The
following
table shews the result Number of iu ar-
Total cases of malarial
Dates.
fever.
Number of in non-
cases
cases
senic-eating companies.
arsenic-eating companies.
Six months
previous to
4G
29
Three months ; since 27th ^
59
35
21
63-043 69'322
36*956 42 372
1
17
27th August,
August.
Percentage of admissions.
j
f Before [After
that " E " & " F " Companies through the fever season with fever admissions proportionally than " G " & " H," taking into account the record of the previous six months, and this we may, 1 think, reasonably place to the credit of the arsenic. As regards the effect which arsenic is alleged to have of rendering the attacks of fever milder, the evidence is not conclusive, a larger number of cases being required to give a reliable averThus in the arsenic-eating companies age. there was an average stay in hospital of 8*82 days, in the six months previous to 27th August and 11*14 in the three months since ; while in the non-arsenic-eating companies the figures 11*94 and 14*79 respectively. This gives are a result in favour of the arsenic-eaters of 0*53 of a day. Besides the above trial, two others have come under my observation. The first was in the autumn of 1885 in Baluchistan by Surgeon-Major "H. Hamilton, 23rd Punjab Pioneers ; he says, I put G companies on 5 drops of Liq. Arsenicalis daily at first, and increased the dose by fortnightly increments up to 25 * * drops in the beginning of September. I left out the The two companies were, think, healthiest in the regiment, but we had so little ague all round that the plan has not had a fair trial." The second was at Hluttaik, Upper Burmali, in 1888, where a small garrison of Hyderabad Cavalry and Military Police were given arsenic by my directions, but with negative results, owing chiefly, I think, to delay in commencement, on account of defective means of communication. Surgeon Duncan, I.M.S., in his book on the " Prevention of Disease in Tropical Compaigns " (p. 156), quotes a number of instances where arsenic has been used with more or less success as a prophylactic, and he comes to the conclusion " that it is worthy of further trial." In woiking out the above results, I have been impressed with the fact that the figures dealt with are much too small to yield reliable data, From tliis it will be came
NOTE ON ARSENIC AS A THOPHYLACTIC FOR MALARIA. By Surgeon W. B.
BANNERMAN,
ai.d., i.m.s.
As a small contribution towards the solution of the important problem of prophylaxis in malaria, the following may not be without interest.
garrison at Sambalpur consists of four companies of the 27th llegiment Madras Infantry. They arrived on ?0th January 1890 from service in Upper Burmah, where they had been The
to the action of malaria for the past three years. As a proof of how thoroughly malaria-stricken they were, I may state that shortly after their arrival here, an examination revealed the presence of enlarged spleen in 115 men out of a total of 282.
exposed
Previous experience of this station having shewn the prevalence of fever during the months of September and October, it was resolved to try theeffect of an "antiperiodic ration" of arsenic. The most unhealthy companies (ft E" & " F") were paraded at hospital, and given doses gradually increasing from 3 to 10 minims of Liquor Arsenicalis once a day. The administration began on 27 th August, and was continued daily until the 15th of October. For the first fortnight a dose of 3 minims was given, then for two weeks 6 minims, and for the last three weeks 10 minims daily.
i
seen
March
1891.]
WRIGHT ON THE CARLSBAD TREATMENT.
and that the only way to obtain certain results would be for a concerted trial to be made in a number of feverish stations in India and Burmah. The subject is one of great importance not only in cantonments in peace time, but also in its relation to the lessening of invaliding in time of war.
71
following
table shews the result Number of iu ar-
Total cases of malarial
Dates.
fever.
Number of in non-
cases
cases
senic-eating companies.
arsenic-eating companies.
Six months
previous to
4G
29
Three months ; since 27th ^
59
35
21
63-043 69'322
36*956 42 372
1
17
27th August,
August.
Percentage of admissions.
j
f Before [After
that " E " & " F " Companies through the fever season with fever admissions proportionally than " G " & " H," taking into account the record of the previous six months, and this we may, 1 think, reasonably place to the credit of the arsenic. As regards the effect which arsenic is alleged to have of rendering the attacks of fever milder, the evidence is not conclusive, a larger number of cases being required to give a reliable averThus in the arsenic-eating companies age. there was an average stay in hospital of 8*82 days, in the six months previous to 27th August and 11*14 in the three months since ; while in the non-arsenic-eating companies the figures 11*94 and 14*79 respectively. This gives are a result in favour of the arsenic-eaters of 0*53 of a day. Besides the above trial, two others have come under my observation. The first was in the autumn of 1885 in Baluchistan by Surgeon-Major "H. Hamilton, 23rd Punjab Pioneers ; he says, I put G companies on 5 drops of Liq. Arsenicalis daily at first, and increased the dose by fortnightly increments up to 25 * * drops in the beginning of September. I left out the The two companies were, think, healthiest in the regiment, but we had so little ague all round that the plan has not had a fair trial." The second was at Hluttaik, Upper Burmali, in 1888, where a small garrison of Hyderabad Cavalry and Military Police were given arsenic by my directions, but with negative results, owing chiefly, I think, to delay in commencement, on account of defective means of communication. Surgeon Duncan, I.M.S., in his book on the " Prevention of Disease in Tropical Compaigns " (p. 156), quotes a number of instances where arsenic has been used with more or less success as a prophylactic, and he comes to the conclusion " that it is worthy of further trial." In woiking out the above results, I have been impressed with the fact that the figures dealt with are much too small to yield reliable data, From tliis it will be came
NOTE ON ARSENIC AS A THOPHYLACTIC FOR MALARIA. By Surgeon W. B.
BANNERMAN,
ai.d., i.m.s.
As a small contribution towards the solution of the important problem of prophylaxis in malaria, the following may not be without interest.
garrison at Sambalpur consists of four companies of the 27th llegiment Madras Infantry. They arrived on ?0th January 1890 from service in Upper Burmah, where they had been The
to the action of malaria for the past three years. As a proof of how thoroughly malaria-stricken they were, I may state that shortly after their arrival here, an examination revealed the presence of enlarged spleen in 115 men out of a total of 282.
exposed
Previous experience of this station having shewn the prevalence of fever during the months of September and October, it was resolved to try theeffect of an "antiperiodic ration" of arsenic. The most unhealthy companies (ft E" & " F") were paraded at hospital, and given doses gradually increasing from 3 to 10 minims of Liquor Arsenicalis once a day. The administration began on 27 th August, and was continued daily until the 15th of October. For the first fortnight a dose of 3 minims was given, then for two weeks 6 minims, and for the last three weeks 10 minims daily.
i
seen
March
1891.]
WRIGHT ON THE CARLSBAD TREATMENT.
and that the only way to obtain certain results would be for a concerted trial to be made in a number of feverish stations in India and Burmah. The subject is one of great importance not only in cantonments in peace time, but also in its relation to the lessening of invaliding in time of war.
71
