An account of the epidemic fever of 1847-48, more especially as deduced from the statistical records of the extra accommodation of the Royal Infirmary : with a suggestion and plan for improved and more economical temporary erections for future occasions / by Robert Paterson, M.D.

  • Paterson, Robert, 1814-1889.
Date:
[1848?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the epidemic fever of 1847-48, more especially as deduced from the statistical records of the extra accommodation of the Royal Infirmary : with a suggestion and plan for improved and more economical temporary erections for future occasions / by Robert Paterson, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    one set of cases bore to the other may be drawn from tlie records of the Royal Hibernian Military School in the Phoenix Park. In a population of 726 persons, 21 had short or inflammatory fever, 14 had typhus, and 34 simple continued fever. Dr O'Brien has given a record of the epidemic fever of 182G- 27. He says it presented two forms of fever, which he distin- guishes into that of the old and new constitution. The old was the ordinary typhus, proceeding to the 11th, 14th, 17th, or 21st days. The second variety, or new constitution, which was predo- minant, was distinguished chiefly by short periods, terminating in three, five, seven, or nine days,—the five-day period being the most common, generally by copious sweating. In this compara- tively mild form of disease, the most perplexing circumstance was the frequency of relapses.* This form of fever seems to constitute a new link in the Cul- lenian division. It has a certain amount of the intermittent and a certain amount of the continued fever in its composition, and yet it neither can be called ague, on the one liand, nor synocha, on the other. It has been well named, from its most prominent charac- ters, short or relapsing fever. Synochus and typhus may now be considered as endemial to these countries, and most probably to most large towns on the continent of Europe. In Great Britain the endemic constitution seems to have sprung up since the commencement of the present century. The first notice which I can find in reference to the introduction of fever into Edinburgh and Leith is recorded by Dr Hamilton in his work on purgative medicines. In the summer of 1779> a typhous fever of more malignity than usual appeared in Edinburgh. It originated in the hospital appropriated to the sick prisoners of war who were then confined in the Castle. Every precaution was used, without effect, to prevent the spread of the contagion. Many of the soldiers of the garrison and inhabitants were seized with it. In the summer of 1781, a fleet of merchantmen arrived in Leith Roads from Jamaica. The passage had been tedious, the crews were sickly, and they had been for some time on short allowance of provisions. Nevertheless they had been obliged, by the cir- cumstances of war, to avoid the British channel, and to come round by the north of Scotland. From the beginning of July to the 9th day of August, 126 men were sent on shore with fever from one of H. M. ships of the convoy. Of these, 23 died; and of 40 men who were landed from the Egmont, another of the convoy, 8 died. Such of the sick as could not be accommodated in a temporary hospital were quartered in Leith, two, three, or * Report of the House of Recovery and Fever Hospital of Dublin for the year ending 1827. By Dr John O'Brieu.