In Upper Egypt, and at Ghiza, we had many cases of hepatitis: it was the same disease that we had seen in India. At Rosetta and Alexandria a few cases did occur, accurately answering to Cullen’s definition of the acute species. Sergeant Levi, of the 88th regiment, was one instance. On the 13th of October, he was admitted into the hospital with this disease in a most violent degree. He had been ill only twenty-four hours: he had high inflammatory fever; his side was extremely tender to the touch; he had great irritability of stomach, and pain over the belly. He was twice bled: the anti-phlogistic regimen was for thirty-six hours applied in its utmost rigour: thereafter mercury was liberally thrown in, and he recovered. We remarked that many, who, in India, were the frequent subjects of repeated attacks of hepatitis, at length never complained, or they had the disease in the mildest shape, in Egypt. After the month of October, hepatitis was a disease of still more rare occurrence. In no corps did the number of cases bear any proportion to what they were wont to be in India.
During October a considerable number of cases occurred, but almost all of them were Europeans: the proportion of the natives who had this disease was always very small.
About the beginning of November several fresh cases occurred, and all of them were acute.
By the end of December this disease was fast disappearing in the army. In the last return of the month there were only twenty-one cases, and twenty of them were Europeans.
In January it still continued to decline. In the return of the 31st of this month there appear only nine cases, and all of them are Europeans.
In the first return of February there are only five cases, and all of them are Europeans.
There was an increase in March. In the first return of the month there were twelve cases, and all were Europeans.
In the last return of April the total number was so low as six, of which number four were Europeans.
At the time of embarkation, at Suez, there was not one case reported in the army.