The first recognized epidemic of yellow fever / by G.M. Findlay.

  • Findlay, G. M.
Date:
1941
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The first recognized epidemic of yellow fever / by G.M. Findlay. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The Outbreak in Yucatan. The outbreaks in Barbados, St. Christopher and Guadeloupe did not, however, represent the full extent of the epidemic, for a very similar disease made its appearance both in Yucatan and in Havana. The epidemic in Yucatan was very fully reported by Lopez de Cogulludo (1668) : his account has been translated by Finlay (1912) and by Carter (1931). The epidemic, the “ peste,” began in the beginning of June, 1648, in the City of Campeche, on the west coast of the peninsula of Yucatan. In a few days “ the disease ” so pressed on it that it was totally laid waste. A letter is quoted from a citizen of Campeche, “ If God does not pity our misery and soon soften the rigor of His Justice it will be said ‘ Here was Campeche,’ as it was said of Troy. . . . The roads from Campeche were guarded, fearing communication of the con¬ tagion . . . With this fear . . . passed the month of July, in the end of which began some people ” (in Merida) “ to sicken, who died very soon, but it was not recognized to be the ‘ peste ’ until the beginning of August. With such quickness and violence it came on great and little, rich and poor, that in less than eight days almost the whole city was sick at one time and many of the citizens of highest name and authority in it died. The city, afflicted with such a misfortune not seen before since this land was conquered by the Spanish nation . . . sought leave to bring in the Holy Image of Our Lady of Izamal. . . . The most part of the Indians of Izamal who attended the Holy Image on the road and in the City of Merida, were attacked by the contagion of the peste in it and a few days after they arrived at Izamal passed from this present life.” Molina Solis (1904-1910) confirms this by stating that “ in September all the district of Izamal was infected. The tribulation of the city (Merida) was very great as never had it experienced such a disaster. . . . In the beginning few of the Friars died . . . when the peste was at its height few were sick . . . afterwards many sickened at once. . . . Pestilences are accustomed to be a common accident in other lands, which uniformly attack all, but it was not thus in Yucatan, which was the occasion of the greater confusion. It is not possible to say what was this malady, because the physicians did not recognize it.” Of the symptoms “ The most common was for the patients to be taken with a very severe and intense pain in the head and of all the bones of the body, so violent that it appeared to dislocate them or to squeeze them as in a press. In a little while after the pain a most vehement fever, which to most occasioned delirium, although to some not. Followed some vomitings as of putrefied blood and of these very few remained alive. To others there was a flow from the bowels of a bilious humour which ” being “ corrupted caused dysentery which they call ‘ sin vomitos ’. Others were provoked to them ’’(vomitings) “ with great violence but in vain and many suffered the calentura and pain in the bones without other accidents. . . . To the most the fever appeared to remit entirely on the third day ; and they said that already they felt no pain ; the delirium ceased, conversing sensibly, but they were not able to eat nor to drink anything and thus going on one or more days, speaking and saying B
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