Observations on the Diseases of SeamenBlane, Gilbert, Sir
History
Observations on the Diseases of Seamen
Blane, Gilbert, Sir
Medicine, Naval -- Early Works To 1800; Sailors -- Diseases
The difference of mortality here, from what occurred in the West
Indies, is partly imputable to climate, and partly to the smaller
number of acute diseases. In the two accounts last stated, the
difference in favour of the latter seemed chiefly to arise from the
superior attention to the sick, and the better treatment of them. It
was mentioned before, that in autumn, 1782, at New York, they were
better supplied, both at hospitals and on board of their ships, with
every thing that could be wished, and that on this occasion almost
every scheme I had proposed was realised. The extraordinary success
in the scurvy was owing to the great quantities of vegetables that
were supplied; for several fields of cabbages had been planted in
the neighbourhood of the hospital for the use of the sick. This was
owing to the humane attention of Admiral Digby, who had also caused
cows to be purchased to supply the hospital with milk. Cleanliness,
and the separation of diseases, were also strictly attended to; and
I am persuaded that many of the scorbutic men were saved by keeping
them separated from the fevers and fluxes; for it has been observed,
that men ill of the scurvy, or recovering from it, are very apt to be
infected, particularly with the flux.
It appears, that the disease in which climate makes the greatest
difference is the flux. It was observable, that though the dysentery
at this time was more fatal on board of the ships at New York than in
the West Indies, yet it was less so at the hospital. The cause of this
seems to be, that the acute state of this disease, of which men die on
board before there is time to remove them to an hospital, is more fatal
in a cold climate; but when it becomes more protracted, which is the
case with most of the cases sent to hospitals, they then do much better
in a cold than in a hot climate.
I shall here subjoin an account of the numbers that were admitted, and
died, during the whole war, at the hospitals of the different parts at
which the fleets I was connected with touched.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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