Medical notes on the climate of Burmah : and on the diseases which have there prevailed among European troops / by Charles Murchison.

  • Murchison, Charles, 1830-1879.
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical notes on the climate of Burmah : and on the diseases which have there prevailed among European troops / by Charles Murchison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    yations, too, are the more important, as it is always interest- ing to observe the diseases with which strangers are attacke.l on their first immigration into a country, in reference to which we know but little. The unhealthiness of the climate of Burmah has long been notorious, so much so, that the pestilential swamps on the banks of the Irrawaddy, have become almost a byeword, and a byeword not altogether undeserved, when we consider, that some of our regiments lost upwards of 26 per cent, of their strength in the space of one year, pai'tly from the accidents of warfare, but principally from the baneful effects of the climate. Mr Taylor, the surgeon of H. M. 80th, informs us, that the mortality in his regiment during twelve months in Burmah, was 26-5 per cent., or more than four times the average ratio of mortality during nearly eight years of pre- vious service in India ;^ and in H. M. 18th, Royal Irish, ac- cording to Mr Stewart, out of a strength of 1088, there were 1624 admissions into hospital in twelve months, and 260 deaths, or 23-9 per cent.^ It will be my object to point out some of the causes of the great sickness which has prevailed ; but I may here remark, that very possibly the climate of Burmah may yet prove not so peculiarly unhealthy as it is generally believed to be ; and that, in all probability, there would have been an equal amount of sickness and mortality, among European troops, had they been exposed in many parts of our Indian territory before subjection to European civilization and improvement, in the way in which our troops have been exposed in Burmah. The following observations may be classified under five heads :—First, we shall say a few words on the geological and geographical position of Prome, and on the climate, more particularly of the season, in which the 2d Europeans arrived there. Secondly, we shall mention a few particulars connected with the arrival of the 2d Eui'opeans at Prome. Thirdly, we shall enumerate the various diseases which pre- vailed among them, after their arrival; and, fourthly, the causes to which the great prevalence of disease may be at- tributed. In the fifth and last place, we shall enter into a few particulars with regard to a few of these diseases, more particularly the fevers. I. First, then, we shall consider the geographical and geo- logical position of Prome, and say a few words on the climate. Prome in lat. 18 48' North, and 95° 10' East longitude, is built on the left or eastern bank of the Irrawaddy, a little below the point where this is joined by the Nawaing river, 1 Indian Ann. of Med. Sc. I., p. 4C9. 8 Indian Ann. of Med. Sc. I., p. 430.