Medical Sketches of the Expedition to Egypt, from India

by Sir James McGrigor

The place of the encampment at El Hammed was an unhealthy spot. About half a mile in the rear of it there was a great extent of swampy ground; but there was no choice: it was necessary to encamp where there was water.

As a station for the army, Alexandria had every recommendation. It is built on a peninsula which formed the antient harbour, on a fine dry and open situation. Some squares, and several of its streets, are open and spacious; very unlike an African or Asiatic city. Its numerous mosques afforded us large and airy hospitals and barracks. In point of health, the inundation of the water from the lake Maadie was favourable. It insulated Alexandria; but the water was in motion, and at such a distance, that nothing was to be apprehended from exhalation. All the hospitals at first were within the walls of the modern city. The situation of the Pharos is well known to every one. I have said, that it was complained of as a quarter for troops, and with justice. The state of the 61st regiment shewed this. Subsequently to their being removed from it, they were encamped on the outside of the walls. From this period both the sickness and mortality in this corps disappeared. The 10th regiment found Fort Triangulaire a dry, spacious, and airy, barrack. In the fort they had the means of keeping the men constantly in their quarters; they were at some distance from Alexandria, and thus it was in their power to preserve a regular internal economy and prevent drunkenness. When the regiment came to take possession of this quarter they had a numerous sick-list: it decreased daily after they came here; and, finally, the 10th was as healthy as most other regiments. The barracks of the 80th regiment, and of the Bengal volunteer-battalion, were situated close to Fort Triangulaire; and they possessed all the same advantages, but that it was not so easy to confine the men to the barracks.

The barracks of the 88th regiment, at Fort Cretan, were dry and airy. Though in a different quarter they possessed nearly the same advantage as Fort Triangulaire, with the disadvantages of the quarters of the 80th regiment.

The horse-artillery and 8th dragoons were, along with the 26th dragoons, stationed at Damenhoure, which had every advantage of a country quarter. It was situated in a fine, open, cultivated, country. The station was thought so good, that at last we sent the sick of the army to this quarter; and old cases of dysentery and hepatitis, as well as some of fever, recovered here with astonishing rapidity. By the time of their arrival there was in many a great amendment. They were conveyed in waggons constructed for them, and made three days easy journey to Damenhoure.

In the difference of Upper Egypt in June, and El Hammed and Rosetta in December, is included perhaps more than change of season; there was change of climate and of heat from 108° to 49° of the thermometer. We have said that, in many instances, the causes of disease at El Hammed could be traced to the march across the desert and the encampment at Rhoda. Very much, however, was likewise to be attributed to the change of weather experienced in November and December.

In every part of the world, with change of season, some diseases pretty constantly make their appearance; but in no part is this so observable as in the countries under the tropics. In the West-Indian islands, as well as on the shores of India, I have repeatedly and uniformly observed the sick-list of European corps more than doubled by the third week after the setting in of the monsoon.[3] In these countries a very considerable increase of sick is likewise found to take place on the change from the rainy to the dry season. The change of season in Egypt had nearly an equal influence on the health of the army while there.

In a memoir, which, four years ago, I had occasion to present to the Military and Medical Boards at Bombay, on the state of health of the 88th regiment, and of detachments of the 75th, 77th, 84th, and 86th, regiments, under my care, one passage is so very closely applicable to the subject I am now on, that I will extract it. After pointing out the smaller proportion of sickness in different corps, and in proportion as they had been in India from one, two, three, to twenty, years, and the very great proportion of disease and mortality which the European bore to the native Indian corps, the memoir goes on:

“Though, perhaps, a residence for a certain length of time, or a naturalisation to the climate, be necessary, yet one reason may, with probability, be brought forward to account for the very great difference, in point of health, between European and Indian corps, viz. the great intemperance of the European in eating and drinking. A native of India is astonished, at first, to see the meals of animal food devoured, and the quantity of spirits drank, by Europeans. There can be little doubt, that the nearer we approach to the mode of living of the natives, the more nearly we shall attain their state of health.