Camden gazette. (Camden, S.C.) 1816-1818, June 27, 1816, Image 1
con* ii
"TRIbe Citizens of this place, and its vi
cinity, have hten recently threatened with
a tetorn of the late Epidemic, ft may riot
be amiss to furnish the' public with a suc
cinct account of the disease, os it appeared
during the last winter. Tl:e following is
a reply- to the Circular I.etterorDr. Da
vis, of Columbia, in which is not only em
braced a history of the complaint, but its ?
probable causes, metEod of extension and
^/)ei?r Sir, ? Yours CBmetohandyentcr
as was In my possession, relativ* to the
1MB Epidemic Cutarrh. Independent of
personal wgard, as a fellow laborer in
lhowee',o]fuman^; to compV!^ 2K
MWbe more deairable than a fuitjiful liis
attention to the origin* progress, and ter
mination, of Fpidemics, their vicissituddP
a?1|l ilifljiriivril nf fk., i na. -
QH*Cr%fiCv OI ^ ^ UsIRa imCii 1
thologj can be understood with scientific
arfOtwment Of
ggtrgayy^
of the same eoun
M*t fen ?w-Af, ? ? ? ! l
bMshes this opinion beyond the ^ssiWlity
of doubt. It personatedt almost pree.sety
the endemial fsver of the summer, and
autumnal seasons, yet admitted -of scarce-^
were ffle only remedies to be depended Up
on from thag ogmmewemtnt. Principles
in medicin^R to the physician, what
th? compass is to the mariner. j? Exclude
thctn, and we ahould be ever sturtblino- In
darkness, Without the possibility of disco
vering tighu Had such anbpinion, been
mentTotjMui to Cullen, Brown* ot Hunter,
they would have treated it as the chimera
of a dlkto&d imagination. Had a fact to
notorious, attracted the attention of Dir.
Barton, he would not have recommended
the indiscriminate use of Bark, duiing
most cases of bilious remittents ol S. C.
and Georgia, throughout every stagd? Had
it occumd to the illustrious Hush, his
theory would have beeaMioclifitd, m such
a manner, as to met disease under
?very possible form and change* Pirdon
me for such an intrusion of private opin
ion. it?ppeare#necessaryf*as prelimina
ry to the answers which I now beg leave to i
present you with. Vm? *
.? r
present yov
>. At what ti
firrta " *
ve been ccmta
ic Catarrh
lar
in ? i "? I"vri*
gated by aome latent property in the at
mosphere? .
4. Whether, it was confinen to p*rtict^
r situations, and classes of people ?
Ii. Whether there was any method 6f
prevention known ?
The Epidemic Catarrh, or what has
been denominated Influenza, made its ap
pearance here early in December last, and
began' to decline, in three or four weeks.
It waa by no means malignant, and y ielded
to simple remedied
its premonitory symtoms, were general
' ? " 1$.* - '
chilliness, slight pain in the had, hoarse
ness ?ul snrr.aing. ? rth'Mit trn or ti
hours After tbtse sywptfifnrltatt
themselves the disease .was uah.
?*? by
n ? _a
eje, increase.! pain in
the head, copious nasal discharge of an
ichorous nature, with slight excoriation of
the upper j!p, and cou*fi. * f fce V
were generally, in a natural state,
some instances, con^pation exis
in others adiarrhcea. When
was more violeni, Jn . Edition to these
symptoms may be niehtirt^ a^atfjp
the aide, sometime* erratic, at oUftjra fixed*
There Appears to have been an unusual se~
I cretion of bile, but ihe tunica albuginia sel
I dpm becaaie tinged. . . ..
I exam y led the state of the urine in but
few.tastance?, but .iaWfcyaFobservftd k
. heightened in colour. Tbe ikkl/?g
foperally dt^ durtog febrile
ofSSte remUtawf^ind^
nerally terminated '
r day. leaving no tfh
K farther than a disposition to
'relqw pE transitions of we^eK I It
1 did not appear to lie confine.'
IfesEHaBsl
was roost common among tnt wmic uiuica.
When negroes Were Attacked, their cases
appeared to be more violent, but not ac
srs *8,
more lB|Siaracter
tomJT^Yn short, they' see?:!
? InlWhirt..
, <>r this place was dia
tinguiahed bjr inflammatory syntftoms, it
became necessary to deplete by liBod-let
>ing* -cathartics, someUmes emetic* ? dt?~
horelics, were found Necessary. rib
do I know that Epispastits be
e indispensable. When emetics *ere
used, antimonial preparations were pre
i-fered, V*U?artica, wwn always mosr rfr
ficaciout when combined with nniimnniaU
in such pnrtiow as to nauseate, and deter
mine to the skin/' iiTwme instances,
Pa much pulmonic irritilon ?.xi
oral mixtures calculated
Ibe^cauus, ?f>d keep. up a d.%char^
L
prove fatal.
I?o?7j?Kor IS^fe ?the?i
icians credulous one " '
. . -. -b me to be who
ii not (tW wi&ht with its
acter. ?|f the disease ever
jious, the opinion is not wa
?y ob*ferv?tiow? ;which I have
my practice: ln
un?
, so soon, if such hkd been the case.
FContaglSus diseases, at-e known, by
their Extending through whitle communi
' tiea, find not subsiding, Jmifl every mem
ber who, had not been previou
ha* contracted them, which
gbne th#ott^fi their regular Rw,
the system insusceptible of a second at
tack. Now thti progress of Influenxa
was very different ; several individuals of
I the same ftmtly had ft in its most regtH:
?kr forrfc* without its extending t
the whole# *nd whan It began td ?vveiUC
all those who bad been confined began to
te?va)ese. 1 therefore conclude, that
iffcfluenza, is neither an infections nor
mntaoiniit fii???a* ,L ' *
uuica* uicrv would CX"
We tc ry strong predty>o*itibn ii^ those,'*
who official# u attendants. K mutt there
forte, be propag*todi - by Some unknown
cause in the atmosphere.
The Influenza was neither confined to
particular situation*, nor very particular,
in the selection of it? subject*. Iia influ- |
entc c * tended alike to swampy situations,
ami delated spots. The hardy Yeoman.
'ne lands, the Mecha
i confined him to his
ttemaa, whose only
re and ease, were
equally exposed to its attacks. I believe
no method of arreatin^ the frfagnss of
Infloeftaa, ha* yet Wui Situ ioU, ai are I
nearly equally predisposed, during that 1
particatar constitution of attftospherir In- |
during it, isndjf there la any preventive,
it must constat in tempe ranee, guarding
against sudden transitions, and an exclu
sion from nlfjfctaif* fltotops there can be
no better method, than wearing flannel
next to trfe akin, a moderate use of nva
cuants when necessity requires it, and an
application of thick clothing when coldness
of weather points out the necessity.
I Although the Inffoensa, I eft ua without |
[committing any extensive ravages, it was!
I followed by rfn Epidemic of greater IftaHg- 1
My thin has visited this coOhtryj
MPf yt>w? As a successor of the Infl
w?. kiiowSV &
shiverl
wu ^
case? puliation ot tire raduU.trry wasap
p^emiy suspended, and.uacfe?l per?pu?r
tv.n, thrown out about tliet#hands, feet,,
and forehead? awnenmi:* this terminated
in stupor* In l wo pr ihrte instance* pa
tients were seized with fita, of an epijtptic
kind and in two others a paralysis of ooe
rbf tFe arms succeeded in a few JUnurs. ?
r After the cold sta^e had subsided, a feVer
| of nn intermittent tyjie came on, and
^comMmcd" from four tosix, and twelve
| houra^ ?n exaceibatioiwrf all Umsc ay mp
iStoT'thtre
I the head. When stupor did not exist,
delirium frequently supervened. In irJld
^asesr 4he patient enjoyed aifr exemption
from the latter symbtotu*
Thirdly. ^After the Brit stance had sub
sided the action of the pulse* imparted a
jiirrir.g shattered and' intermitting sensa
i^^uer"at,n?iri * grfc'isffl
patients began to convaliaeeT*^ ahvavs
indicated danger,. ami cooJd iSt be re
moved until a favorable crisis denounced
approaching recovery.
Wounbly. Xbere #m niuch anxiety about
the precordia generally, and in violent
] became strttwous.
and short' auick inspirntiotia, were com
man, wtiltjt. never subsided w*?thb,nt im[
and
5tbr -T-he^iver appeared to be i
est ?uff. rer in a Majority of j
There was a very unusual se
^.andie tMne^suntea, Uw
tobe an 6bvk>us enlargement qyM? vl.w-j
a bain io tl* right shoulder, and bypoclion
drium, a* tecap?cWMor?irit???? W0
side kc.*kc. FortuniKely however, thifr
affection did not amount to confirmed He
patitis j excitement appeared to be more
^th^-b^topgnef^wiV ?Hp fiwt stage
red ^jSKt J the ?>mme ncement of the
saggp
fesSSSSs
T' T (he fauces, and whole surface
bf the mouth, Ucame very dittreaalng.
Hfor could Igte prevented by l^ia?*Jt I
duloo* application W waWH". dr <cid, ' W
!uAC!,Ji,e ,on5M!i2!w p"*en,ed
dark, and rough jUf>ect ; fissures a
r7
e?
/ detached
wete removed by the patient,
b equally dark ? if the bowel*
constantly evacuated by ftc
rtics the surface Was dn^ but If
managed ^cutaneous dWharge
kept up with advantage.
7th. The bile discharged after taking
an emetic, was generally thick# and ropy,
resembling the yolk of an egg, now and
ampantcd with a' dark grtimous
^ of ?natrdbilttwscharacter-j^u:^
' I countenance in cases which
I, and in manv which event u
ably wm l&e hippocratic kind.
The eye had a wife), quick irresolute look,
hot always became glassy and glaring be
fore death, when the disease went regular
ly through its liferent stadia.
9th, The ur'me *as heightened some in
colour, but I had no opportunity of ob^erv* |
ing a sedimentitious (kjknite. 1 have been
since informed, U Was a Very common
circumstance* **?#** * ? 1_ ?
10th. I discovered, no material influ
ence upon the natural fytnpaihiaa of the
system. In cues approximating CgmSpiE
qpuld not be expected that way morbid in -
femtrcouM be traced,, and in ptftcry such
efFectawere so slight, as not ttrattract no*
lice.- s
?' A 1th. The .appetite was entirely sua
pended during the violence of disease*
bt|t became remarkably strong, during
convalescence. v. . y .V*_ .
&ft2th. inebriates were particularly liable
to attacks and ^h?r pm??d
tal without immediate attention.
i!3th. Blood when, dra\vnr?^thlh?t?ri n
i unusual
ling. In
of terror* Praf so6n frave"
correct ?and , rational ?#*prt
unfortunate patent iagainj
tliai attention which ther^U
Remanded, andcvisU*nt*|kpu
thgtilhastisament
mnragn uw ?*po?e<J to ?? wifethera,
and after bu?ine?? ?? over, ln?t*ad oNg
ma) spirits, or excitability, induce* a state
# 1 i M, ..J .. ' I
aeuimy, CMcmnefl 10 iovuc im^uuci
disease. Mo Wonder then that Ibey ai
the most dbmon victim# ; these are iW
fit subjects for attack, Whether black* or
whites, male* or females. Superadded to
such predisposing causes, may be men
tionecl otd houses in a state of decay, fil
thy and badly venftllated. In short tliclr
manner of lirfng, if adopted bf tiipwhites,
would render them far more liable to afc
*^'ve maladies, of trery disci iption.
history of no endemic, or pestilential
haa yet told lis that the negroe Is
susceptible of their >nflu*n&f thafr
tjliite, and although theAe may have
k tilt greatest sufferers, during the late
epidemic, I think it an additional Jrroof
that we were nbt cohstittnifcnafly exempt*
h. From what has been aaid* H in obvio bs.
that there was a jtftleral preventative ;
but in particular if*Lm<e*s the disease was
excited without ahy ejaten^bte cause. The
methods xM p*t Mention, which ILfemtd
have propofed, could they ha ** been adopt
ed are
Ut. To remove out of old houses Into |
others which ifrere warm, but Wefl tenftt
fated. #
2d. To avbtA an expoaure to night air, |
[eoNHn&jptor
3d. To wear flannel next tlie skin, an 1
adapt the clothing, to tire state of the
weather*
4tn. To abstain, from an intemperate
| use, of ardent spirits. M