Some account of the last yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / by Daniel Blair ; edited by John Davy.

Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some account of the last yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / by Daniel Blair ; edited by John Davy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    78/222 (page 58)
    CHAP. VII. PREDISPOSING, EXCITING, DETERMINING AND AUXILIARY CAUSES. The grand predisposing cause of an attack of the epidemic was the state of constitution, induced by a previous and recent residence in a cold climate.* The grand exciting cause, during several years, was exposure to the influence of certain localities, the chief of which was the embouchure of the Demerara River. Georgetown, and the shipping, being situated within the malarious locality, and their population containing the largest proportion of northern blood, the disease began there first and continued there last.f At the beginning of the epidemic, and * [If the cause assigned in the text as the chief predisposing cause be true, it is deserving of serious attention, especially as regards the distribution of troops; and that it is true, considering the history of yellow fever in the West Indies, can hardly I think be doubted. Very many instances might be adduced of regiments suffering severely from yellow fever shortly after arrival. In 1805, the 15th Foot in about three weeks, soon after their landing in Barbados, lost 110 men and 7 officers, swept off by this fever. Recently, in the same island, the 88th Regiment suffered severely from it, after having been nearly a year in this island; the 66th, after having been only a few weeks ; and the 72nd, after having been there about ten months. The two regiments last mentioned arrived about the same time, the one from Malta, the other from Gibraltar; and though stationed in the same garrison, and doing duty together, but occupying different barracks, though separated only by the parade ground at the outbreak of the disease, yet for not less than five months the 72nd escaped the malady. The inference hence, in relation to contagion, need not be pointed out. To revert to the assigned predisposing cause : — if, as I believe, it must be admitted to be such, and powerfully influential, it ought to be kept in mind and acted on : no troops fresh from a cool or cold climate should be landed either where yellow fever is, or has very recently been. The troops for service there ought to be those who have been longest in the West Indies. This should be a rule, and, excepting perhaps in time of war, might always be observed.]—Ed. f [The above proposition in relation to the exciting cause, — that something which produces the disease,—seems to be equally well founded on large experience in the West Indies, as that the newly arrived from a cool or cold climate are most disposed to contract it; and also equally deserving of attention as a practical rule in the distribution of troops. When yellow fever makes its appearance in a particular spot, removal from that spot is the true measure of security ; sometimes removal to a short distance, as of a few hundred yards, would appear to be sufficient; but, if it be practicable, removal to a greater distance is desirable, and to ground in its character