A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume 2 (of 2) by Charles Creighton
117. This writer’s object is to show that Liverpool escaped most of the
352 words | Chapter 91
epidemic diseases that troubled other places, including typhus fever. As
to the influenzas he says: “The influenza of 1775, so universal and very
fatal in many parts, was less fatal here; and also that much slighter
complaint, distinguished by the same title, which appeared in the spring
of 1783.”
[675] _Gent. Magaz._ LIII. pt. 2, p. 920. Letter dated from “Pontoon.”
[676] William Coley, _Account of the late Epidemic Ague in the
neighbourhood of Bridgenorth, Shropshire, in 1784 ... to which are added
some observations on a Dysentery that prevailed at the same time_. Lond.
1785.
[677] Baker, u. s.
[678] “An Account of the Effects of Arsenic in Intermittents.” By J. C.
Jenner, surgeon at Painswick, Gloucestershire. _Lond. Med. Journ._ IX.
(1788), p. 47.
[679] _Ibid._ VII. (1786), p. 163.
[680] Table compiled by Dr Mackenzie, and printed by Christison, _Trans.
Soc. Sc. Assoc._ Edin. Meeting, 1863, p. 97. Christison pointed out very
fairly the difficulties in the way of accepting the drainage-theory for
the decline of ague (p. 98), but he had not realized the fact that the
disease used to come in epidemics at long intervals.
[681] e.g. parish of Dron, Perthshire (IX. 468): “The return of spring and
autumn never failed to bring along with them this fatal disease [ague],
and frequently laid aside many of the labouring hands at a time when their
work was of the greatest consequence and necessity.” That had now ceased,
owing to drainage. See also Cramond parish, I. 224, and Arngask,
Perthshire, I. 415.
[682] The following extracts are from Barker’s book, _Epidemicks_,
Birmingham [1795]: 1782. Influenza in the latter end of spring. Nine out
of ten in Lichfield and other towns had violent defluxions of the nose,
throat and lungs, bringing on violent sneezings, soreness of the throat,
coughs, &c. attended with a pestilential fever, of which many were
relieved by perspiration.... Some had swelled faces, and violent pains in
the teeth.... Some, giddiness and violent headaches, accompanied with a
slow fever, and even loss of memory.... By its running through whole
families it appeared also to be communicable by infection.
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