It he Iniiian 4ttc"btral NOVEMBER, 1883. '
THE
"
"
BLACK DISEASE
i V-; I)-J'fi
OF THE GARO
HILLS. The term black is
of evil
one
m
i!
when
significance
disease processes. It savours The of blood disorganization and tissue death.
applied "
to
diseases
:
or
"
plague" or black death terrible pestilence of which an
black
most
"
black lion
"
constituted the
authentic
history
"
mutilated many a soldier Black vomit and its of the army of the Peninsula. melsena are symptoms of dire import in congener The
exists.
yellow fever and other diseases of the zymotic class. The petechial and hemorrhagic forms of the exanthemata are peculiarly virulent. One of the most terrible of disease which
cases
have
we
ever
encountered,
was
petechial or black small-pox. On the third morning of distressing suffering the conjunctivae became livid and chemotic, and large purpuric patches broke out all over the surface of the body; death speedily ensued, and on dissection all the serous membranes were found spotted with purple extravasations ; all the mucous membranes were exuding one
of
all the
blood, and
solid viscera exhibited short of absolute
diffused or
congestion. But, purpuric or gangrenous blackness,
ness
disease is
;n
a
deep
a
petechial
surface duskk
feature of unpleasant omen?the
duskiness for example that
we
with in
meet
profound
malarial cachexy or in the collapse stage of cholera. Fortunately the "black" phases of disease are not so common
still
to
in these
be
^lainlncr
met ni
days
as
they
used to- be.
with however, and
m
>
..
we are ?
..
They
indebted
are to
,
Deputy Surgeon-General J. J. Clarke, m. d., Sanitary Commissioner of Assam, for a clear though: brief
description
of
a
black fever which has; been known to
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
322
prevail in the Garo Hills for some time past. How long it has been there it is impossible to say. Attention
ally
it in the year 1869, and the two features which attracted the notice of the civil officers
bronzed hue; various parts
first drawn
was
who
reported
to
it,
on
the blackness of the skin of
were
its victims, and the great were
"
in the Garo Hills district
the plague." Inquiries Mr. McNaught, Civil Medical Officer
by
Tura, have enabled
ably complete
toler-
symptoms of the malady
circumstances, topographical
and
originates and flourishes. described as a fever resulting in a
The
by
cachexia.
fatal
and
scribed
a
under which it
disease may be found
Clarke to furnish
Dr.
account of the
and to indicate the
hygienic,
by
the
villages depopulated by
almost
instituted of
mortality
Numerous
disease.
caused
Dr. Clarke
as
Its
phenomena
follows
are
prode-
:?
"
The urine is scanty, high-coloured, and occasion, The skin and tongue assume a dark
albuminous.
the lower
"
These
disorganised slowly weak and or
later
the
faint,
slow
and
rfojrfw
either
'f
profoundly
The heart grows
insidiously.
pulse
THE
"
"
BLACK DISEASE
i V-; I)-J'fi
OF THE GARO
HILLS. The term black is
of evil
one
m
i!
when
significance
disease processes. It savours The of blood disorganization and tissue death.
applied "
to
diseases
:
or
"
plague" or black death terrible pestilence of which an
black
most
"
black lion
"
constituted the
authentic
history
"
mutilated many a soldier Black vomit and its of the army of the Peninsula. melsena are symptoms of dire import in congener The
exists.
yellow fever and other diseases of the zymotic class. The petechial and hemorrhagic forms of the exanthemata are peculiarly virulent. One of the most terrible of disease which
cases
have
we
ever
encountered,
was
petechial or black small-pox. On the third morning of distressing suffering the conjunctivae became livid and chemotic, and large purpuric patches broke out all over the surface of the body; death speedily ensued, and on dissection all the serous membranes were found spotted with purple extravasations ; all the mucous membranes were exuding one
of
all the
blood, and
solid viscera exhibited short of absolute
diffused or
congestion. But, purpuric or gangrenous blackness,
ness
disease is
;n
a
deep
a
petechial
surface duskk
feature of unpleasant omen?the
duskiness for example that
we
with in
meet
profound
malarial cachexy or in the collapse stage of cholera. Fortunately the "black" phases of disease are not so common
still
to
in these
be
^lainlncr
met ni
days
as
they
used to- be.
with however, and
m
>
..
we are ?
..
They
indebted
are to
,
Deputy Surgeon-General J. J. Clarke, m. d., Sanitary Commissioner of Assam, for a clear though: brief
description
of
a
black fever which has; been known to
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
322
prevail in the Garo Hills for some time past. How long it has been there it is impossible to say. Attention
ally
it in the year 1869, and the two features which attracted the notice of the civil officers
bronzed hue; various parts
first drawn
was
who
reported
to
it,
on
the blackness of the skin of
were
its victims, and the great were
"
in the Garo Hills district
the plague." Inquiries Mr. McNaught, Civil Medical Officer
by
Tura, have enabled
ably complete
toler-
symptoms of the malady
circumstances, topographical
and
originates and flourishes. described as a fever resulting in a
The
by
cachexia.
fatal
and
scribed
a
under which it
disease may be found
Clarke to furnish
Dr.
account of the
and to indicate the
hygienic,
by
the
villages depopulated by
almost
instituted of
mortality
Numerous
disease.
caused
Dr. Clarke
as
Its
phenomena
follows
are
prode-
:?
"
The urine is scanty, high-coloured, and occasion, The skin and tongue assume a dark
albuminous.
the lower
"
These
disorganised slowly weak and or
later
the
faint,
slow
and
rfojrfw
either
'f
profoundly
The heart grows
insidiously.
pulse
