A scientific and popular view of the fever of Walcheren, and its consequences, as they appeared in the British troops returned from the late expedition ; with an account of the morbid anatomy of the body, and the efficacy of drastic purges and mercury in the treatment of this disease / By J.B. Davis, M.D.

  • Davis, J.B. (John Bunnell), 1780-1824.
Date:
1810
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A scientific and popular view of the fever of Walcheren, and its consequences, as they appeared in the British troops returned from the late expedition ; with an account of the morbid anatomy of the body, and the efficacy of drastic purges and mercury in the treatment of this disease / By J.B. Davis, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    13/236 (page 7)
    vu and obstructions of the viscera. Dentition is a long and tedious, but not a painful process. The teeth are slow in becoming solid, and easily run into decay as the child approaches maturity. The general con- stitution of the adult is that to which ancient phy- sicians have given the name of phlegmatic. The or- ganization in short is feeble, the complexion sallow, the body bloated and frequently anasarcous, and all the grand functions of life are weakly and incom- pletely performed. The women like the men have a natural weakness of constitution, and become old at an early period of life. To the various morbid causes, arising from unhealthiness of situation, con- spiring to exert their baneful influence on the body'of these islanders and to deprive it of vigour, may be added a poor watery diet, which in no slight degree contributes to heighten and confirm the ill effects of climate. The existence of the inhabitants of Wal- cheren may be regarded as a constant disease. If we were to cast our eyes over the habitable part of the globe, we should scarcely be able to fix them on a people whose customs and mode of living are more likely to aggravate the accidents arising from a cold and moist temperature than those of the natives of Walcheren. It is no wonder, then, that the British troops in such a climate as this, should soon have their ranks re- duced by disease in an alarming manner. Numbers of young men unaccustomed to fatigue, and the hard- ships of a military campaign, exposed to the .destruc- tive influence of a damp cold atmosphere, and marsh exhalations, would, in spite of the powerful mental barrier, which fortitude, patient endurance, a love of glory, and zeal for the honour and welfare of their country, inspired against the invasion of disease, gradually have their health decline, and their phy- sical powers sink under the insidious and impercepti- \m °JjeruaUon of these unsuspected and secret enemies. When by these means the constitution had once ac- quired