A treatise on the continued fevers of Great Britain / by Charles Murchison.

  • Murchison, Charles, 1830-1879.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the continued fevers of Great Britain / by Charles Murchison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    fourteen years being 174., the largest was 234, and tlie smallest 94; or eliminating the year i860, which was exceptional for reasons hereafter mentioned, the average was 179 ; the largest number, 234; and the smallest, 137. Its mode 01 prevalence, then, pre- sents a marked contrast to that of typhus, as may be seen by re- ferring to Table II, (page 51), and to Diagrams I. and VII. Moreover, the extent of its prevalence is quite independent of that of typhus. Thus, in 1856, when 1,062 cases of typhus were ad- mitted into the London Fever Hospital, the number of pythogenic cases did not exceed 149 ; but, in 1858, when the typhus cases had dvfindled down to 15, the pythogenic cases did not decrease in like manner, neither did they increase to take the place of typhus, as has been stated. In fact, the admissions of pythogenic fever for the year 1858, corresponded exactly to the average of the ten preceding years, the former being 180, and the average 182. Again, there has been no increase or diminution of pythogenic fever during the present epidemic of typhus in London. Luring the first six months of the present year (1862), while no fewer than 1,107 cases of tj^hus were admitted into the Fever Hospital, the number of pythogenic cases amounted to 74 ; but during the first six months of 1858, when the typhus cases did not exceed 13, the pythogenic cases were 73, and during the first six months of 1851, when the typhus cases were only 36, the pythogenic cases were 81. Lastly, between April 20th and May 21st, 1862, 210 cases of typhus were admitted into the Fever Hospital, and not a single case of pythogenic fever, while, between the same dates of the preceding year (1861), only i case of pythogenic fever was admitted, and the typhus cases did not exceed 10. In Glasgow, where the only other accurate returns have been kept, pythogenic fever appears to be also endemic, and to be inde- pendent of typhiis in the extent of its prevalence. Thus, during the eleven years (1851—61), the annual admissions into the Royal Infirmary averaged loi, never exceeded 163, and were never less than 36, although the annual admissions for typhus varied from 175 to 1,551. Again, in 1858, there were 117 cases of pytho- genic fever to 175 of typhus, whereas, in 1847, there were only 127 cases of pythogenic fever to 2,399 cases of typhus and 2,333 cases of relapsing fever. So, also, in Edinburgh and its neighbourhood, pythogenic fever is, at least, as common now, when typhus is almost unknown, as it has been during some of the greatest epidemics of typhus. When on a visit to Edinburgh^ in May, 1858, I ascertained that there were several cases of pythogenic fever in the Eoyal Infirmary, but not one case of typhus. Again, I am informed by my friend.