Remarks on the topography and diseases of the Gold Coast / by R. Clarke.

  • Clarke, R.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on the topography and diseases of the Gold Coast / by R. Clarke. 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.

    34/60 page 30
    with old-standing scrofulous ulcerations of the skin and these persons had their sores daily dressed, while in several cases, their ulcers were caused by caries, or necrosed bones, and, consequently, the reparative process required weeks sometimes months, for its completion, and not unfrequentlv they no sooner healed up than they broke out afresh A very large number of those prescribed for suffered from the most inveterate skin disease. Scabies, called kra-kra on this coast is a common disease, and is very infectious. It is frequent among children, and the slave population are seldom without it, the disease being induced by the poverty of their diet bad ventilation, and dirty habits; but, nevertheless, they do not appear to be much inconvenienced by it. The poorer class of people and slaves also suffer much from yaws. Persons affected with psoriasis palmaris came occasionally under treatment; and a great many afflicted with herpetic eruptions, situated on various parts of the body, were constant applicants for relief. Cases of noli me tangere, affecting the nose, lips, and other parts of the face, sometimes presented themselves. From having met with persons in the inland parts of the country affected with it, I am of opinion it is a rather prevalent dis- order among the people. In the worst and most intractable forms of skin diseases which I was called upon to treat amon°- the natives, I found the solution of the arsenite of potass by far the most useful medicine. Cancrum oris is occasionally met with in children, several infants being brought to me where the cheek was penetrated before my advice was sought by their parents. The disease appeared in some of them during teething. Glandular swellings in the neck, or axilla, were frequent subjects of treatment; and occasional cases of goitre presented themselves for relief. Persons labouring under cataract, iritis, and amaurosis were frequent applicants at the dispensary. The number of persons blind from cataract and amaurosis is very considerable ; but the number of deaf and dumb people is much less. Many were afflicted with acute or purulent oph- thalmia, which, from having been neglected, had destroyed vision. Ophthalmia tarsi is of frequent occurrence ; and I was frequently consulted in cases of functional deafness, tin- nitus aurium, and for chronic inflammation and thickening of the membranes of the nose and mouth. A relaxed state of the uvula and ulceration of the tonsils are complaints to which they are very liable. Cases of nasal polypus sometimes ap- plied for relief. When suffering from cold or stuffing in the
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3