96 



Washington, D. C, January 31, 1858. 



Sir : I submit a report of the most important cases of sickness that 

 required medical treatment in the party under your command, from 

 June 15 until December 4, 1857. 



After the party reached the Loup Fork it was necessary to remain 

 in camp for a number of days awaiting the arrival of the escort. The 

 mouth of that stream was reached July 4, and we encamped near the 

 river not far from the town of Columbus. It was in this locality that 

 the most serious cases of illness which occurred in the party were 

 generated. In passing up the Platte we travelled principally at some 

 distance from the stream. Near the river, and along some of its 

 tributaries, swampy districts of country exist which might endanger 

 the health of persons living in their vicinity during the summer and 

 autumn. I noticed long marshy tracts of tliis kind overgrown with 

 heavy vegetation along the Loup Fork at this point. Soon after our 

 encampment a good deal of bilious derangement prevailed in the party, 

 and the presence of mia'^niatic poisons was soon made apparent in the 

 occurrence of a number of cases of intermittent fever. Nearly all of 

 the party experienced unpleasant disturbances ot health here. The 

 season had been unusually wet and the heat was extreme. Vege- 

 tation was consequently developed very rapidly, and it was, therefore, 

 not difficult to account lor the early appearance of disease among us. 

 Under ordinary circumstances I would consider this region as healthy 

 as most prairies, but the past seasons were particularly favorable to 

 the development of malaria. All of the cases, however, that were 

 treated here yielded readily, and when we commenced our joutiiey up 

 the Loup Fork no complaint was heard. 



We seemed, however, peculiarly unfortunate in the start ; for, a 

 few days after we had got finally under way, the mosL serious case of 

 sickness which we had to encounter during the trip commenced. On 

 July 23, May, a teamster, exhibited tlie symtoms of lever, and it soon 

 became apparent that this man must suffer a long and severe illness ; 

 under the most favorable circumstances his chances for recovery would 

 have been considered few, and the circumstances under which we were 

 of necessity placed tended greatly to diminish those chances. Delay 

 was out of tlie question, as his case, if it resulted favorably, would 

 require at least a fortnight, and we therefore placed him in the best 

 situation that was possible in travelling and did all in our power to 

 promote his recovery. This case was an interesting one to the medi- 

 cal practitioner ; it was one of those in which the signs and sym[)ton8 

 of typhoid and of remittent bilious fevers were intimately blended. 

 Delirium commenced early, with stupor, diarrhoea, and that peculiar 

 condition of the tongr.e and mouth noticed in typhoid fever ; with these 

 some of the common symptons of remittent fever were exhibited, and 

 although the attack could not be cut short by quinia, its violence 

 was greatly modified by that agent. The sickness of this man 

 embarrassed our progress seriously, but after nearly three weeks of 

 trouble and anxiety with his case we were gratified to note his con- 

 valescence. A halt of three days during the most excited period of 

 his disease tended greatly to promote a favorable termination. May 



