Memoir of the late Dr Robert Jackson, inspector of army hospitals / read by Dr Borland at the Anniversary Meeting of the Officers of the Medical Department, 12th May 1827.

  • Borland, James, 1774-1863.
Date:
1827
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoir of the late Dr Robert Jackson, inspector of army hospitals / read by Dr Borland at the Anniversary Meeting of the Officers of the Medical Department, 12th May 1827. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    6/8 (page 6)
    plague—a disease lie had never seen, and concerning the nature and history of which he could form no correct idea from what he had read. In prosecution of this plan he went from Gibraltar to Malta, to Constantinople, to Smyrna,—and from Smyrna passed among the islands of the Archipelago to Athens and the Morea, finally em- barking at Patras for Zante, where he arrived in June 1820. The plague did not prevail in the Levant during the time of the doctor’s excursion; but, as investigation into the nature of the yellow fever was his motive for leaving England, he determin- ed to be at Cadiz in August; and therefore embarked at Zante for Gibraltar, which fortress he again reached the latter end of July. His health had suffered seriously during this excursion ; but, nevertheless, he set out from Gibraltar to Cadiz on the 23d Au- gust, and, arriving on the 25th, it so happened that the appearance of the disease was announced the very day he entered the city. The fever was epidemic for two months at Cadiz, where he remain- ed until he satisfied himself of its character ; but, hearing that the malady which raged at Xeres was more severe, and of greater pro- portionate mortality, he went thither to ascertain its real condition. A statement of his opinions, with a detail of his investigations at both places, in which he was assisted by an intelligent medical of- ficer, whom General Sir George Don kindly permitted to accompany him from Gibraltar, was published the following year, 1821, under the title of “ Remarks on the Epidemic Yellow Fever which has ap- peared at intervals on the south coasts of Spain since the year 1800.” This the last, though nor the most toilsome of our lamented friend’s benevolent career, is here more enlarged upon ; because it is im- possible not to admire the sacrifice of all personal convenience and domestic comfort, and the grappling with danger in the cause of science, in a pursuit prompted by the most generous motive that can influence the heart of man, voluntarily undertaken, and per- severingly prosecuted, at the age of three score and ten, with an ardour seldom surpassed in the vigour of youth. But your admi- ration at his zeal will be augmented when you are informed, that, only a few weeks before his death, in his 77th year, he conveyed to the director-general an offer to waive his rank, and to proceed to Portugal, to do duty as physician in the military hospitals under the control of a junior. Dr Jackson died on the 6th of last month at Thursby, near Car- lisle, while occupied in revising and condensing into systematic form the whole of his manuscripts on the subject of fever; and if the work be sufficiently advanced to show to others the plan and intention of the author, a hope may be entertained of its publica- tion by competent authority. It was not intended, nor would it be possible, in this place, to present to you even a faint outline of the various events of Dr Jackson's long and active life ; but it is presumed, that, from ma- terials believed to be in the possession of his widow, should they be entrusted to some friend qualified for the task, a biographical sketch might be prepared that would attract notice from the public, as well as from the medical reader. To the military reader Dr Jack-