Medical Sketches of the Expedition to Egypt, from IndiaMcGrigor, James, Sir
History
Medical Sketches of the Expedition to Egypt, from India
McGrigor, James, Sir
Great Britain. Army -- Sanitary affairs; Medicine, Military
I shall speak of conjointly. In the symptoms or treatment we could not
observe any difference from the same diseases as they occur in Europe. If
these diseases were less violent than we have seen them in Europe, they
had more of the inflammatory, diathesis than in India.
It was not till after the army had been sometime in Lower Egypt, that
either of these diseases appeared.
In the first general weekly return in November, there appear a total of
six cases of pneumonia, and nine of rheumatism.
In the first week of December, there were twelve cases of pneumonia, and
seven of rheumatism.
In the first weekly return of January, both diseases appear to have
increased; there were twenty-four cases of pneumonia, and twenty of
rheumatism.
In the first return of February, there are thirty-four cases of
pneumonia, of which number, twenty were Europeans. Of rheumatism, there
were fifteen, and only eight of them were Europeans.
In March, the first return presents only five cases of pneumonia: of
these, three were Europeans; but, of rheumatism, there were twenty-seven
cases, and nineteen of them were natives of India.
In April, there were sixteen cases of pneumonia, and only five were
Europeans. Of twenty-five cases of rheumatism, eleven are Europeans.
The warm clothing and bedding provided by the General for the natives
of India, in the cold months, no doubt protected them from the attacks
of pneumonia and rheumatism. The latter disease was found to be more
prevalent in the Bengal battalion of Sepoys than in any other corps.
SMALL-POX.
The cases of this disease that occurred were very few. I have said that
the small-pox broke out at sea, in the division of the army commanded
by colonel Murray. Mr Philips told me, that it was very fatal to the
natives: he sent every case as soon as discovered into the Julia hospital
ship, which was unfortunately lost, in the Red Sea, with all on board.
The Europeans, who were attacked in Egypt with this disease, all did
well; but it proved a very fatal disease to the few Indians whom it
attacked.
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