Reports on mountain and marine sanitaria : medical and statistical observations on civil stations and military cantonments., jails - dispensaries - regiments - barracks, &c. within the Presidency of Madras, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Islands, and British Burmah from January 1858 to January 1862 / by Duncan Macpherson.

  • MacPherson, Duncan, M.D., 1812-1867.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on mountain and marine sanitaria : medical and statistical observations on civil stations and military cantonments., jails - dispensaries - regiments - barracks, &c. within the Presidency of Madras, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Islands, and British Burmah from January 1858 to January 1862 / by Duncan Macpherson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    170/458 (page 126)
    12G SERIES III. respective mortalities as follows:—Abstinent, 11 in 1,000 ; temperate,23 in 1,000; intemperate, 44 in tbe 1,000. If clninlcenness, tlierefore, can be climinisbed; if we can secure cleanliness of person, of camps and of quarters; if we promote’amusementsand heaUb- ful occupations, mental as well as physical; if we adopt suitable clothing, sites and construction of barracks, and attend to cooking and to food, we secure the principal safe-guards for averting both epidemic and endemic diseases of a serious nature. There is still one subject to which I would briefly advert. Throughout the very able report of the Eoyal Commissioners above quoted, the feeling is apparent that it is the duty of the Surgeon to point out evils and suggest remedies To the ]\Iedical Department of the Army is entrusted the health and life of the soldier, whose health is undermined, and whose life is lost by influences which might be removed or prevented. The Suigeonis therefore to blame if he fails to point out the means at hand for averting this result. But the Commissioners have taken especial care to show that the Medical Officers are not the culpable parties, that the ° unhealthy encampments, bad barracks, monotonous food unsuitable clothing, and other causes injuriously affecting the health of troops, should not be laid on the Medical Department. The Principallnspector General will, I am sure, agree with me that the sentiLts of the Commissioners on this a^ a- the dSicultios under which the Medical Department “Ln l ra total want of power, and. I trust, he will earnest y urge on ;; r^l'ionirconsuU the Medical Officers on every aL that they should be held responsible if ‘ '■ mendations of their Medical Officers on There is nothing the public at large understand less about as a matter of -V^DTsfA™^ ^iroSm^ -i.v, niusthe my apology tare,ciothinKand suouol » ^ clumsv, takc up rooni, aiu “SdSr they arc ohjoctionahle in every u.iy . they / n,;, i„.,t is difficult to keep clean, and woi-se than all, ™ a very serious evil. To expose a man uimcccssa.,1) to lie 1 }