Statistical report on the sickness and mortality in the Army of the United States : embracing a period of sixteen years, from January 1839 to January 1855 / compiled from the records of the Surgeon General's Office ; prepared under the direction of Thomas Lawson by Richard H. Coolidge.

  • Coolidge, Richard H. (Richard Henry), 1816-1866.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistical report on the sickness and mortality in the Army of the United States : embracing a period of sixteen years, from January 1839 to January 1855 / compiled from the records of the Surgeon General's Office ; prepared under the direction of Thomas Lawson by Richard H. Coolidge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and the proportion of deaths to the number of cases treated was 1 in 148.45, or 0.67 per cent. Exclusive of deaths from cholera, the mortality was 1 in 51, or 1.9 per cent. FEVERS. o Quarters FIRST. SECOND. THIRD. FOURTH. YEAR. ItllS t r 1,00 gth. Strength 8,806 8,986 10,402 9, 353 9,387 ion of de: cases. | a Diseases. Cases. Deatiis. Cases. Deaths. Cases. Deaths. Cases. Deaths. Cases. Deaths. •oport itio o of m Ph Febris continua communis 4 0 10 0 12 0 5 0 31 0 0 in 31 3 Febris intermittens quotuliana 69 0 122 0 181 0 114 0 486 0 0 in 486 51 Febris intermittens tertiana - 226 0 342 0 390 0 310 0 1,268 0 0 in 1,268 135 Febris intermittens quartana. 4 0 19 0 73 0 0 0 96 0 0 in 96 10 Febris remittens 37 0 42 2 75 5 65 3 219 10 1 in 22 23 Febris typhus 9 5 11 2 8 1 6 7 34 15 1 in 2+ 4 Febris typhus icterodes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 in 0 0 Total 349 5 516 4 | 739 6 500 10 2,134 25 1 in 85 227.3 Respecting intermittent fever at Fort Hamilton, Assistant Surgeon Eaton reports on the 31st of March, 1844, that no case had occurred since the great rain of the 21st and 22d of August last, which flooded the whole country, and apparently carried away all decayed and putrid matter which caused malaria. The force of this statement is, however, very materially modi- fied by a preceding report from the same officer, which states that on the 30th of August, 1843, immediately after the heavy rains referred to, the garrison was entirely changed, the fort being occupied by troops from Fort Adams, where, as has already been shown, intermittents are not endemic. The prevalence of this class of diseases at Fort Hamilton in the fourth quarter of 1850, and first quarter of 1851, is attributed to the arrival of troops from a sickly post in Florida in November. In March following, the health of those troops is reported good. The thirty-one cases of remittent fever reported in the third quarter of 1851, (see abstract,) occurred at Fort Wood. Assistant Surgeon J. Simpson reports that fevers of a remittent type, and bowel affections, have been prevalent. The fevers in nearly every instance assumed a typhous character from the commencement. The tongue hasHbeen dry, dark, and contracted, with sordes about the teeth and gums; the secretions from the skin and other organs generally deficient; alvine evacuations dark. Many of the cases have presented severe cerebral symp- toms. The treatment pursued in most cases, and which appeared to have the greatest control over the disease, was, commencing with an emetic of ipecacuanha, and following with small doses of the same combined with calomel, until the system became slightly under its influence. As soon as this was the case, there appeared to be an improvement of the symptoms; the secre- tions were unlocked; the tongue showed a disposition to clean; there was a general lessening of the frequency of the pulse, heat of skin, and cerebral excitement. Gentle stimulation with carbonate of ammonia, infusion of serpentaria, or some other mild stimulant, was then resorted to. Of these 31 cases, 5 died. Eruptive Fevers are of more frequent occurrence at the stations now under consideration than at other military posts, owing to their being garrisoned principally by recruits, among whom measles are not uncommon, and who arc sometimes attacked with smallpox before time is afforded for vaccination. The regulations for the medical department of the army do not enjoin a uniform system of re-vaccination; they prescribe that, as soon as a recruit joins any