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.

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    that one of the prevailing winds at Prome blew in a direction from some of these rice-fields towards the barracks. Often in the early morning w^e have observed a cloud of mist wafted along the earth’s surface for miles ; and it has been thought that malaria, whatever be their nature, cling to such mists. 4. The site of the barracks on the summits of the different hills was such as to expose them to any malarious poison wafted by the winds. Dr Copland remarks, “ high groundsj near exposed marshes, are often more unhealthy than the places immediately adjoining, that are on a level with them.” We may mention, too, that none of the native Burmese will live on these hills, which are regarded by them as most un¬ healthy localities. 5. A high temperature has always been found favourable to the production of malaria; and we have already endea¬ voured to show, that the temperature at Prome was greater than in most parts of India at the corresponding season. 6. The whole of Burmah swarms with myriads of insects and reptiles, even to a greater extent than most parts of India. How far the decay of their remains may tend to the production of malaria, we know not; but we have thought the circumstance worthy of observation, as Dr Copland, in speak¬ ing of malaria, makes the following statement:—“ I have al¬ ways considered the number of insects and reptiles, with which a place abounds, as more indicative of its insalubrity, than almost any other circumstance.” Again, he observes, that a mixture of animal and vegetable matter undergoing decay gives rise to miasms, “ much more noxious than those re¬ sulting from vegetable matter alone.” ^ Under such circumstances as the above, we are not sur¬ prised at the generation of malaria. But, before we leave this subject, one word on the so-called of the mala¬ rious poison. Is the poison which gives rise to a quotidian ague different from that which produces a tertian ; or this different from that which produces a remittent fever ; or are all these different from that which gives rise to dysentery — or, again, is there only one poison whose effects will vary ac¬ cording to its intensity, and the constitution and predisposi¬ tions of the individuals exposed ? These are questions of great importance, hut of very difficult solution. When, how¬ ever, we see a large body of individuals placed under the same circumstances, and exposed to the same causes of dis¬ ease, some of whom are seized with quotidian ague, others with tertian, and others with remittent fever, the presump¬ tion is that the same cause has produced different diseases,