The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-18 00:00:00

vomiting, but not passing into collapse ' • that, too, if
not neglected till too late, might be checked. But
there was a third class, where collapse ensued after one
action of the bowels. He was called the other morning
only to a child which -had been seized at three
o'clock, and which died at nine the same morning. A
woman, the night before, had gone to bed well
enough except complaining of constipation of the
bowels, but she was seized at six o'clock next morning,
and died by seven. Such were examples of the third
class; but with regard to the disease itself, he believed
it non-contagious. For although many cases might
be produced of several dying in the same house,
these were all clearly exposed to the bad circumstances
which produced the disease in the first instance.
Last week, in his own practice, a child was seized
late at night, and a few hours afterwards the woman
attending it took ill also ; but both were living in a
house exposed to the most noxious odours from an
open privy at the back door. He had never seen any
case where sporadic cholera extended itself. His ex-
perience, which had been extensive, led him to say
that almost invariably, in nine-tenths of the cases,
cholera was preceded by diarrheas. There were cases,
however, without this precedent, and these almost
invariably ended fatally. He added that these last
were cases to which he was always called away about
three or four in the morning.
Mr. HAWKINS said his experience quite confirmed
what had fallen from Mr. flicks as to the non-con-
tagious character of the disease. For instance, in
one house where the father of the family was seized,
an infant at the mother's breast was removed to an-
other house that the mother might attend to her
husband. She was after wards taken ill of cholera,
and the child which had been removed was seized
likewise. But this was a house with a drain of the
worst character behind it, and in front was a tan-
yard ; so that what way seever the wind blew, the
effluvium that went through and through the house
was so offensive that a man had to put a handker-
chief to his nose. There had been one victim in the
house adjoining it en the left and in that on the
right, but none in the others. Ilia practice led him
daily into lodging-houses where he saw two or three
beds in one room, continuously occupied, without
bad effects from a case of cholera in cne of the ad-
joining beds in the same room. There was one case
which he had been attending, where the patient re-
covered from collapse, and 'sank into a state of fever.
The woman nursing the patient had no fear whatever
of cholera ; but having mentioned fever to her, he
found on his return that the nurse complained of sick.
ness, and had evidently caught fever. This showed
the effect of fear.
Dr. HUNTER LANE said, having used every means,
on occasion of the outbreak of cholera, in 1832, at
Sunderland, to become acquainted with the disease,
and having extensive experience afterwards at Liver-
pool, he believed he could cite many cases that went
to show the disease was non-contagious, and many
that served to prove the reverse. He then mentioned
that at Liverpool a woman lay in the hospiral in a
state of collapse, and a girl bent by the bedside, seem
ingly occupied with the patient; he found out that
she was sucking her breast, and yet without serious
consequences following. He considered that the
condition necessary to the exhibition of cholera was a
predisposition to it; and the conditions necessary to
the latter were starvation, and the iota or the electri-
cal state of the atmosphere. What was contagion ?
Contagion arose from the exhalation of vapour from
the person suffering from the disease itself ; and
others were affected by these exhalations according as
they had a predisposition to receive them. What was
the nature of cholera ? What tissues of the body did
it effect, and what organs'? It chiefly affected the
nervous system ; it wrs a paralysis of the organic
nerves. The stomach lost its secerning power,
and therefore it turned to exsudation ; and an
analogous effect occurred in the ease of tle
digestive organs, and of the lungs acting on the blood.
In the state of collapse it was a paralysis of the or-
ganic nerves. In that state many means had been
emplayed. Sometimes strychnia with phosphorous,
in a solution of ether, were administered ; sometimes
ammonia, but neither with much good effect. He
had employed blood-letting before collapse, as recom-
mended by Dr. Stephens, and had found it exceed-
ingly beneficial. Another plan recommended by Dr.
Stephens was the administration of saline injections,
in a room with the temperature at 90 degrees. This
was a plan he had himself employed in 26 casts on
adults, from seventeen to sixty-five years of age, but
out of these 26 cases, he had only two recoveries.
He did not think that any one would be justified
in attempting saline injection more than once,
because the vessels of the brain and of the heart
ruptured under its effect. The minimum quantity
he ever injected was twenty pints in the course of
twenty-four hours. The Learned Doctor was about
to proceed, but was reminded by the chairman that
the meeting was one of members of the society.
Dr. J. P. MURPHY said that he had little doubt but
that the disease was contagious, in which he thought
be was borne out by the history of its progress,
introduced first into the seaports of England and
of Ireland, and thence ramifying in regular advance
over the country. Indeed, all epidemics were conta-
gious ; endemics were not—cases confirmed him. A
woman came up from the country to see her hus-
band, who had died of cholera ; she raised the coffin
lid and saw him, she left, was seized and died in 20
hours after. He thought it was all nonsense to say
the air was affected in one district and not in an-
other. He contended that instead of being a paralysis
of the organic nerves, the disease originated in the
mucous membrane. All epidemics did so ; measles,
small-pox, Egyptian ophthalmia, and others. Blood-
letting could not be other than injurious in a disease
which separated the serum, and left a coagulated
crassamentum, which the heart could not propel
through the veins.
Dr. BARLOW, of Guy's, was convinced the disease
was contagious, from single cases he had himself
known, and from the fact of its passing regularly
along a street into which it was once introduced.
Dr. REES, of Guy's, after naming a number of
agents he had employed in treating the disease,
stated it as his decided opinion that it was contagious,
and that the young medical gentlemen who had
courageously continued to act in Bermondsey-work-
house, notwithstanding' the scenes which surrounded
them, had earned for themselves great glory.
Mr. Evaceis mentioned a number of cases which
appeared to him to corroborate the same opinion.
Dr. Cuisr, after naming a number of means he had
used as a remedy, concluded by strongly recommend-
ing Dr. Eyre's (of Hull) prescription, as it appeared
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DENnY thought it had been decided in 1832
that the disease was non-contagious. lie contended
that diarrhoea and cholera were essentially distinct,
and although the one might end in the other, it was a
great Mistake in the press ever to have promulgated
the opinion that there was any essential connexion
between them.
Several other gentlemen spoke afterwards of dif-
ferent methods of treatment, but Messrs. Gazelee and
Waterworth, who closed the debate, remarked that
almost every one recommended a different mode of
treatment, tending altogether to show that they yet
knew very little liamit the disease.
It was then mei* and carried that the discussion
be adjourned to that night fortnight.
After a vote of thanks to the chairman the meeting
broke up.

CURIOUS EXCISE CASE.—An Excise case, remark-
able for the pertinacity with which it has been prose.
cuted, no Ins than for the run of ill luck which has at-
tended the prosecutors, was brought by appeal before
the Quarter Sessions at Perth, on Tuesday week. Mrs.
Murray has kept the Rumbling Bridge Inn, Glen Devon,
for seven years, and was charged 71. 14s. as licence up to
October, 1848. At that date the supervisor and officer
of the round called and told her that her licence would
henceforth be doubled—founding on the fact of some
slight improvements which had been made upon the
premises. Mrs. Murray demurred, and in duo time sent
her usual licence by a neighbour to the proper quarter.
The neighbour left the mongy; but shortly after it was
brought beck by the excise officer and thrown down
upon her table. It was now understood that Mrs.
Murray had no licence, and of course could not sell ex-
cisable articles. But she continued to do so; upon which
proceedings were instituted against her, and she was
brought up at the beginning of the year, at the instance
of the Excise, before the justices at Kincardine. In the
preliminary trial the ease was dismissed, upon which the
Excise appealed to the Quarter Sessions. On after-
thoughts, however, they fell from this appeal, and again
and again
Mrs. Murray was brought up at Kincardine.
Judgment was again given in her favour, and again the
Excise appealed to the Quarter Sessions. Here the
justices unanimously decided in favour of Mrs. Murray.
It is estimated that the prosecution will cost the country
not less than 1001. to 1501.—Perthshire Advertiser.
PORTLAND.—On Monday morning, a party of 132
well-conducted convicts left the convict establishment,
and were embarked for Port Phillip in the ship Ade-
laide, which had been some days waiting for them. We
understand that, upon arriving in the colony (should
their conduct on board prove exemplary), they will each
be presented with a ticket of leave, which will entitle
them to work for themselves, being, comparatively
speaking, free. In addition to the above, there were
170 selected from Pentonville, the hulks, and Parkhurst
prisons, who will be allowed a similar indulgence. A
guard, composed of 50 soldiers, will accompany them on
the voyage, selected from her Majesty's 63d, 65th, and
99th regiments of Foot. There is an experienced sur.
peon on board, who has the care and management of the
convicts, and also a religious instructor. The Adelaide
was still in the roads on Tuesday night, waiting for a
fair wind.—Poole Herald. _ _

SLIGOAiiD—SIIANNON.—The Master in Chancery
Senior has appointed Mr. J. E. Coleman official assignee
to wind up, on tho petition of Mr. Ormsby Gore, M.P.,
the affairs of this company, inc)rporatcd by Act of Par-
liament in 1846. The undertaking having been estab-
lished by Act of Parliament, a question of considerable
importance arises as to whether the company can be
wound up under the Amended Joint Stock C9mpulies