REMARKS ON THE FEVER NOW IN MAURITIUS. Extract
mom
a
letter
by
the
PREVAILING
Principal
Meeical
Officer, Poet Louis. Dr. C. A. Gordon, C.B, Inspectorby (Communicated General of Hospitals, Her Majesty's British Service.) * * * That form of fever, the relapsing," with or without jaundice, but always with more"or less hepatic complication, has But it was introduced into the not appeared in Mauritius. neighbouring island, Bourbon, by immigrants from India, spread "
from estates to which the batches of infected men had been to neighbouring estates up to that time healthy, and
distributed,
caused great ravages. The fevers we have had here are
clearly
and
indubitably
mala-
rious, and of local origin. Intermittent and remittent fever, of malarious origin, had, up to 1866, been unknown in this island, save
and except among Indians who had had fever in India, come here with big spleens, and a proclivity to returns
and had
of the disease on
getting
chilled or wet.
Among soldiers (and
I have ransacked the Keturns and Reports for 20 years past) such cases could always be traced back to the fever of Lincoln, or the Essex Marshes, or India, or China. It would occupy fur more time than I can spare to-day to enter into the probable causes of the late fatal epidemic of virulent remittent and intermittent fever. First, I may state, there is abundance of proof that they are nowise contagious. Two large districts of this island, with which there has been uninterrupted communication, have quite escaped ; only such of their inhabitants as had visited Port Louis, or some
other malarious locality, have had the fever, and in no nor in the numerous instances of sick and sickly
such case,
families proceeding to,
or
troops removed to, these
districts,
has
the disease been communicated to its inhabitants. All ranks and classes and colors have had the fever in the malarious districts. The mortality has been chiefly among the colored people of African origin, living on the sea-board, in fishing villages, and in dirty parts of Port Louis, and among
the large unengaged Indian population, traders, squatters, daylaborers, loafers, and the like; people who lived from hand to
mouth, who were badly off, who herded together with cows and pigs and goats in filthy dwellings and filthy neighbourhoods in defiance of all sanitary regulations. The engaged Indians on estates, well-lodged, well-fed, and well-cared-for, have scarcely suffered at all. Many have had fever, and in some localities! where the malaria was intense, a number of deaths among them took place, but comparatively few after all. 1 he troops by removal, encampments, &c., have got off cheaply, though in the thick of it in Port Louis and elsewhere, when it burst out with virulence iu February. Altogether,
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
224
and followers, women and children, including of the disease, there have been, since November, 1866, up to 31st July, 2,835 cases of malarious fever and dysentery. 9 1 Invalided.?Officers Deaths.?Officers ... among
returns
troops
...
Men Civil
...
...
employes
4
6
Women
Children
Non-Commissioned Officers, and Rank
26
...
and File
...
69
18 78 55
But a considerable number remain to be invalided before the hot-season sets in; and the 13th L. I., on being moved to
England, took home a large proportion of men who, had regiment remained, must needs have been invalided. I enclose copies of the questions I drew up as Vice-President of the General Board of Health, for the inquiry on the epidemic. But don't expect much of a report for some time yet. The medical men are tired, and unwilling to write or take trouble about it, I fear. By next mail I hope to be able to send you a copy of a pamphlet on the Relapsing Fever introduced from the
India into Bourbon. Poet Lodis, 6th
August,
1867.
[September 2,
1867,
mom
a
letter
by
the
PREVAILING
Principal
Meeical
Officer, Poet Louis. Dr. C. A. Gordon, C.B, Inspectorby (Communicated General of Hospitals, Her Majesty's British Service.) * * * That form of fever, the relapsing," with or without jaundice, but always with more"or less hepatic complication, has But it was introduced into the not appeared in Mauritius. neighbouring island, Bourbon, by immigrants from India, spread "
from estates to which the batches of infected men had been to neighbouring estates up to that time healthy, and
distributed,
caused great ravages. The fevers we have had here are
clearly
and
indubitably
mala-
rious, and of local origin. Intermittent and remittent fever, of malarious origin, had, up to 1866, been unknown in this island, save
and except among Indians who had had fever in India, come here with big spleens, and a proclivity to returns
and had
of the disease on
getting
chilled or wet.
Among soldiers (and
I have ransacked the Keturns and Reports for 20 years past) such cases could always be traced back to the fever of Lincoln, or the Essex Marshes, or India, or China. It would occupy fur more time than I can spare to-day to enter into the probable causes of the late fatal epidemic of virulent remittent and intermittent fever. First, I may state, there is abundance of proof that they are nowise contagious. Two large districts of this island, with which there has been uninterrupted communication, have quite escaped ; only such of their inhabitants as had visited Port Louis, or some
other malarious locality, have had the fever, and in no nor in the numerous instances of sick and sickly
such case,
families proceeding to,
or
troops removed to, these
districts,
has
the disease been communicated to its inhabitants. All ranks and classes and colors have had the fever in the malarious districts. The mortality has been chiefly among the colored people of African origin, living on the sea-board, in fishing villages, and in dirty parts of Port Louis, and among
the large unengaged Indian population, traders, squatters, daylaborers, loafers, and the like; people who lived from hand to
mouth, who were badly off, who herded together with cows and pigs and goats in filthy dwellings and filthy neighbourhoods in defiance of all sanitary regulations. The engaged Indians on estates, well-lodged, well-fed, and well-cared-for, have scarcely suffered at all. Many have had fever, and in some localities! where the malaria was intense, a number of deaths among them took place, but comparatively few after all. 1 he troops by removal, encampments, &c., have got off cheaply, though in the thick of it in Port Louis and elsewhere, when it burst out with virulence iu February. Altogether,
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
224
and followers, women and children, including of the disease, there have been, since November, 1866, up to 31st July, 2,835 cases of malarious fever and dysentery. 9 1 Invalided.?Officers Deaths.?Officers ... among
returns
troops
...
Men Civil
...
...
employes
4
6
Women
Children
Non-Commissioned Officers, and Rank
26
...
and File
...
69
18 78 55
But a considerable number remain to be invalided before the hot-season sets in; and the 13th L. I., on being moved to
England, took home a large proportion of men who, had regiment remained, must needs have been invalided. I enclose copies of the questions I drew up as Vice-President of the General Board of Health, for the inquiry on the epidemic. But don't expect much of a report for some time yet. The medical men are tired, and unwilling to write or take trouble about it, I fear. By next mail I hope to be able to send you a copy of a pamphlet on the Relapsing Fever introduced from the
India into Bourbon. Poet Lodis, 6th
August,
1867.
[September 2,
1867,
