A medical history of the British expeditionary force in the East 1854 - 1856

Abstract

This thesis is in two parts. Part 1 includes an account of the Victorian medical profession, an assessment of the state of medical knowledge in 1855-55 and a description of the various diseases which afflicted the soldiers of the expeditionary force during the campaign in the East. Part 2 comprises a medical history of the expeditionary force from the time of its departure from the United Kingdom in April-May 1854 until its return in June-July 1856. It includes an assessment of the ways in which the doctors responded to the many crises which arose viewed in the light of their understanding of disease processes and after taking account of the many constraints placed upon them by events over which they had no control.
It is apparent from the study that the doctors were handicapped by a system ill-suited to the needs of an army in the field. It is also apparent that they were overtaken by a series of naturally occurring events which they were powerless to influence. Contrary to popular belief it seems clear that they displayed an acceptable standard of professional competence and were compassionate in their treatment of the sick and wounded.