A letter addressed to His Excellency the Right Honorable General the Earl of Chatham, K. G., governor of Gibraltar &c., relative to the febrile distempers of that garrison / by W.W. Fraser, Esq., inspector of hospitals and medical superintendant of quarantine at Gibraltar.

  • Fraser, W. W. (William Wemyss)
Date:
1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter addressed to His Excellency the Right Honorable General the Earl of Chatham, K. G., governor of Gibraltar &c., relative to the febrile distempers of that garrison / by W.W. Fraser, Esq., inspector of hospitals and medical superintendant of quarantine at Gibraltar. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    in 1813 and 1814 was often marked, and incontrovertibly proved; but this fact relates rather to the infectious nature of the malady, than to its importation from an extrinsic source. Undoubtedly low fever may be imported, and its spread will be regulated by concurrent circumstances. Noah Webster records its importation into Brest, and its extensive spread in that city. The proofs of the Epidemic of 1821, in Barcelona,* being exotic, as proclaimed by the French Mission, are looked for. The following extract of an official letter, dated Mahon, 9th October, 1821, marks a point, wherein disease is imported,—is seen spreading,—and where its spread was checked. I beg leave to state, that the yellow fever stillf rages at this Lazaretto with great violence, and there are now upwards of eighty vessels of different nations under quarantine, not one of them but has the sickness on board, ** and many of their crews carried off, as well as several of the health officers within the Lazaretto, which is now guarded ** by a strong cordon of officers and soldiers; in every other part of this island good health is enjoyed. This quotation marks well how concomitant circum- stances operate in regulating the diffusion of fever. Fever is imported; —• it spreads in the Lazaret to the health officers ;—it is prevented by quarantine measures from spread- ing beyond the Lazaretto ; and all other parts of the Island enjoy good health. The Medico-chirurgical Society of Cadiz, in an official report to the Spanisb Government, dated March last, notice, amongst those circumstances which tend to prove the trans- portation of the epidemic malady, the uniform appearance of that disease in Rota and Puerta de Santa Maria whenever it has appeared in Cadiz, the communication between those towns having been always open, except in the year 1810; the epidemic Fever then appeared in Cadiz; but Rota and * These Commissioners, contagionists bj conviction, have proclaimed its na- ture in the following terms : Le fievre ainarilla de Barcelona es contagiosa en un grade cual no hemos visto en ninguna otra epidemia de la misma naturaleza. t On board one of the vessels at this time in Mahon Lazaretto, were Jacintho Rey and his brother, together with twelve mariners and a boy. The ship kad been or- dered from Barcelona to a foul Lazaret, the Epidemic fever having manifested itself on board. She remained eightjr-two days in quarantine, and during this period, the twelve sailors died of the malady, Jacintho Rey and bis brother (noted amongst those who had the Epidemic fever of 1810 in Gibraltar,) continued on board the whole time in perfect health, thus affording proof of the identity of the Epidemic of 1810, and the immunity afforded from second attack of this form of fever.