The treatment which I employed consisted in the free use of Antipyrin exhibiting a high temperature in those cases. I gave 20 grains every hour until the temperature was reduced.
In the majority of cases two or three such doses were sufficient to reduce the temperature and promote free sweating.
Quinine gr. 5 and Antipyrin gr. 5 were then given every four hours.
In the milder cases a slight purgative accompanied by a diaphoretic was sufficient.
Remarks. The disease was noticeable for the suddenness of its onset, the shortness of its duration and the completeness of its disappearance.
The men affected were chiefly of good physique and healthy appearance, sailors, men of robust health.
Among 278 men, the officers had two cases only come under my notice. It is worthy of note that the Fing Yuen was not lying with the other vessels of the Squadron in Kowloon Bay, but was anchored by herself some 400 yards distant from the entrance to the Dock and nearer to Hongkong than the other vessels; also the fact of her being "Flagship" would entail more frequent communication with Hongkong.
The remaining five ships were entirely exempt from the disease so far as I am aware. The Squadron before Hongkong had spent a week in Formosa harbours, having previously been at Shanghai on its arrival.
The origin of this outbreak seemed to be clouded in obscurity and I have failed to find any reliable proof as to its causation.
A few days after the disease had disappeared, I myself was laid up with an attack of influenza.
Among ...