Doctor David Livingstone FRS (1813–1873): “The Fever” and other Medical Problems of Mid-Nineteenth Century Africa

Vetch RH . Livingstone, David (1813–1873). In: Dictionary of National Biography 1893; 33:384–96.

Gelfand M. Livingstone the Doctor: His life and Travels. A Study in Medical History. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1957:333.

Jeal T. Livingstone. London: Heinemann, 1973:427.

Ransford O. David Livingstone: the Dark Interior. London: John Murray, 1978:332.

Pakenham T. The Scramble for Africa 1876–1912. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1991:738.

Mr (later Sir) Henry Morton Stanley GCB DCL LLD MP (1841–1904) was born in north Wales and moved to New Orleans in 1856. He travelled widely and joined the staff of the New York Herald in 1867; sent on an expedition to find Livingstone, he met him at Ujiji in 1871. Amongst many other positions, he was a member of the Special Committee formed to inaugurate the London School of Tropical Medicine in 1899.

Later John Kirk Sir GCMG FRS FLS (1832–1922). Naturalist and administrator. Between 1858 and 1863, he was Livingstone's Chief Assistant. He later became Consul-General of Zanzibar.

Meller Charles James (1833?–1869). Formerly the curator of the museum at St Mary's Hospital, London, he succeeded Kirk as Medical Officer to Livingstone's party; he later became HBM Vice-Consul in Madagascar.

Bennett James Risdon Sir FRS (1809–1891). Physician to St Thomas's, and the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest. President, Royal College of Physicians, 1876–81.

Owen Richard Sir FRS (1804–1892). Hunterian Professor of Comparative Anatomy and Physiology (1836–56). Superintendent of natural history, British Museum.

Wilson George FRS (1822–1902). Inventor.

Cook GC . From the Greenwich Hulks to Old St Pancras: a History of Tropical Disease in London. London: Athlone, 1992:338.

Bruce-Chwatt LJ . History of malaria from prehistory to eradication. In: Wernsdorfer WH McGregor I , eds. Malaria: Principles and Practice of Malariology. Edinburgh, London: Churchill Livingstone, 1988: vol 1, 1–59.

Stephens JWW . Blackwater Fever: a Historical Survey and Summary of Observations Made Over a Century. London: University Press of Liverpool, Hodder & Stoughton, 1937:727.

Moffat Robert Dr (1795–1883). He served with the London Missionary Society, and established a Mission Station amongst the Matabeles. Left Africa in 1870.

Chamberlain D , ed. Some Letters from Livingstone 1840–1872: p 49. [Cited by Gelfand M. Livingstone the Doctor: His Life and Travels. A Study in Medical History. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1957:32].

Livingstone D Livingstone C. Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and its Tributaries: and of the Discovery of the Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa. 1858–1864. London: John Murray, 1865: 368,400–17.

Foskett R , ed. The Zambesi Doctors: David Livingstone's letters to John Kirk 1858: 1872. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1964:32,47,50–51,80.

Livingstone D. A Popular Account of Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa. London: John Murray, 1861:436.

Meller CJ . Fevers of the South-East coast of Africa. Lancet 1862;ii:437–40.

Meller CJ . On the fever of East Central Africa encountered by Livingstone's Zambesi expedition. Lancet 1864;ii:459–61, 520–2.

Livingstone D. 1. On fever in the Zambesi: A note from Dr. Livingstone to Dr. M'William. Lancet 1861;ii:184–6.

Fuchs V. Sovereign remedies. The Times, London 1993 10 February.

Prothero RM . Travels in Africa. The Times, London 1993 19 February.

Allen CG . Travels in Africa. The Times, London 1993 24 February.

Goodwin H. Memoir of Bishop Mackenzie. Cambridge: Deighton, Bell, and Co, 1865:388.

David Livingstone: Born March 19th 1813. BMJ 1913;i:564–6.

Manson Patrick Dr (later Sir) FRS (1844–1922). After 23 years in China, where he worked on lymphatic filariasis and determined the man-mosquito component of the life-cycle, he became physician and medical adviser to the Colonial Office¹². With the staunch support of Joseph Chamberlain MP. Secretary of State for the Colonies, he founded the London School of Tropical Medicine in 1899.

Kirk J. Zambesi Diaries. 25 March 1859 (cited by Gelfand M, op. cit. ref 2:145).

Livingstone D. Arsenic as a remedy for the tsetse bite: Letter from David Livingstone, L.L.D. BMJ 1858;May 1:360–1.

Colonel (later Sir) David Bruce FRS (1855–1931). Born at Melbourne, Australia, he became the discoverer of the cause of Malta fever, animal trypanosomiasis, and Ugandan sleeping sickness.

Dr Livingstone. Lancet 1874;i:176.

Dr Livingstone. Lancet 1874; 1:523.

Fergusson W. Examination and verification of the body of the late Dr Livingstone. Lancet 1874;i:565–6.

Examination and verification of the body of the late Dr Livingstone. BMJ 1874;i:523,527–8.

Sir William Fergusson FRS (1808–1877). Surgeon to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary; Professor of Surgery King's College, London (1840–70). President of the Royal College of Surgeons 1870.

The late Dr. Livingstone's humerus. Lancet 1874;i:888.

Dr Livingstone. Lancet 1874;i:557.

Dr Livingstone. Lancet 1875;i:37.