A treatise on relapsing or famine fever / by R.T. Lyons.

  • Lyons, R. T.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on relapsing or famine fever / by R.T. Lyons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    45/408 (page 29)
    such as occurs in measles and cafcarrli. There was no flushing of the face; but, on the contrary, a paleness, and considerable restlessness, without any apparent cause of disturbance. Extreme drowsiness occurred in some in- stances from the commencement; in the majoi'ity there was great oppression of respiration; the condition of the bowels was as in health. The difficulty of breathing was the main feature of the disease: the breathing was stridulous rather than sonorous, as if the air ia its passage was obstructed by the presence of thin fluid; it was not like the loud ringing noise of croup, nor the wheezing of asthma. In the fatal cases, the breathing changed to a rattle, and the child died from sufibcation. This conclusion has taken place in the short space of twenty hours, and twelve from the time the child was considered in danger. In general, it did not happen till after the second day of the disease. The elder children complaiued of headache at the commencement. The oldest child treated did not exceed four years, and the youngest was not under two months. The general age of the fatal cases was from three to seven and eight months ; the disease was more fatal to the younger than to the elder children. Beyond the second year no child died. For the most part the victims were vigorous infants at the breast. Relapses were frequent, but were much mdder than the original attack. In one child examined after death, the lungs were found full of serum, and the bronchi of a thin mucous fluid. There was no adventitious membrane in the trachosa, nor decided marks of inflammation. The abdominal viscera were healthy. The epidemic spread from the city and suburbs oi Calcutta to many stations in Lower Bengal, to Clunsurali, Bauleah, and even as high as Muldah. At Burdwan, every European child was attacked with it; in some it was attended with very high fever, which seldom lasted above twenty-four hours. Native children, too, suffered con- siderably, as well as adults, with this dlflcvcnce between the two, that the children had a troublesome ophthalmia; but, though the sickness was great, the mortality _ was trifling. At Bauleah, tlie first case occurred m the miclclK;