Some account of the last yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / Ed. by John Davy.

  • Blair, Daniel.
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    winch limits the use of bark to the intermissions of fever, although It answers very effectually in tertians and quartans, yet in quotidians and double tertians, where the intervals are short and often incom- plete, is attended with insuperable disadvantage. The few hours of intermission affords no time to throw in a sufficient quantity of bark to prevent the recurrence of the paroxysms; tbe disease in conse- quence is aggravated, and from the only medicine being withheld which can give security, very frequently terminates fatally. Whilst I resided at China, in November 1771, intermittents were prevalent, as has already been mentioned. The interval free from fever was often very short and the paroxysms severe, and attended with alarming symptoms; and after cleansing the stomach and bowels thoroughly, I immediately commenced with the bark, and continued it regularly in the paroxysms. Having ascertained the safety of administering the bark at every period of intermittents, I was induced in China, and afterwards in this country, to try its effects in the paroxysms only. I began by giving 3ii. at the accession of the fit, and repeated the same quantity in the middle of the paroxysm; and this plan generally succeeded in removing the disease with a very small quantity of bark.]—Ep. IX. Extract from a Letter to the Editor from his Excellency Lieu- tenant-General Berkeley, commanding the Troops in the Windward and Leeward Islands. The first case of yellow fever admitted into hospital here, (St. Ann's, Barbados,) was Private John M'Guire, 88th Regiment, on the 15th December, 1847. He died on the 19th of the same month, with black vomit and all the symptoms of a very bad case. This man was never on board the ' Growler.' It has been ascertained, however, that Private Patrick Hearn, of the same corps, did visit the steamer, having a relation on board amongst the crew. Hearn was admitted into hospital on the 9th January, 1848, and died on the 13th, with similar symptoms to those attending M'Guire. After careful inquiry, I am led to think that no man of the 88th Regiment, with the exception of Hearn, went on board the ' Growler;' and as that man had no symptoms of fever until twenty-five days after the first fatal case in the corps, and twenty-two days after the departure of the ' Growler' from Barbados, which was on the 18th December, 1847, I do not