An essay on the nature and treatment of the malignant contagious ulcer, as it generally appears in the British Navy / by James Litle.

  • Litle, James, active 1792-1839.
Date:
1809
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the nature and treatment of the malignant contagious ulcer, as it generally appears in the British Navy / by James Litle. 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.

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    it takes deep root among a ship’s company, it is, of all the diseases I have yet observed, the most difficult to eradicate: for although it may be so far suppressed as entirely to disappear, yet conta- gion may not be eradicated: it may lie dormant for a considerable time, and upon any new exciting im- pulse, again burst forth with its accustomed vi- rulence. An instance of this lately occurred. Part of the crew of His Majesty’s ship. Excel- lent had belonged to the Sampson, on her voyage from Buenos Ayres to England; and the disease was extremely prevalent in that ship, so much so, that several amputations were found absolutely necesssary, and actually took place; the disease, however, was in time subdued, and did not ap- parently exist among that part of the crew draughted into the Excellent; > but that ship having been just fitted out, and probably very , damp, which is generally the case of ships newly commissioned, the disease soon began to mani- fest itself, and increased very considerably; un- til a vigorous and effectual method was adopted in the port of Gibraltar, which eventually proved successful in conquering the disease: although it deprived the country of the service of a useful ship for a long time. For this account I am in- debted to Mr. Spence, the surgeon of the Ex- cellent. may To this latent state of morbifick influence