The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-22 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

(From the Portsmouth Herald.)
We know an instance of a family at Dantzic, con-
oisting:of a man, his wife, mother•in-law, and two
children, living in one room of a small house which
contained nine others, making in all fourteen ! The
man slept in the same bed with his wife and one
child; the other child slept in a cradle close along-
side the father's bed; and the mother-in-law slept
in the opposite corner. The room in which they
resided measured nine feet by five, and was six feet
in height ! The man was seized with a violent at-
tack of the cholera, went through all the varicus
stages of the disease, and died in the room ; and no
other individual in that room or house took the
disease.

\l'f.l know an instance of a grave having been
prepared in the immediate vicinity of Dantzic, for
the reception of twelve bodies of persons who had
died of cholera. Eleven bodies were deposited in
the grave, and which was, from some oversight or
other cause, left open.- A gentleman (who was a
contagionist) and his servant were out shooting ii
the neighbourhood, and were attracted by a very
peculiar stench. By following their nose,, they
were soon brouTht to the side of the grave, ►which
contained the eleven bodies in a state of decomposi-
tion, and from which the effluvia was so dreadfully
offensive, that they ►were under the necessity of hold-
,:g their noses. Neither the gentleman nor his ser-
vant took the disease. The former Las become a
staunch anti-contagionist.

We know an instance where a medical man dis-
sected twenty-one bodies of persons who had died
from cholera, and he felt no ill effects from it. In
one case, the operator cut his thumb and first finger
with the knife which had divided the flesh of a de•
ceased cholera subject. He merely sucked the
wounds and bound them up, and felt no inconve-
nience whatever. This same gentleman was con-
,tautly in and out of the hospital at Dantzic, in
which were great numbers of cholera patients, for
upwards of three months during the worst period ot
the disease, (frequently in a state of perspiration,
when the body is known to be peculiarly susceptible,)
but he never took it. In this hospital the choler,
patients were not separated from, but mixed pro-
miscuously with, (sometimes even from want ot
room, arising from the great number of inmates,
sleeping in the same beds with) other patients, rum
in no one instance, during the whole of the above
time, was the disease ever communicated either to
one of the other patients, the medical men, or Oar--
nurses who attended them.

We know instances of medical men having ino-
culated dogs, cats, and rabbits, with the matter from
a cholera subject, and in some cases, so firmly con-
vinced were they of the non-contagiousness of the
disease, that they actually inoculated themselves;
but in no one case was the disease communicated.

We know an instance of a medical man, who was
in constant attendance on numerous cholera patients,
having attemded a lady in child-bed (during which
time it is well known the body is exceedingly sus-
ceptible of disease), three several times during one
day, each time fresh from the bedside of a cholera
patient; and neither the medical man nor the lady
took the disease.

The two following facts we relate on the autho-
rity of a gentleman residing, for the present, in this
town. He himself witnessed the latter in India,
the first he had from a friend who was on board.
The ship was on her passage from Bainbay to
Canton, and on one particular morning, the officers
and crew having been in good health on the previous
evening, it was found that six men had (lied of
cholera during the night, after a few hours' illness.
The disease was of so malignant and violent a cha-
racter, that the efforts of the medical men were
utterly useless. These men were buried, and on
the next morning six more had died, and during the
two following days, twelve more ; making in all
twenty-four deaths in four successive days. These
men were all sailors, not one of the officers being
seized. In no one instance was the disease commu-
nicated to any of those who attended upon the sick,
or assisted in burying them. The ship was going
at the rate of 200 miles per day, and after the fourth
day they appeared to have got out of the atmos-
pheric influence which produced the fatal pestilence,
as no one case occurred after that time.
Our informant was an officer in the East India
Company's service, and was encamped close to a
river with between five and seven thousand men ;
partly natives, but for the most part Europeans.—
The cavalry were to the right of the lines. The
cholera suddenly broke out among the cavalry ; it
was not very serious at first, and was not thought
much of. It shortly, however, assumed a more ma-
lignant character, and an officer was_ seized in the
night, and died within five hours. The cavalry
were then ordered and proceeded to the other side
of the river, to the distance of about three quarters
of a mile, and no one case occurred after moving.
A similar instance happened three several times, and
the cholera always disappeared on changing quar-
ters. In neither case did the cholera affect the whet
end of the camp to that in which it broke our, with
One solitary exception, when a Seljeant-major was
seized and died. No means were taken to prevent •
the men of the different corps mixing together, and
which they did without limit. It was never sup-
posed for a moment to be contagious.
We have also, within these few days, been in-
formed by a Major in the Army who has served fo:
a great number of years in India, that he has wit-
nessed several violent and fats] attacks of cholera it,
that country, but it was well known not to be con-
tagious from the circumstance that change of guar
lets, even to a place which was in a general sense
more unhealthy than the one they had left, would
always arrest its progress. He says that, if the
cholera broke out in a valley or swamp, it would
immediately disappear on their reaching the hills;
and, if it broke out on the latter, it would be checked
ou reaching the low grounds. From this he very
properly insisted that, if the disease were contagious,
a mere change of place could not have checked it ;
but that, if the complaint arose from a particular
atmospheric influence, which he maintained, and we
think with much plausibility, a change of quarters
would, of course, be effectual. Our friend added
that the medical men in India, who had the most
practice and experience in the cholera,w ere uniformly
of opinion that it was not contagious.
To the above facts, we will add the following
highly interesting account, the substance of which
we have received from a gentleman who was on
board at the time and witnessed it. The particu-
lars are, of course, open to contradiction by any of
the officers or crew of the ship, should they be mis-
represented August, 1821, his Majesty's ship
Tees, on her return from the River Hoogley (the
‘Nestern branch of the Ganges) to Trincomalee,
touched at Madras, and took in a small supply of
fresh beef and vegetables. She then stood on for
Trincomalee along the coast of Ceylon, keeping
close along the shore for the benefit of the breeze
which uniformly springs up, off the land, after sun-
set. On one evening, during
the above month, the
hands were turned up to reef the toj-sails, when
several of the men remained in the tops for the sake
of enjoying the cool and spicy breeze which blew off
the coast of Ceylon. Nineteen of those in the tops
were seized with a violent attack of cholera during
the first watch. They were carried down below by
their messmates, and placed in their hammocks.
The greater number of them died within a very
short period ; many, in the course of a few hours ;

who assisted
ted in carrying the
butpatients
oneb those w' :
or of' those attended them
(luring their illness, took tho disease. It ie., more-
over, a curious fact, that no person on deck or below
was seized with the cholera, during the four days on
which it prevailed on hoard, the attacks being con-
fined exclusively to the men aloft. On the third
day (21 the attack, the starboard clew of the main-
topsail was started, and the sail hayin-
g hen lowered
down upon the yard, the sail-maker went aloft to
,-epair it ; and, tivhile Tying out upon the yard, he
was suddenly seized with the cholera, was slung in
roi:e by lie comrades, and lowered down On the
12tarter-deek, " where he died in about ton minutes."
Neither of the oleo, who as-fisted to lower him down,
took the disease ; nor did any person who attended
him ;luring this severe attack. We depart for a
mowent froin our direct eourse to state that, as soon
as might be after the attack, a large glass of brandy
was administered, and when the stomach became a
little settled, five grains of calomel were given. 111
every case, in which the stomach had strength to
retain this medicine, the patient recovered; but in
every case in which it was rejected, the man died.
We might multiply these case; ad iyinitunt, were
it necessary, but we shall for the present merely
add to the give the one fact, that among the whole
number of medical men at Dantzie, during the late
severe visitation of the-cholera, viz.—twenty-five,
twenty-one were non-contag-ionists, and four only,
eontagionists; and these four could not possibly
know any thing at al! about the disease; for, so
firmly impressed were they with a belief in its con-
tagious qualities, that they walked about, like talk-
ing spectre,, clothed in en oil-skin covering from
head to foot, which so completely shrouded them .
from observation, that their cnouthe, noses, and eyes,
.vhich were visible through small apertures made
for the purpose, were the only certain indications
that this frightful and glistenine mass contained an 7/
(tying human I These men, wheneezer they went to
ertend a cholera patient, would barely peep in at
the door, and after asking a question or two would
turfy off (to use the words of our intellige:"ht tct
formant), as if the Devil were uftor them ! 13v-thew
•,ye, their hideous dress would be an ample apologe,
tor any person who mistook them for the old ge»te-
man's confederates, their appearance was no truly
diabolical

Need we ask how it wai possible that indivi-
,luals, so acting, could become possessed of any
knowledge whatever of the nature of the cholera
Surely, it must be obvious to every man in his
~,e7leS, that those only, whose opportunities of ob-
serving the disease in ail its stages v.•ere frequent,
And who have profited by practical experience, can
fairly be expected to have formed any thing like cur-
rtct ideas on this subject.

IMPORTANT NEW PUBLICATIONS.--'‘, ..e
follow New Works are just publis!led by INles•rs. Cor.E't:tte
and BENTLEY, V.Z. The Third and co: cludingVoiurnA
f Dr. NA HES'S Memoirs of the great Lord BURGHLEY,
onbellished with a fine Portrait of Qlleell EIJI A BETH,.-.
2. Memoirs and Remains of Lady JANE OREV, by Sir
{{Altars NICHOLAS, with a Portrait after fiviPtlP4-=',
3. The Earl of MuNsrEE's Memoirs of the late War ;
together with the Personal Narrative of Capt. COOKE of
,he 13d Reaimrnt ; in 2 vols.-4. BuREE's Dictionary
of the Extinct, Dormant, and Suspended Peerages, in
vol. Bvo., a necessary Companion to all other Peerages.-
3. Memoirs of the Beau ies of the Court of King CHAnLys
11., by Mrs. JA MESON : Part IV. embellished with Por-
raits by the most distinguished Artists.—(i. The Private
Correspondents of DAVID GARRICK, with the most cele-
brated persons of his time, in 1 vol.—And a New and il-
lustrated Edition of the Naval Sketch Book, or Service
afloat and ashore ; with twelve humorous designs, in 2 vois.
post Svo. price )6e. bound.

AYLESBURY, THURSDAY, Nov. 17.—At
a dinner gives in the Town-hall to-day, by the indepen_
electors of the borough of Aylesbury, to celebrate the
return of their representatives, Lord NUGENT and S.
Rick-roan, Esq., about 150 sat down to an elegant tlitr-4'.
uer, among whom we noticed several Noblemen, Gentic.-
men, and Clergy. S;l* THOMAS DIGEW AUDREY was
oropsed to the chair : present, Jolts StlTu, Esq.,
M.P., for the county of Bucks, Sir F. EU it DETT,
J. EAsriorr., E,q M.P., J. Mora:. Esq., late MernitiA
for Reading, P. D. 4. DU NCOMISE, Esq., Colonel JONES,
J. HARPER, E.q., W. Bumf., Esq., JAMES CLARKLy
Esq., the Rev. Mr. Moni.l3, and six ether Clergymen of
the EstAlislied Church. After the cloth was removed,
the Chairman gave the following toasts :—" Oar Patriot
King;" song, " The King, God bless him." " The
Queen, and the rest of the Royal Family." " The
the hest support of a Constitutional Monarchy;"
song, " Scots wha ha'e wi' Wallace bled." The Navy
and Army ;" song, " Death of Nelson." " His Majesty's
Ministers," and several o:her appropriate toasts, were
given. Lord NUGENT, Sir FRANCIS Bu RDETT, J.
SMITH, Esq., Colonel JoNEs, and several other gentle-
own, spoke at great length. The chair was then taken
by Mr. WYNG, and the remainder of the evening was
spent in perfect unanimity and conviviality until a late
hour. J. RICRIORD, Esq., proposed the health of Sir
Thomas Dicer AunitEr, thanking hint for his urbanity
of manner, and for his impartial conduct in the chair.
The chairman returned thanks in a short but neat speech,
and then left, accompanied by several gentlenien. Sir F.
BURDETT remains at Lord NUGENT'S seat, Lillies;
JOHN Samit returns to Wycomb, 111(1 from thence to
Leadon.

Between one and two o'clock on Sunday
morning the farm-yard of Mr. EDW ARD TwEEr,
Lewssy farm, distant one mile from Doubtable, and font
from Luton, was discovered to be on fire by a child d
eight years old, who was awakened by the flames, and im-
mediately alarmed his father. Messengers were promptly
di•pstched for the Dunstable and Luton engines, in both
which towns tie alarm was given. On the discovery of
the fire, as there were only three boys who slept of.l the
premises, it was only possible to save the horses, which,
with the exception of one, was accomplished with great
difficulty. The fire, after raging for some hours with
great fury, entirely destroyed the farm and rick-yard,
with all the barns, &c., leaving only the farm-house,
granary, and a cart hovel standing. Three cows and up-
wards of sixty pigs perished in the flames, and all the
agricultural implements were destroyed. The farm-house
twice caught, and was injured, but was rescued from the
flames by the engines. Six stacks of corn, including one
hovel and two stacks of wheat, wire totally destroyed.
The farm is the property of the Duke of Benroan, and
the tenant a highly respectable farmer. Tare destruction
of property, it is supposed, will exceed 30001. ; but part of
it was insured in the Sun Fire-office. It is added with
regret that there remains not ;lie least doubt but it was
wilfully set on fire in the rick-yard by stme vile inctadiary.
—(From a Correspondent.)

We are requested to state that Lieut.-Colonel
BOUCHETTE'S new work, entitled the " British Dominions
in North America," including an account of the Pr,sent
State of Upper and Lower CanrilJ, New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia, the Islands of Newfoundland, Prince Edward, Cape
Breton, &c. in 2 vols. with thirty-one plates, plane, &c. is
published this day by Mtsirs. COLEURN and BENTLEY,
New Burlington street, and may be bad of all Booksellers
in town and country. The subscribers to this work may
therefore obtain their copies upon application at the pub-
lishers.

SCOTCH CHURCH, REGENT-SQUARE.—In
consequence of the positive declaration of the Rev. En.
WARS) IRvizio to his church and congregation on the 13th
instant, that he should forbid for the future the exercise
of the " unknown tongues" during the usual Sabbath ser-
vices, we were not a little surprised at Mr. IRVING's
stating yesterday morning, that he had committed an error
by so doing ; but " he that wavereth is like a wave of the
sea, driven about with every wind and tossed." He stated
that if it pleased the Lord to speak by his messengers, he
begged them to listen with devout attention. In a few
seconds a female (we believe Miss CARSDALE) commenced
in the unknown tongue, and then in the known tongue.
She said, " lle shall reveal it, he shall reveal it. Yea,
heed it, yea, heed it. Ye are yet in the wilderness. De-
-pise not his word, despise not his word. Not one jot or
tittle shall pass away." The Minister then rose, and
called upon the church to bless the Lord for his voice,
which they had just heard in the midst of the congrega-
tion. The worship then proceeded. The church was
not half full; the usual attraction was not expteted.—
Correspondent of the Tinics.

Friday a man named Sir Aw., who some years
ago was somewhat notorious in Nottingham, was appre-
hended at Derby, by Mr. CAUNT, keeper of the Radford
poor-house, charged with bring one of the incendiaries of
Castle,
which fact, it is alleged, he himself
disclosed to a woman, who gave the iniormation. He
was brought in custody to this place, and is now tetuanded
for furthq examination.—NottitiOcon Review..