On diphtheria : its nature, varieties, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment / by Robert Hunter Semple.

  • Semple, R. H. (Robert Hunter)
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On diphtheria : its nature, varieties, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment / by Robert Hunter Semple. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    On entering upon the task, I found that the literature of the subject was exceedingly meagre, and unquestionably none of the English text-books on the Practice of Medicine, existins: at the date to which I allude, made any mention of an affec- tion corresponding in its features to the newly-described epidemic; and even among the works specially devoted to the diseases affecting the throat and air-passages, no descriptions could be found which exactly represented its symptoms and appearances. Among scattered monographs, it is true that some epidemics were described, which bore, in many respects, a resemblance to the new disease, and some of their symptoms were noted; but, as will be hereafter mentioned, the descrip- tions were too vague to be accepted as accurate representations of any special affection, or they were so obviously superficial and imperfect as to merit very little confidence. In fact it was only in France where anything like accurate definitions of the unwelcome visitor had been laid down; and subsequent infor- mation proved that the French physicians had really understood and described a disease which had existed some years on the other side of the Channel, but which had not, up to the year 1858, been known, or at least been recognised as a distinct malady in our own country. The most important, and the first in point of time, of the French contributions to our knowledge of this new disease, consisted of a series of memoirs by Bretonneau, a physician practising at Tours, who had observed several epidemics of the malady which had occurred in that town. So little, however, were Bretonneau's researches appreciated or understood in this country, that not a copy of his work could be procured for the purpose of my edition from any of the usual sources of supply; none of the foreign booksellers had the book, nor were they able to procure it; and even the French physicians in this country to whom application was made had no copy in their libraries. It was only by the kindness of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society that I obtained the loan of the single copy which its library possessed, for the purpose of my collec- tion of memoirs. The College of Surgeons of England has a copy of Bretonneau's Memoirs, but I very much doubt whe-