Medical notes on the climate of Burmah and on the diseases which have there prevailed among European troops / by Charles Murchison.

  • Murchison, Charles, 1830-1879.
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical notes on the climate of Burmah and on the diseases which have there prevailed among European troops / by Charles Murchison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/72 (page 11)
    If we contrast this alternation with that of most parts of India, we observe a remarkable difference. We find in a “ Meteorological Diary” ^ kept at Calcutta for 23 months by Mr Henry Traill, that the greatest alternation of tem¬ perature for the %vhole month never exceeded 26°, and some¬ times was not more than 9°; and again, from observations made on the temperature of Benares by Mr James Prinsep,^ the greatest monthly alternation never exceeded 26*5°, whereas at Prome we have the daily alternation sometimes amounting to 31°. It may also be mentioned, that the heavy dews and damp mornings in November and December ren¬ dered the atmosphere even more chilly than would have been expected from the thermometric indications ; and the con¬ trast between the cold of the morning and heat of the day was often very striking. The atmosphere, which for some weeks after the cessation of the rains was extremely damp, gradually became drier. This was confirmed by observations made with the wet bulb thermometer. Thus, during November the difference between the dry and wet bulb thermometer at the hottest part of the day seldom exceeded 20°, while in March it often amounted to 35° or 40°. At Bangoon the atmosphere is much more moist, and hot dry winds are unknown. I have no record of barometric observations, but, generally speaking, the barometric range was trifling. The prevailing winds during the dry season were north¬ east and north-west. II.—We shall now mention a few particulars connected with the arrival of the 2d Fusiliers at Prome. This regi¬ ment, upwards of 1000 strong, before proceeding to Prome had been stationed at Fort William, Calcutta, but in the month of March four companies (about 400 men) were sent across the Bay of Bengal to Moulmain, near the north extre¬ mity of the Tenasserim coast, where they remained until the rest of the regiment was ordered to Burmah. The regi¬ ment may be said to have arrived at Prome in three different detachments. It will be necessary for me to say a few words with regard to each of these, as it will afterwards be seen that there was a marked difference between the three detach¬ ments, in reference to the prevalence of disease after their arrival at Prome. The first detachment, consisting of Nos. 4 and 10 com¬ panies, amounting to 200 men with 6 officers, left Calcutta 1 Trans. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. ii. 2 Ibid,, vol, XV,