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
10th. The prognosis. The danger was generally in proportion to the degree
of affection of the head, irritability of the stomach, and yellowness of
the skin, and as these appeared early or not.
11th. In the treatment various modes were tried. Emetics appeared to
be unnecessary; and, in general, seemed to do mischief, as did all
antimonials. I have witnessed the practice of a large hospital, where
blood-letting was premised in every case; but this was by no means a
successful practice. In three cases in the Betsy, and where the state
of the pulse and other symptoms seemed particularly to call for it, I
performed venæsection; but I lost my three patients. Clearing the bowels
appeared to be a principal indication: when this was repeatedly done by
drastic purgatives, and when a free perspiration was kept up, there was
always less complaint of the head, and, in some cases, a remission was
thus obtained, and the bark could then be given with manifest advantage.
In the few cases where it was used to produce salivation, calomel did
more good than any other remedy whatever. I lost no case, where I
succeeded in inducing a flow of saliva.
In some cases, and these all proved fatal, the gums became insensible to
the effects of mercury; and though one drachm of calomel in one case,
and two scruples in another, were given in a very short period, yet the
patient died without a flow of saliva having been excited.
Nothing gave more relief than the cold bath; it generally suppressed the
irritability of stomach for some time; it always induced sleep, and
brought out a gentle sweat, which most commonly relieved the patient. The
Brunonian practice I saw tried with no advantage.
These are the principal of the leading circumstances, regarding the
yellow fever, which came immediately under my notice.
Dr Chisholm, when he formed the opinion of the similarity of the plague
and the yellow fever, was not singular.
Since my arrival in England, I have received several letters addressed to
me in Egypt, and which followed me from that country to India, and from
thence to Europe; mostly answers to letters which I wrote from Egypt.
By two of my West-India correspondents, in particular, this opinion is
repeatedly expressed. I have several letters on the subject from two most
respectable physicians, Dr Paterson, of Grenada, and Dr Robertson, of
Barbadoes. From the opinion which he had formed, Dr Paterson repeatedly
urges me to the use of mercury, and of the cold bath, in the plague.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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