On the local origin of the yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / in a letter from Daniel Blair to John Davy, with appended documents.

  • Blair, Daniel.
Date:
[1851?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the local origin of the yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / in a letter from Daniel Blair to John Davy, with appended documents. 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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    On the Local Origin of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of British Guiana; in a letter from Daniel Blair, Surgeon General of British Guiana, to John Davy, M.D., F.R.S.,. Inspector General of Army Hospitals, S^^c, loith Appended] Documents. Georgetown, 23d December, 1850. Mr DEAR Sir, I HAVE not seen Dr. M'William's Notes on the Boa Vista Fever; but I have read the article in the British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review. I find by it, as well as a notice of our monograph in the Lancet, that the subject of contagion of our late epidemic was not handled with sufficient detail. The fact is, that the idea of contagio in yellow-fever had become here so totally obsolete, that I felt reluc tant to do more on that subject than make a declaratory statement oi the universal opinion. When through you I was informed that commission of military medical officers was sitting in London to in^ vestigate and decide on the subject of the alleged contagion of yellow-fever, I did not suppose it possible that there would have beer the slightest difficulty in coming to a speedy conclusion in the nega live. I find that I have mistaken the professional opinion at home and that it will be necessary to supply some additional matter on the subject. For this purpose I enclose you copies of some papers, whichl with the contents of this lettei', be pleased to use in any way you thinl best. At the same time I must observe, that the fact of the opinior of contagion in yellow-fever here being abandoned by the unanimou consent of the entire community, professional and non-professional who had countless opportunities of observing the disease, spread ove * [As indicated in the opening paragraph, this letter was written ii consequence of some remarks contained in a critique on Dr. Blair's Mo nograph on Yellow Fever, which appeared in the 6th vol. of the Britis] and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Keview. As an answer to these remarks the Editor of that review has permitted it to appear in a late number (vo vii. p. 554.) with the candid admission, — That Dr. Fraser's communicc tion to the 'Medical Gazette' is worthless as evidence on the question c contacrion, and should not be used by any one. Tlie additional and .amp] evidence now adduced, it is to be hoped, will have a more unportant issue especially the appended documents, a selection from which was submitted t the reviewer, and noticed by him, but not published.] -Ed.