Medical Sketches of the Expedition to Egypt, from India

by Sir James McGrigor

MAY.

At the commencement of this month the principal part of the army was still encamped at Alexandria. On the last day of April orders arrived from England to General Baird, to return with his army to India, and to detach the 10th, 61st, and 88th, regiments, which were placed on the British establishment.

On the 3d the Indian army began the march to Ghiza, where it remained encamped by the pyramids for some days, until water and the passage over the desert were reported to be ready. At length the march commenced with the sick.

We crossed the river, encamped at Boulac, set off from Cairo, and, passing the ruins of Heliopolis, made Birket El Hadje our first stage. Our marches over the desert of Suez, as in crossing the great desert, were all performed during the night, and we always encamped by sunrise in the morning. Luckily there had much rain fallen before we marched; and at one place in the middle of the desert, and again at Suez, we found large collections of rain-water, from which all were well supplied.

By the end of the month the whole corps, except the 7th Bombay regiment, had crossed the desert and arrived at Suez. Part of the army was encamped near the town of Suez, and part at Moses Wells, nine miles on the eastern side of the Red Sea. The march over the desert of Suez was performed with much greater ease than that over the desert of Thebes. The weather was cool and favourable, the hot winds were less felt, and we found abundance of good water provided at the different stations. At the time of our arrival we found Suez very healthy. Though the plague had travelled as far as Cairo and all the neighbouring villages, it had not reached Suez till the arrival of the army.

The women and children of the army, as well as some invalids, were here; and they, with the Lascars of the fleet, were under the medical charge of Dr Colquhoun and Mr Waring, whose reports had all along shewn a very great degree of health. The only disease was the tropical dysentery, and this was confined to the women and children, who were inactive. The Lascars, who were actively employed, were all very healthy. During the month, several cases of the plague were reported, but they were all very mild. On the 4th, a Sepoy of the 1st Bombay regiment, on duty with the pioneers in the desert, was attacked with the disease, and was the only man who died of it during the month. On inquiry afterwards, it was found that the Sepoy had got the infection from one of the interpreters, named Peter, and that Peter brought the disease from the Turks in Cairo. The case of the interpreter was so mild, that it was treated by Mr Dick as a venereal complaint. He took mercury to produce salivation, the bubo came to suppuration, and Peter recovered. As soon as the Sepoy died in the desert, every article belonging to him was burnt with the body. A perfect separation was effected, and every precaution taken in consequence. No other case appeared in this detachment.

On the 12th, another case appeared in the 7th regiment, now encamped at a village opposite Boulac. No plague could be discovered to have been in the village. The occurrence of this case, therefore, could be accounted for in no other way than that the seeds of the disease still lurked in this very unfortunate corps, and that they brought it from Aboukir with them. A pest-house was established under the charge of Dr Henderson at Boulac, and two other mild cases were admitted into it towards the end of the month.

On the 23d, the disease was discovered on a Madras tent-Lascar at Moses Wells. On the 26th it was discovered on a serjeant of the 86th regiment in crossing the desert. This was the last case which appeared previous to the embarkation of the army.

The weather, during the month, was uncommonly fine. The thermometer was greatly on the rise. During the month it was from 60° to 68°: at Alexandria from 60° to 78°: in the tents on the desert, and at Moses Wells, from 60° to 98°. The wind was generally from north to north-west. In the desert, and at Moses Wells, we had the dry suffocating wind that we found in the desert of Thebes, at Kossier, at the same time in the former year; and the atmosphere was generally cloudy. The army was very healthy.

Ophthalmia now, however, became a more frequent disease, particularly among the Europeans, and it might be said to be the only disease which prevailed.