| Description | September 1812
p.23: Lisbon: lists figures provided by Dr. _ ; 288 new cases were admitted including 189 from the Convalescent Hospital, 40 from the Cavalry Division, 38 French deserters, 1 German recruit, 13 'extra patients' and 7 prisoners of war; also lists different types of diseases treated, the most common being continued fevers, intermittent fevers and syphilis.
p.24: Santarem: Dr. Buchan reports that intermittent fever was prevalent, many cases beginning as continued fever and changing to intermittent fever in 8 days; notes that sometimes the contrary also occurred and relates symptoms of disease as given by Dr. Buchan.
Abrantes: Dr. Somers reports that the prevailing diseases were intermittents, remittents and dysentery; notes how remittents degenerated into continued low fever; Somers thinks that the cause of the remittent fever may be traced to excessive fatigue and subsequent inebriation, with exposure to the sun an occasional cause.
p.25: Alto da Chao: Mr. Porter reports that continued and intermittent fever prevailed among the inhabitants as well as in this station; lists figures provided by Porter: of 318 cases of continued fever, 176 were discharged and 17 died; of 518 cases of intermittent fever, 325 were discharged and 1 died; there were also 14 cases of typhus and 33 cases of dysentery.
Niza: Mr. Barston reports that continued and intermittent fever, and rheumatism, were the prevailing diseases and that 12 of the inhabitants died of continued and typhus fever.
p.26: Castello Branco: Mr. McLean reports that continued and intermittent fever continued to prevail. The convalescents from continued fever have in several cases been attacked with intermittent fever and a few have ended in chronic dysentery.
Report from Coimbra.
Page 27: Report from Francisco Hospital at Coimbra and 2nd Division.
Page 28: Report from Celerico.
Page 29: Ciudad Rodrigo. Dr. Neale reports that he admitted 1078 cases during the month, with 145 surgical cases discharged cured, 1023 patients trasferred to other hospitals and 102 fatalities [continues on page 31].
Page 33: Salamanca. Mr. Robb has forwarded reports of officers in charge of the divisions of the hospital at this station:
Surgeon Arthur in Division A says that a large majority of the cases have been intermittents or continued fever.
Staff Surgeon Liddwelch in the Ursala reports that the majority of the admissions have been dysentery and diarrhoea suffering from the worst symptoms of black tongue, subsultus tendinum, delirium and other symptoms.
Surgeon Williamson at the St. Clara states that he admitted 453 from the army and hospitals in front. Many of the intermittents terminated in typhus and all of the 31 fatalities were from this disease.
Mr. Guthrie of Division B admiited 326 cases [continues on pag 35].
Page 35: 263 were discharged cured, 82 were transferred to the rear and 49 died.
Satff Surgeon Bone stated that remittents were frequent and terminated in typhus.
S. Pyper in report of St. Bartholomew says that his admissions were acute cases of fever and dysentery.
Page 67: Lisbon. Mr. Tegart reports that 17 British soldiers died during the month, 8 of them being cases of chronic dysentery from Coimbra and Santarem. 'A moajority of the cases at Lisbon were prisoners of war. This charge was pushed on us by the Portuguese Government who pleaded poverty and their inability to keep the prisoners of war'.
Santarem: Dr. Buchan reports that he admitted 521 cases, 300 of which came from Abrantes. He discharged 307 and sent 355 to Lisbon for transfer to England. There were 65 deaths, 'several of them in advanced state of Intermittents, most of them having anasarca and extreme debility' [continues on page 69].
Page 71: Abrantes. 'Whenever he [Dr. Somers] could attack Dysentery early with the lancet, he says that he has in every instance succeeded: and instances the cases of passing detachments who left recent cases'.
Report from Division A. 'When he met with Dysentery in its incipient stage, he without a single exception, found Venesection of the most decided utility, the bloody stools becoming less frequent or ceasing altogether, the skin becoming relaxed and [perspirable?] and the train of symptoms manageable' [continues on page 73].
Page 73: Report from Abrantes, Alto da Chao and Niza.
Castello Branco. Mr. McLean reports that he admitted 49 cases of continued fever, 46 cases of intermittent fever, 35 cases of dysentery, 13 cases of rheumatism and 55 other diseases chiefly venereal cases. In cases of acute dysentery, and having bloody stools, the patient was always bled and administered calomel and opium with occasional doses of neutral salts: 'by this treatment the stools soon [continues on page 75].
Page 75: ...became regular and natural. Tonics were afterwards exhibited'.
Report from Coimbra. 'I can only find Dr. Erlez's report on the St. Francisco. He states, though some have been admitted from barracks and from the Convalescent Hospital that the admissions have been principally from Celerico'. Notes that the prevailing diseases were intermittent, remittent and continued fevers and dysentery, with a greater tendency in the former to assume the remittent and continued type than in the previous month. 'He uses the Cinchona same manner as Dr. Buchan. Dr. Erlez observes that it should not be too long persevered in, for its effects by long habits are lost on the stomach: he therefore recommends leaving it off for a while and resuming its use'. Comments on use of cold affusions in cases of remittent and continued fever: 'When the heat of the body was below the natural standard, the tepid ablution with warm water and vinegar was always used. Dysentery the scourge of all large armies, came in great numbers and in the most hopeless state from the front. The general object was to procure easy stools and to treat particular symptoms by Pulo. Ipecac. c Opio, Calomel, 01 Ricini'.
Page 77: Celerico. Mr. Robb notes that all the admissions during the month were cases of dysentery, fever and gun shot wounds ('the remnants of the retreat from Burgos') from other hospital stations. Discusses cases of dysentery and fevers and notes that some of those suffering from wounds 'had been removed from a great distance and then from one hospital station to another beginning at Burgos'.
Page 78: 'My first object in going to Celerico was the separation and dissipation of diseases, so necessary at all times...The sloughing sores were placed in an airy hospital by themselves'.
Page 79: Mr. Woolrich has found that in chronic cases of dysentery a mixture of the balsam of copaiba in gum arabic with infusion of columba has been of benefit, using at the same time mercurial frictions, flannel bandages and a milk diet. Discusses causes, symptoms and treatment of sloughing wounds prevalent in surgical division [continues on page 81].
Page 81: 'The utmost attention to ventilation, fumigation and cleanliness and above all, a strict attention to the comfort and nourishment of _ patients, seemed to produce the greatest good'.
Vizeu. The prevalent diseases were continued, intermittent and remittent fevers and dysentery. 'The continued and remittent fevers showed a strong disposition to run into typhus of the worst kind. From the previous debility and exhaustion under which the soldiers laboured, from the fatigue and privations and exposure they recently underwent during the retrograde movement of the Army, it but rarely happended that they had sufficient strength to carry them through their disease' [continues on page 83].
Pages 83 and 85: 'He agrees with my position that obstinate fevers of the intermittent and remittent type are inseperably connected with a disease state of the function of the liver and Dr. [Forbes] added of the spleen, and are only curable by remedies applicable to the diseases of these viscera'. Staff Surgeon Baxter highlights benefits he found in treating dysentery cases with mercurial frictions, flannel bandaging and flannel waistcoats. Staff Surgeon Taylor, in charge of Division B of the hosiptal at Vizeu, to which cases of typhus were principally sent, comments on symptoms of this disease including livid colour of the skin, low delirium, pain in the head, neck, back and limbs, dry brown tongue and a small pulse. Note of reports from the Divisions of the Army, including 2nd Division, 4th Division, 3rd Division and 5th Division. |