for some time previous. In another case, a soldier of the garrison. * Plan, L(.ttL'i' (II.) t AddciMln, (C.) , p. 5210. % Plan, Letter (S.)