Some account of the last yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / by Daniel Blair, surgeon general of British Guiana ; edited by John Davy, inspector general of army hospitals, etc.

  • Blair, Daniel.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some account of the last yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / by Daniel Blair, surgeon general of British Guiana ; edited by John Davy, inspector general of army hospitals, etc. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    of incubation seemed extended to four months, being kept latent, probably, by the phthisis under which the patient was suffering * Patients previously suffering from intermittent fever, dropsy, lodinism (corjza from hydriodate of potash), and ptyalism, have had the epidemic disease engrafted thereon: peritonitis and pneumonia have likewise failed to exclude the invasion, and the most inveterate lichen tropicus. It has added itself to delirium tremens and to lead colic : it has supervened during the flow of the catamenia. Patients under treatment for anoemia and inter- mittent fever, sarcocele, scald, bruises, and flesh wounds, frac- tures, rheumatism, erysipelas, ophthalmia, syphilis, strictures, ulcers, eczema, mosquito Avounds, hooping cough, and phthisis, have been attacked, and often fatally, by our yellow fever. The following particulars of the case of scald f, will show how the disease behaved as a parasite in that instance: — Corrections of extreme cases, as shown hy Register. George Abraham, aged 18. 41 days ill, 36 in hospital. Was admitted for severe scald of chest and abdomen, seven days previously. In good general health ; complained of head- ache and pains over chest on fourth day of admission, and was bled and purged. Headache persisted over eyes till tenth day of admission, with frequent dosing; tongue, pulse, and skin natural. On the seventh day, pupil of right eye was observed larger than left. Suffered since admission from mosquito ' bites,' but on seventh day of admission had a mosquito net, and slept well. The scald is represented as healing in the same report in which his first complaining of headache is noticed. A blister to nape, was the remedy used antecedent to perfect absence of headache. The gums became spongy, from mercurials, at same time. Headache returned and intermitted till evenina; of twelfth day; till then, general health good. Pulse then became 108, skin and tongue natural, and gums spongy. Headache became * [This uncertainty as to the latent period of the disease is especially de- serving attention in the army and the navy. As it may often render ob- scure tiie efi'ect of removal from the spot where the disease originated, so it ought to check surprise or disappointment if the beneficial effect is not immediately witnessed.] — Ei>. t Taken from my ])rclimiiiary corrections of the Register by the Case Books in reference to the duration of the fatal cases.