An inaugural dissertation on the influenza : submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; the trustees and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania, in order to obtain the degree of Doctor of Medicine, on the eighth day of May A.D. 1793 / by Robert Johnston, of Philadelphia, member of the American Medical Society.

  • Johnston, Robert, 1750-1808.
Date:
MDCCXCIII [1793]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on the influenza : submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; the trustees and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania, in order to obtain the degree of Doctor of Medicine, on the eighth day of May A.D. 1793 / by Robert Johnston, of Philadelphia, member of the American Medical Society. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    C io ] About the fixth of May, Lord Howe failed for the Dutch coafc, with a large fleet under his command; all were in perfecl health ; towards the end of May the dif- order firft appeared in the Rippon, and in two days after in the Princefs Amelia. Other mips of the fame fleet were affected with it at different periods ; fome indeed not until their return to Portfmouth about the fecond week in June. This fleet alfo had no communication with the fhore until their return to the Downs, on their way back to Portfmouth, towards the third or fourth of June(7). To thefe facts the following pafTage from the late cele- brated Doctor Cullen, feems fomewhat oppofed: This difeafe has feldom appeared in one country of Europe, without cLTp-pezr'mgfncceffively in every other part of it ; and, in fome inftances has been even (8) transferred to America, and has been fpread over that continent, as far as we have had opportunities of being informed(9) »** From whence the doctor obtained his information I know not; but, as he has not mentioned a fingle cir? cumftance whereby a perfon might be enabled to judge of the accuracy of it, and as there are objections to the probability of his information being fo accurate as to fa- tisfy us that the difeafe was transferred in the manner he fuppofes, lam obliged to confider this pafTage as an afTertion not fully fupported, either by concomitant cir- cumftances, or fubfequent obfervations ; though, at the fame time, I acknowledge it to be the afTertion of a very refpeclable, of a very eminent phyfician. But from the (7) Lond. Med. Trans. Vol. q. Page 61. (8) In the year 1782, the influenza appeared at London be- tween the 12th and 18th, at Oxford in the third week, and at Edinburgh on the 20th day of May. Could the difeafe ha\e been transfer red to thefe three cities in fuch quick fnccejfion by things imbued with the contagion, or by perfons labouring under the complaint! But more of this hereafter.