General Remarks. In January there was much blowing weather, sometimes with the wind from the south, but chiefly from the south-east, and often accompanied with snow, of which description have been our severest winter storms for some years past. In this month also occurred smart congelation, and mostly with a low barometer. February was a remarkably dry month: the winds were, in general, moderate: and although there was frequent congelation, the cold was seldom severe. Sometimes, indeed, the temperature of the air was almost genially warm, even after sun-set, whilst the preceding day had been, perhaps, rather sharp, which was often the case in the cold east and south-east breezes of the whole winter. Though there were some days and nights of congelation in March, yet there were but two or three in any degree sharp, and one only so hard as to prevent harrowing in the morning. This, like the preceding month, was remarkably dry; but there were frequent mists, and some thick fogs, which condensed into drops resembling rain. The winds were generally moderate, often calm, and sometimes in different currents, the upper current being southwest, whilst the lower was south-east, tides of the atmosphere which were frequently noticed during this and the two preceding months. April was a wet month, with much blowing, squally weather from the south and west points, whilst the temperature of the air was generally moderate. The day (22d) on which the thunder and lightning occurred, a very heavy hail shower fell. The temperature of the air in May was generally cold, with a good deal of blowing weather, and frequent showers; to the frequency of which the quantity of rain that fell did not bear any proportion. In June the weather was generally cold; only two or three days that could be called genially warm; and on the night of the 10th a degree of refrigeration took place, which stiffened the cloth on the bleach-fields. The winds in July were principally moderate, and the air dry, commonly hot, sometimes sultry. Though there are several showery days noted in August, yet the rain was, upon the whole, so inconsiderable, that there was a great scarcity of water for steeping the flax. From the 15th of July to the 12th of this month, the weather, with little interruption, was very hot; and the temperature of the air, in the rest of these two months, was, in its general character, rather warm, with winds, for the most part, very moderate in their forces. The summer altogether was the hottest in the memory of the oldest person living; and since I began making observations, that is for sixteen or seventeen years past, the mercury in the thermometer never before ascended so high on the scale. September was, in general, a boisterous month, having several squally gales, the greatest from the north-west, always accompanied with rain, and sometimes with hail, and thunder and lightning. October, like the most of September, was a blustry, wet month, and the severest weather was at night. November commenced with a storm from north-west, the direction of wind which prevailed, in a blustry cast, accompanied with heavy showers, the whole month, and the rain occurred principally in the night, as it did from the middle of September. There was some hazy weather, together with some thick fogs, which condensed into drops resembling rain from clouds. On the 25th, after a shower of round snow, about eight o'clock at night, a very sudden and sharp frigorific process took place, which, before returning day-light, was succeeded by rain. In the beginning and latter part of December several terms of congelation prevailed, some of them keen, but generally moderate; a good deal of hazy and foggy weather; and, in the middle of the month, the air was warm and mellow, producing in the grass-fields a remarkable verdure. The force of the winds was mostly moderate, sometimes easy, and when fresh breezes occurred they were chiefly in spurts. The annual sum of the winds from each point was, N. 41, S. 27, E. 21, W. 136, N. E. 27, S. E. 75, N. W.79, S. W. 36. DISEASES. Irritative Fever. An ailment of this description appeared in spring, chiefly in the months of March and April, and was of a very mild nature. It was characterized by head-ache, moderate chills, slight soreness in the throat, fluctuating pains, impaired appetite, and an eruption, the second or third day, about the nostrils and upper lip. The tongue was but little furred, the heat of the skin not much increased, and the pulse from 92 to 110. In general there was not any cough; but in a few instances, on the decrease of fever, there occurred a superficial tickling cough, of little consequence and short duration. The subjects of this disease were mostly children, from four to twelve VOL. I. 2 Մ years old, and women; considerably more of the former than of the latter; and its continuance was from thirty-six hours to seven days. The remedies were, purges of calomel and jalap, oleum ricini, aq. ammon. acetat. tart. antimon. mucil. arab. and, in the case of adults, small doses of tinctura opii. In the younger class of patients, a single dose of calomel and jalap had quick curative effects. In the older class, some tonic bitters were requisite to revive the suspended digestive functions." Peripneumonia. In spring likewise some pulmonic complaints took place; but in this neighbourhood they were not severe nor fatal. Eight or ten miles, however, west of Derry, in the vicinity of a considerable estuary, called Lough Swilly, they were more violent, and often mortal. With us the disease submitted to easy measures: one moderate venesection, a blister, some laxatives, mild antimonials, neutrals, dilution, and vegetable aliment, were sufficient; and under this treatment most cases terminated favourably in the space of a week. Small-Pox. What season of the year this distemper arose is uncertain; but in summer and winter it prevailed most, and was fatal in many cases. The principal note of distinction between its disposition this year, and its general character, was, that patients fell victims to it, whose situation did not appear actually hazardous until it became really incurable, though the pustules partook more of the distinct than confluent species. Perhaps the catastrophe would not have been so unhappy had medical aid been requested earlier, or requested at all: for the generality of the families wherein the disorder reigned were of the lowest and poorest orders, whose notions are unfavourable to the use of remedies in the small-pox, considering that, in the distinct kind, medicine is unnecessary, and, in the confluent, that it is universally fruitless. The children of the less indigent and less prejudiced, as well as those of the ascending ranks, are, in general, secured by inoculation. Typhus Mitior, or Simple Inirritative Fever of Darwin. A fever of this type appeared in autumn, continued during winter, and stretched to the beginning of spring. Its introductory symptoms were head-achie, chilliness, and other cirsumstances belonging to pyrexia. In the first stage, particu larly where the patient strove to sit out of bed, an irksome formicatio was almost continually present. The tongue was generally moist, and but slightly covered with mucus throughout the disease; thirst variable; skin for the most part temperate, seldom hot: pulse from 92 to 125, more frequently bold than timid; and the bodily strength was not greatly reduced. The general subjects of this febrile malady were females, some of whom were annoyed by great stomachic debility, and frequent faintishness. The febrile action began to decline from the 11th to the 16th day, as indicated by the subsidence of the pulse constantly occurring on these occasions. In winter great caution was found requisite with regard to going first into the open air, as precipitancy herein exposed the convalescent to relapse, which, in one case, (that of a medical friend) turned out rather severe. By watching the approaches of the disease, its progress was sometimes stopped by the administration of an antimonial emetic. In confirmed cases, the articles attended with the most remedial effects were, neutralized ammonia, moderate purges, either of calomel and jalap, or of crystals of tartar, small doses of antimonials, sp. ætheris vitriol. gentle doses of tinct. opii, wine, diluted or pure, in moderate quantities, with vegetable diluents and nutriment. Cinchona, even when it agreed with the stomach, did not possess advantages superior to rad. columbæ, infusions of which were found very beneficial, especially in those cases wherein the stomach was materially engaged. The introduction of fresh air into the chambers of the sick, and cleanliness in every circumstance, were studiously pursued. Miscellaneous Notices. Rheumatic affections, pains in the bowels, and diarrhoea, were sporadic in autumn, winter, and part of the succeeding spring. A few of the rheumatic and bowel cases were rigorous, but those of diarrhoea were generally temperate. The remedies usually serviceable in such cases were employed, and seldom failed answering the purpose. The measles appeared in November, prevailed in January and February, 1801, and did not retire till the month of April following. The species of the disorder was the rubeola vulgaris of Cullen and Sauvages, the morbilli regulares of Sydenham, and the rubeola irritata of Darwin; consequently it was of a very mild nature, and required only simple remedies, with corresponding rules in respect to the various modifications of regimen. In the midst, indeed, of the morbillous constitution, a catarrhal ailment seized several children, which, at first, was liable to be mistaken for the invasion of the rubeola, but was soon distinguished from this complaint, and one of its discriminating marks was its yielding to a purge, and other antiphlogistic measures, in the course of from 24 to 48 hours. ARTICLE III. To the Editors of the Medical Repository. CORRECTION of Dr. CHISHOLM'S MISTATEMENT respecting the PREVALENCE of the MALIGNANT FEVER at St. THOMAS'S, by J. F. ECKARD, Esq. Danish Vice-Consul at Philadelphia, in a Letter to JAMES MEASE, M. D. of Philadelphia. SIR, N one of a series of numbers republished last autumn, in à newspaper of this city, from a New-York gazette, respecting the origin of the epidemic fever which has often afflicted various parts of the United States since 1793, I observed some extracts from a medical work, referring to the prevalence of the malignant pestilential fever in the island of St. Thomas, which forcibly drew my attention, as they evidently referred to events, some of which had happened under my own eye, and some, indeed, in my own house. Knowing the statement to be very inaccurate, I was induced to inquire into the authority by which they were originally made public, and was informed by you that it was Dr. C. Chisholm. This physician, in his Essay on the Malignant Pestilential Fever introduced into the West-India Islands from Boullam, in 1793, 1794, 1795, and 1796, second edition, Lond. 1801, has laboured to prove, that the fever which, during the above period, ravaged the West-Indies, was not the usual fever prevalent in the islands, but a new disease, and highly contagious, imported from Africa. With this opinion, however, I have no concern, nor am I anxious to support or disprove the opinion of the NewYork writer, respecting the importation of the fever which prevailed in that city: but I owe it to truth, and to myself, to show the inaccuracy of Dr. Chisholm's statement: and I should not hazard my sentiments, in contradiction to a professional |