MORTALITY IN THE PAST 115 



know, vanquished by the sting of an insignificant 

 insect ; and thousands so perished, as the following 

 official narratives attest. 



Blair, in an account of the yellow fever epidemic 

 of Georgetown, 1850, cjuotes as follows from the Report 

 of the JNledical Inspector of the West Indian Command 

 for the years 1837-41. 



"About the end of August fever began to appear 

 amongst the non-commissioned officers and privates : 

 out of 32 attacked, 15 died. Intermittent fever was 

 at the same time very prevalent : 1,435 cases came 

 under treatment. 



" In Trinidad, in May 1838, fever occurred among 

 the troops at St. James's and St. Joseph's : 15 died 

 out of 109 treated. A draft of young Irishmen, just 

 then arrived, suffered most. 



"In Dominica this year (1837), out of 65 cases of 

 yellow fe\'er admitted into the hospital, 21 died. Nearly 

 all the officers had the disease and died. In this 

 epidemic, haemorrhage from the gums and throat was 

 common ; black vomit set in about thirteen hours 

 before death. 



" In Trinidad, 1837, at St. Joseph's, 19 men of the 

 detachment there died of fever. 



" Grenada about the same time was severely visited 

 by fever. 



" At Port Frederick, out of 14 men of the Royal 

 Artillery 11 were attacked, of whom died. At 

 Richmond Hill, out of 207 of the 70th Regiment, 

 61 were attacked, 14 died. Fever raged amongst the 

 civil population, both white and black ; even the ac- 

 climatised by no means escaped ; the crews of the 

 shipping suffered severely. 



