The first recognized epidemic of yellow fever / by G.M. Findlay.

  • Findlay, G. M.
Date:
1941
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The first recognized epidemic of yellow fever / by G.M. Findlay. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/16 (page 153)
    Governor, the Sieur de Houle, had introduced sugar planting in 1646. Between 1637 and 1642 the Dutch captured all the Portuguese posts on the African coast from Arguim in the far north down to St. Paul de Loanda, the capital of Angola, while from St. George d’Elmina, Cape Coast and Axim they dominated the Gold Coast against all other Europeans until about 1652 when the Portu¬ guese regained many of their forts. Thus, during the fifth decade of the seventeenth century slaves were for the first time transported in large numbers in Dutch and English ships to the lesser Antilles. The passage from West Africa to Barbados was, however, much shorter than that to the mainland of America or to Santo Domingo, Cuba, and the other Spanish islands. The chances of transferring infected Aedes aegypti from Africa to Barbados were thus much greater than when the slavers’ voyages were far longer. In addition, there was a greater possibility, since all African natives are by no means immune to yellow fever, of a patient, black or white, contracting the disease on board ship and actually arriving in the West Indies while still in the infective stage. Unfortunately, no figures are available for the death rates in Dutch ships during the period under discussion. The Royal African Company’s ledgers, however, give details of six English slave ships between 1670 and 1683. Of 1,653 slaves, 185 or 11*2 per cent., died on the voyage ; sometimes the mortality was greater. “ The Lady Francis in 1681 had not above 20 or 30 negroes liveing of abt 160 taken in at the Bite.” (Letter from Royal African Company’s factor at Barbados.) It is probable that a similar state of affairs occurred in the Dutch ships during the years 1640-1649 : at the same time the presence of a large non- immune population in the lesser Antilles and the provision of water cisterns would supply conditions suitable for the occurrence of an epidemic of yellow fever. Conclusions. The occurrence of an epidemic resembling yellow fever in Barbados, St. Christopher, Guadeloupe, Yucatan and Cuba in the years 1647-1649 is discussed. Evidence is brought forward in favour of the view that this infection was carried in ships from West Africa to Barbados or St. Christopher in the year 1647, economic and political conditions at this time favouring the trans¬ mission of either infected mosquitoes or persons in the infectious stage of yellow fever. REFERENCES. Breton, Raymond. (1665). Dictionaire caraibe-frangois. Auxerre : G. Bovqvet. Calendar of Duke of Portland’s MSS. 1, 29. (Historical Manuscripts Commission Repts. 13, 1). Child, E. (1940). The tools of the chemist: their ancestry and American evolution. London : Chapman and Hall. Colt, Henry, Sir. (1931). The Voyage of Sr Henrye Colt Knight to ye ilands of ye Antilles in ye shipp called ye “ Alexander ” whereof William Burch was Captayne