| Description | Journal kept by James McGrigor when Chief of the Medical Staff of the Peninsular Army commanded by Wellington. A summary of the contents is as follows:
p.5: Lisbon: Dr. Vitch reports that the cases of continued fever were mild but the cases of intermittent fever were more obstinate than in the previous month. The chronic diseases have suffered much due to the cold weather and the dysentery cases have relapsed. Santarem: Dr. Buchan reports that intermittent fevers and dysenteries continue to prevail. Discusses remedies used by Buchan.
p.9: Abrantes: the staff surgeon at this station reports that they had fevers of the remittent or typhoid form and that the former had also degenerated into continued fevers. Describes case of universal aneurismal affection and patient who died of aneurism of the femoral artery. Alto da Chao: Mr. Porter reports that the prevailing diseases are continued and intermittent fever and dysentery: the intermittents are mostly of the continued type.
p.11: Niza: the prevailing diseases at this station were intermittent and continued fever. Castello Branco [Bianco]: staff surgeon reports that he admitted: 37 cases of continued fever, 34 cases of intermittent fever, 26 cases of dysentery and 9 cases of rheumatism; the remaining cases were those of catarrh, diarrhoea and syphilis. Of 417 cases treated, 25 died from continued fever, dysentery and its consequences. Many of the continued fevers first made their appearance as ague. Dr. Fisher reports that arsenic was more effective in treating ague than the bark.
p.13: Coimbra: Dr. Moseley reports that he had in the main admitted cases of continued and intermittent fever as well as dysentery…; staff surgeon Humphreys reports that in the hospital of which he had charge gangrene had been the most common complaint and that few of the wounded men were exempt from it. The staff surgeon's report of the San Jose thinks that fumigating, white washing the wards has stopped the spread of this disease.
p.15: Celerico: Dr. Emesson reports that he is in charge of two hospitals, one for dysentery and one for fever; of the latter cases, 59 are simple continued fever, 4 are remittent fevers and 26 are typhus fevers. Several of the typhoid cases had mortification of the feet and toes, 8 of them died. 17 of the 87 cases of dysentery died - they were severe cases from Salamanca. Provides details of reports by other staff surgeons.
p.19: provides details of report from Vizeu. Cuidad Rodriguez: Dr. Neale reports that he admitted 39 cases of continued fever, 34 cases of typhus fever, 31 cases of dysentery; including older cases, 33 of the 121 cases of continued fever died, 36 out of 70 cases of typhus died and 35 out of 104 cases of dysentery died.
p.23: McGrigor notes that at the start of the month he inspected the principal hospital stations, 'Portuguese as well as English taking such Corps and regimental hospitals as lay near my route': Guarda, Celerico, Vizeu, Coimbra, Oppata Lamigo.
p.27: refers to paper he has received from Mr. _ regarding the great degree of sickness that prevailed in the 1st Battalion 1st Guards: it was the most sickly battalion in the army and had suffered the most from the retreat from Burgos. It had arrived at Corunna from England 'in the most effective state' and had joined the main army in October with 1400 men and only 58 sick. The march had been undertaken in severe weather and dysentery soon made its appearance after joining up with the army, continuing until they reached Vizeu...
p.29: [continues from p.27] cases of affection of the chest were very prevalent; many of the most fatal cases admitted were those of complete exhaustion 'without any prominent symptoms of disease'; Cole in his report on state of 6th Division notes that they have been very unhealthy since the retreat; McGrigor comments: 'In the medical history of armies … it will I believe be invariably found that troops coming into cantonments after an active campaign from under favourable circumstances become unhealthy… '.
p.31: notes that division [6th] was particularly short of clothing and blankets, watch coats, shoes and stockings; mentions poor state of cantonments and predisposition of soldiers to drink; notes that 'subjects first attacked were those who had suffered at Walcheren'; discusses typhoid fever: 'the only peculiarity in the disease was the extreme pain in the lower extremities, without swelling or cramps, even after the febrile action had ceased'; the frequent relapses had been [according to Cole] the result of inadequate clothing...
p.33 [continues from p.31] and bedding…; comments on 91st Regiment, noting that disease prevailed more here and in a different form from any other corps in the division (less fever but more bowel complaints). Comments on report from Surgeon Buchanan of the 32nd Regiment regarding 6 fatal cases that occurred in the hospital.
p.36: notes Mr. Scott's description of symptoms of fever; in remission period the patient experienced severe pain of the lower limbs particularly during the night which greatly hampered their recovery.
p.37: McGrigor states that he ordered that no case of disease should be sent to the General Hospital and that all slight cases, as well as cases of chronic disease, should be sent from them to regimental hospitals…
p.38: refers to report of Mr. Burton of the 36th Regiment: the prevalence of continued fever is due to excessive fatigue and privations during the retreat, 'the greater part of the men being destitute of shoes and stockings'; the disease has been mostly confined to a draft from England of 86 men who joined them at Salamanca; they were raw recruits, many of them aged 16 and 'unequal to fatigue'. Mr. Beattie of the 79th Regiment reports that his corps is not unhealthy but that fever had resulted from the hardships of the retreat… ; the men of the 79th are in rags and do not have great coats or blankets and the regimental dress (kilt) is a cause of rheumatism and sore legs.
p.40: Mr. Anderson of 61st Regiment reports on cases of synochus [a continuous fever], which he partly attributes to the excess use of 'new country wine'…
p.42: Fourth Division of the Army: summarises report of Mr. Bentflower: the prevailing fever has been mild, often yielding to _ particularly in the 27th Regiment; in the 7th and 23rd Regiments…; most of the fevers in the 40th Regiment are relapses; intermittent fevers are obstinate but almost all of them relapses of former disease; the 20th Regiment…; Bentflower thinks that the fatigues of the retreat, lack of clothing and drunkenness are the cause of disease in the division. |