On Some of the More Important Diseases of the Army With Contributions to Pathology Cambridge Library Collection - History of Medicine Series

Born in Cornwall, John Davy (1790?1868) physiologist and anatomist, and the younger brother of the distinguished chemist Sir Humphry Davy (1778?1829), was one of the most prolific medical experts of his day. After taking a medical degree from Edinburgh in 1814 he became an army surgeon. He later became a hospital inspector and spent time living in overseas territories including India, Sri Lanka, and Barbados. First published in 1862, Davy's book discusses the prominence of fever, dysentery, cholera, liver disease, pneumonia, and other diseases common to the army, estimating that 45% of deaths in the British army serving abroad were caused by disease rather than by conflict. Davy also records his observations on putrefaction of bodies, particularly the vital organs, emphasising the need to determine the normal condition of human organs so that abnormal, diseased organs can be easily identified.

Preface; Introduction; 1. On fevers; 2. On dysentery; 3. On cholera morbus; 4. On diseases of the liver; 5. On pulmonary consumption; 6. On pneumathorax; 7. On empyema, hydrothorax and pericarditis; 8. On the coagulation of the blood in the vessels during life, and the softening of its fibrin; 9. On pneumonia; 10. On peritonitis; 11. On cellular inflammation; 12. On aneurism and the dilatation and occlusion of arteries; 13. On deaths from alcoholic intoxication; 14. Cases of suicide, and of deaths from accidents; 15. On urinary and biliary calculi, and on entozoa; 16. On peculiarities of organs as to form and position; Index.