Medical Sketches of the Expedition to Egypt, From India

PART III.. _of the Diseases of the Indian Army in Egypt_ 99

Of the Diseases of the Indian Army in Egypt 99

FIRST, THE ENDEMIC DISEASES OF EGYPT.

Of the Plague 100-146

Of the Ophthalmia of Egypt 146-159

General Remarks on the Diseases 160-161

SECONDLY, OF THE OTHER DISEASES OF THE INDIAN ARMY.

Fever 162-170

Hepatitis 171-180

Dysentery 181-192

Pneumonia and Rheumatism 193-194

Small-Pox 195-197

Diarrhœa 198

Scurvy 199

Syphilis 200-201

The Guinea-Worm 202-217

Ulcers 218

Tetanus 219-222

General Remarks on the Yellow Fever, and the Resemblance which this Disease bears to the Plague 223-238

TABLE I. The Points of Resemblance between the Plague and the Yellow Fever.

TABLE II. State of the Diseases and Deaths in the Indian Army.

ERRATA.

Page 6, line 17, for time read service. — 9, — 6, for Ghenna read Ghenné. — 15, — 3, from bottom, for Ghiza read Damietta. — 23, — 1, et passim, for Thiza read Ghiza. — 26, last line, for typhaid read typhoid. — 47, — 11, for prevent read prevents. — 48, — 7, for Hepiopolis read Heliopolis. — 48, — 7, for B El Hadje read Birket El Hadje. — 50, — 12, dele the. — 73, — 14, for the matter read it. — 73, — 15, for quantity read piece. — 83, — 12, dele where. — 86, — 12, for gums read germs. — 94, — 4, for inspired read imposed. — 101, — 3, from bottom, for prevent read preventing. — 103, — 4, from bottom, for goal read jail. — 122, — 12, from bottom, for appears read appear. — 128, — 6, from bottom, for viluces read vibices. — 129, — 5, after often a comma. — 129, — 6, after perceptible a comma. — 133, — 13, for patient read patients. — 137, — 9, dele the first as. — 151, — 11, after flowed insert down. — 166, — 5, for healthiness read unhealthiness. — 171, — 7, for decubities read decubitus. — 190, — 8, from bottom, note, for instantly read constantly. — 191, — 10, for man read men.

Transcriber’s Note: the above errata have been corrected, and in addition, those listed below. Where there were two spelling variants in use in equal measure (e.g. diarrhœa/diarrhæa; Signior Positti/Posetti), both are left as printed.

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22 “conside-derable” changed to “considerable” (mortality of the month was very considerable).

23 “fumegation” changed to “fumigation” (regarding cleanliness and fumigation).

44 “O’Farrol” changed to “O’Farrel” (Mr O’Farrel, who had charge of the pest-house).

45 “O’Farrol” changed to “O’Farrel” (went to Aboukir to relieve Mr O’Farrel).

98 “medidicine” changed to “medicine” (the practice of medidicine is more simple).

99 “occured” changed to “occurred” (cases of the plague, which occurred).

103 “diminsh” changed to “diminish” (will tend to diminish).

113 “fom” changed to “from” (some matter from the bubo).

117 “medecine” changed to “medicine” (he could not get him to swallow any medicine).

117 “inflamation” changed to “inflammation” (I discovered some inflammation of the glands).

122 “prevost’s” changed to “provost’s” (The provost’s guard and his prisoners).

126 “abcess” changed to “abscess” (an abscess, of the size of a pigeon’s egg).

130 “succeded” changed to “succeeded” (that he had never succeeded in exciting sweating).

136 “medecine” changed to “medicine” (a morsel of food nor any medicine).

137 “spunging” changed to “sponging” (washing their patients with vinegar and sponging them with it).

138 “possesion” changed to “possession” and “infalliable” changed to “infallible” (I am in possession of an infallible remedy).

139 “veneral” changed to “venereal” (an old venereal complaint).

145 “nitrie” changed to “nitric” (When our stock of nitric was at length exhausted).

153 “camphir” changed to “camphor” (a weak solution of sugar of lead, or of camphor).

158 “medecine” changed to “medicine” (Mr Paton, previously to embracing the military profession, had studied medicine).

160 “GENERAL REMARKS ON THE DISEASES.” Heading added.

161 “convalecents” changed to “convalescents” (convalescents would frequently suffer a relapse).

223 “GENERAL REMARKS ON THE YELLOW FEVER, AND THE RESEMBLANCE WHICH THIS DISEASE BEARS TO THE PLAGUE.” Heading added.

Footnote 5 duplicated word “down” removed (On being brought down to Rosetta).

INTRODUCTION.

In consequence of orders, from the Court of Directors to the Government in India, it became my duty to give some account of the health of the troops employed on the late expedition from India to Egypt, and to describe the prevailing diseases.

The sources of information, to which I had recourse, were the reports made to me, and an extensive correspondence with the medical gentlemen of the army; particularly those employed in the pest-establishments. Besides these, to which my situation, at the head of the medical department of the army from India, gave me access, other sources of information, regarding the plague, were open to me, as a Member of the Board of Health in Egypt.

Some may think the present a very short, and many may think it an incomplete account; but, I trust, it will not be found incorrect. I have purposely avoided doubtful speculations and hypotheses. Anxious, above all things, to adhere closely to facts, and keep these unmixed with any notions of my own, I have, in most cases, published the extracts from letters to me, without altering a word of the correspondence.

Of the numerous imperfection of these Sketches, I am abundantly sensible. The life of a medical man in the army is at no time very favourable to literary pursuits; mine has been peculiarly unfavourable; and I have had little time or opportunity, since I first entered the army, to attend to the ornaments of diction. For the last fifteen years of my life; mostly spent in the East Indies, West Indies, or at the Cape of Good Hope; sometimes at sea, sometimes on land; my time has been occupied in a laborious attention to my duty in the army.

Some necessary avocations oblige me to dismiss this tract in a more imperfect form than it might have appeared in, perhaps with more leisure. As it is, it conveyed to government, in India, all the information which they required; and I must mention, that it comes before the public very nearly in the state in which I presented it as a report in India. From materials in my possession, I could have enlarged most parts of it, and rendered the whole more complete; but, when I drew up the following account in India, it never occurred to me, that my imperfect Memoir would be the only medical account of the Egyptian expedition. I expected, on my arrival in England, to have found complete histories of the climate and diseases of Egypt, during the time that it was occupied by the English, from some of the medical staff of the British army; several of whom were known to be fully equal to the task. If any of these gentlemen should hereafter give to the world the medical history of this renowned campaign, my Memoir may stand in some stead: it gives some facts and it will supply some information to which no one but myself had access.

At the present moment, I have not leisure to enlarge or alter it; and some friends, who have seen the manuscript, press its publication at the present time.

In the execution of my duty, during a long and perilous voyage, and alter the most fatiguing marches, I sometimes laboured under difficulties; but my duty was in every instance much facilitated, and it would be unjust in me not to mention it. I acknowledge my obligations to all the medical gentlemen of the Indian army, by whom I was most cordially and well seconded in all that I undertook.

From the nature of the prevailing diseases, the campaign in Egypt was, in a particular degree, a service of danger. To their regret, the Indian army arrived too late in Egypt to share in any other dangers than those arising from the diseases of the country; and here, the medical gentlemen had the post of honour. The zeal, attention, and perseverance, displayed, particularly by those employed in the plague-establishments, deserve every praise. Nothing can so powerfully incite the exertions of medical men, in such circumstances of danger, as the consciousness of co-operating with the best and most enlightened of mankind, for the alleviation of human misery. Intrepidity is more a military than a medical virtue; but seldom I believe has there been a greater display of it than among the medical officers, in Egypt, whose duty it became to reside in the pest-houses.

There are two names which I cannot pass over with general praise. At a period of universal alarm, and of real danger, when the plague was committing the greatest ravages, two gentlemen stepped forward, and generously volunteered their services in the pest-houses. It so happened, too, that, from their acquirements, these two were the best calculated, of any in the army, to succeed in this dangerous duty. Dr Buchan had acquired a perfect knowledge of the disease in the former year; and while on duty at the pest-house, at Aboukir, had got the infection there, soon after the memorable landing of Sir Ralph Abercrombie. Mr Price had made the history of the plague his particular study, and, from his acquaintance with the oriental languages, was peculiarly calculated to be master of every thing relating to it. As will be seen hereafter, in the execution of his duty at El-Hammed, he, likewise, caught the infection. To the exertions of these two gentlemen, the service owes much; their country very much. I would fain hope, that from them, who are so able to do it, we may look for something like a history of the plague in Egypt.

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