Remarks on army surgeons and their works / by Charles Alexander Gordon.

Gordon, C. A. (Charles Alexander), Sir, 1821-1899.

Date:: 1870

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on army surgeons and their works / by Charles Alexander Gordon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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those of cholera, I would record those uoted by Sir James Fellows regarding the former disease. Among the points of similarity he mentions the following, namely 1. On the authority of Salvaresa (foot-note to pages ..-7-45), a Spaniard, he states that, when in 1764 yellow fever occurred at Cadiz, the animals were first affected, insects appeared in great numbers. (He also alludes to the circumstance of deaths among dogs and mules as a forerunner of pestilence in the Grecian camp before Troy, as related in the Iliad, i.Q9.) A simi ar occurrence took place there during the outbreak of fever in 1800 when domestic animals died with the same symptoms as the persons who had the disease ; dogs, cats, horses, poultry, and canary birds were simdarly affected, the latter having died voiding blood from the mouth. 2. Although persons were attacked at all hours, the most common penod of seizure was 4 to 5 a.m. (Page 52.) Ill the latter part of 1809 this medical officer was placed in charge of the General Hospital established at Colchester for the reception and treatment of the sick from Walcheren, mid a section of his work is devoted to a consideration of that disease. Like Sir James McGrigor, he pointed out (page 339) the evils of the practice then often followed of discharging men from hospital before they were perfectly fit for duty. He alluded to the evil results that occurred to the 43rd liegiinent from the system of taking the troops in South Beveland ont to exercise before sunrise, q^ting Sir John Pringle in support of ffis views.* Dr ]SIillinffen,t about this time, was labourmg to advance the profession of”which he was a member, and to improve the con- dition of the soldier. He served in the 31st Eegiment as surgeon; and in 1819 published a manual for the use of army medical officers. He advocated the estabhshnieiit of a large scLol where young medical officers should undergo a course of training for their Special duties-a project which we have already seen, was mooted before the tune of Di. lingen, nevertheless deserves to be mentioned in connection with his name. He suggested that professors should be selected from among the most able medical officers, for the purpose of teach inrr the theory and practice of medicine, theory and practice of surgery, military hygiene, and morbid anatomy. The pfen first recommended by Jackson of assembling a board of health on the arrival of troops in a new or unknown country, was strenuously advocated by Dr. Millingen, who, among the points to be considered, enumerates the soil, na,ture of pioduc- tions, the usual diseases of the country, the districts or provinces * See Sir John Pringle’s “ Observations,” page 179. t See Balingall’s “ Military Surgerj', page o6.