Star.
London, England, 1831-07-04 00:00:00

bt

MONDAY EVENING, JULY 4, 1831.

ceed further than Moscow. IMO afterwards in-
duced to change the plan detailed, in so far as not
to go to Nishni Novgorod, as I found, from in-
quiries which I was afterwards tble to make at
Moscow, that I was not likely to get any informa-
tion there worth the delay which, from the
season of the year, Trust incur by going there.
As the disease appeared to be at an end at Mos-
cow, and as various oicial documents which I had
required for assisting tne in the duty intrusted to
me, could not be ready under two or three weeks,
I determined therefore to set out immediately for
Jaroslaw, and the rest of the places which I had
mentioned in my letter that I intended to visit. - I
was excessively delayedirlysz badness of the
goads, having bees, for , nearly six hours
in going the first stage of not quits 15 miles from
Moscow. On my arrival at Jaroslaw, I found that
the disease had already ceased in the town of Vo-
logda; and that, with the badness of the roads,
and one certain quarantine, and perhaps two, I
should be detained much beyond the time I was,
by my arrangement with Lord Heytesbury, war-
ranted to employ, and I therefore gave up my in-
tention of going to Vologda, and proceeded along
the Volga and road by which the disease ap-
proached St. Petersburgh last year. The roads
were in such a shocking state, that I could travel
only very slowly ; and being detained also four
days by the breaking up of the ice on the rivers,
I was 13 days in coming from Jaroslaw, a distance
which, either in winter or in summer (even with
the halts necessary for my inquiries), would not
have required above half that time. I was exactly
seven weeks absent from St. Petersburgh.
I hasten to communicate the results of my own
observations, and of the information which I have
been able to collect from others respecting that
most important point, the contagious or non-con-
tagious nature of the disease.
In Moscow by far the greater part of the medi-
cal men are of opinion that the disease is not con-
tagious, but produced by some peculiar state of the
atmosphere, not cognizable by either our senses or
by instruments ; that this was proved by almost
every person in the city feeling during the time
some inconvenience or other, which wanted only
the exciting cause of catching cold, or of some
irregularity in diet; to bring on cholera ; that very
few of- those immediate!), wbout the patients were
taken ill. That persons had put on the clothes of
patients who were very ill or had died of cholera,
had lain in their beds, or even alongside of corpses,
had bathed in the same water where very bad
cholera patients had been bathed just before, and
that none of these persons were taken ill. That a
strict investigation had been made into what were
reckoned the first four cases occurring in Moscow,
and that it was proved that they had neither them-
selves been in any infected -place, nor had com-
munication with any one coming from such a place.
1 confess, however, I am not quite satisfied with
this, because—first, in a place of such an extent
as Moscow, every one can conceive it perfectly
possible that there may have been cases before
these without its being known, and I have the cer-
tainty myself of its being possible, for it occurred
to me while I was there, to know f four cases that
had never been reported to the police, nor seen by
a medical man.

2d. One of the four cases had only a few days
arrived from Simbirsk, so that he might have
brought the seeds of the disease with him, because
the disease was in the district of Simbirsk at the
end of August, and he died in Mos'ow, I think,
on the 16th of September.
3d. This investigation was not made by medical
men, but through the police, which I do not reckon
the proper method, as the people are so afraid of
them, that it is next to impossible to get at the
truth.

I am also not quite satisfied that there were so
few of the attendants in the hospitals taken ill, for
I have a printed statement (or rather a copy of it)
of one hospital, and oral information of two others,
in which the attendants were taken ill in a far
greater proportion than opt of hospital. I had, of
course, immediately on my arrival in Moscow, re-
quested such a statement of each hospital, and as
all the cholera hospitals, except two, had already
been shut up some time, I expected it would have
been furnished immediately, as I found that all the
medical gentlemen expressed, and indeed showed,
the utmost readiness to communicate every infor-
mation, and a statement was already printed of the
patients in each hospital, but in which that most im-
portant point of the number of attendants taken
ill was not attended to. Not having received it,
after repeated applications, I bed it mentioned three
days before I left Moscow, to the Governor Prince
Dirnitri Gallitzin, who, in my presence, desired
the Secretary of the Medical Council to write to
the different gentlemen, that he ordered it to be
furnished without delay. It is now four weeks
since I left Moscow, and I have not yet received it,
so that I am not able to adduce the experience in
the hospitals as in favour of either opinion, and
begin to fear that accurate accounts may not have
been kept of those cases. Still all these gentle-
men (the anti-contagiuniets) acknowledge, that
where a number of cholera patients are collected
together, it is perfectly possible that the disease,
like some others, may become contagious. I did
not learn that the contagiouists in Moscow had any
strong particular instances to prove the communi-
eation of the disease from one individual to another.
Indeed, one gentleman confessed to me that he him-
self having been so strongly convinced of the conta-
gious nature of the disease, be supposed that it was
not doubted by any one, and therefore never
thought of searching out and establishing the facts
which could. prove that the opinion was founded,
on undoubted facts. One gentleman, who was the
Inspector of the hospital of which I have a copy of
the printed statement as above-mentioned, was at
'ink a notv,contagionist, but found himself forced

to adopt the opposite opinion, because so many of,
the attendants at the hospital under his superin-
tendence were attacked with the disease.

In the rest of my journey, however, at Jaroslaw,
M insk , Mologa,Ust u sk n a, Somina, Titzvin,through
all which places the disease made its approaches
towards St. Petersburgh, and where, from the small
extent of the field of observation, every case came
under more immediate inspection, I found every
where the medical men and others convinced that
the disease was brought to them somehow or other,
by the boats which came up the Volga from Nishni
Novgorod, and other places where the disease had
been ; they said that the first attacked with the
disease were always boatmen, and it was only after-
wards that the disease appeared among the towns-
people. Only at Jaroslaw it was doubtful whether
the first was not a merchant, who bad been to the
fair at Nishni. But after the disease got into a
town, that it could not be traced from one to ano-
ther, and that very often, perhaps most frequently,
only one in a family, while in others every one was
attacked with it.

Combining this with its slow and gradual pro-
gress from Astracan (whither one party consider
proved that it was brought by a vessel from Sa-
liany, which the other party deny) along the great
lines of water communication, I think it more than
probable that it is carried along by men somehow
or other, although it has not been ascertained in
what way. It has been alleged that it follows the
tracts of rivers, not because it is carried by people
going along them, but because the miasma, or
whatever it is that predisposes to, and excites, the
disease, has a great affinity to humidity. But if
this were the case, it should go along all rivers and
streams, whereas I believe it follows only those
where there is navigation ; and it also would not
proceed along the great roads, as we are assured
it does more than along others which are less fre-
' quented. The question is a very difficult one, and
the disease has manifested the same caprices in its
progress in Russia that it showed in India, missing
occasionally places that lie directly in its route,
and not attacking them till some time after ; at-
tacking sometimes the high situated houses in
towns, but more frequently the lower ones.
With respect to the possibility of the disease
being communicated by clothes or goods, no cases
have as yet come to my knowledge sufficient to
prove it. I have heard of several instances brought
forward iu support of the opinion, but they are not
fair ones ; as in all of them the persons had either
come from places where the disease was, or was
already prevalent in the place where they were
living. And by far the most general opinion, even
among the contagionists, is, that it is only through
the medium of the body that it is propagated.
So that the result of what information I have
been-able as yet to coßect on the subject is, that t
believe it is capable of being conveyed from one
place to another by men, although it cannot be
considered completely proven ; while, although
there is not evidence sufficient to prove its commu-
nication by clothes or goods, still we cannot say
that it is impossible.
I have mentioned to several an experiment sug-
gested by Sir Wylliam Pym—viz. that condemned
felons should be induced by a promise of pardon to
put on the clothes and use the bedding of persons
who had died of cholera, while every thing should
be arranged so as rather to favour the action of
'contagion. But I have not found any person wil-
ling to propose it here, where, besides, there is the
great objection that there is no capital punish-
ment.

Although it does not admit of legal proof, yet
there is no doubt that, from the great difficulty, or
indeed impossibility, of keeping quarantine strictly
in such a great extent of country as that where the
disease prevailed last summer and autumn, num-
bers of persons and quantities of goods from in-
fected places evaded the quarantines, and came
even to this city, but fortunately without bringing
the disease.

I may state, that also the Prussian and Austrian
medical gentlemen, who have been sent here by
their respective Governments, have adopted the
same opinion with myself; the Austrians could
speak more decidedly, as they had seen a good
deal of the disease in the southern provinces, be-
fore they came to Moscow.
Although such is my opinion, yet I should not
conceive it necessary to have any quarantine for
vessels erring in England from Russia, unless the
disease prevailed at the place of loading or in the
neighbourhood, and even then perhaps only in the
event of any person on board having had the dis-
ease during the passage. For although there are
mot as yet any observations regarding the length
of time that the disease may lie dormant in the
system, the general opinion is, that it does not
probably exceed fourteen days, and therefore there
would be little or no risk in admitting a vessel that
had been at least fourteen days on her passage,
without having any sick on board. Persons, how-
ever, might get in a considerable shorter time
from here to England, by the steam-boat to
Lubeck if there should not be any quarantine
there.
All sort of goods, except tallow and linen, are,
I am told, opened out in the most complete manner
here, and handled for the purpose of being br
so that if they could communicate the disease, they
would in all probability do it here before they could
be sent abroad.
With respect to the present state of the disease,
it still prevails in the southern and western frontiers,
A few cases, eight or nine, occurred at Moscow
after I left that city, and I should not be at all
surprised if a case occur still now and then for
some time. Whether it will again increase with
the warm weather, is a complete conjecture,—
as there are no data to form an opinion about it ;
but there is still a sort of apprehension, of which
people cannot entirely divest themselves. I found

that Eve casea(cnd all fatal)had occurred in
of Ustuskna. 4(30 versts from hence, in '
of the ten days, just before my passing
i. e. from the 19th to the 29th of Marc)
have not been able to learn whether any t
occurred since. That, I believe, is the
point at which it has been since the autumn.
the Government of Vologda, where the d:
prevailed to a considerable degree not long
more direct communication I believe with
angel than with this place, it is not improbal
think, that if the disease still spreads,
there before it comes here.
With respect to the progress, nature,
&c. of the disease, I am busy collecting ,
for a complete statement, which I shall lose
in forwarding to you when ready, for the
tion of their lordships.—l have, &c.
(Signed) THOMAS W.
P. S.—l find the expressions I have .
of here, have appeared to others not to cony,
the meaning I myself attach to them.
to say, that 1 myself am convinced of the
nature of the disease,but that the proofs of
mission from one individual to another are
perfect as yet. And believing so, I
course, be without some apprehension that
also be conveyed by clothes and other
which have been in more immediate cont
the sick; although the proofs of this are,
still more defective. It is a disease sui
and must have its own laws as well as the
typhus fever, and other contagious or
disorders, but these laws we do not yet
know. Its attacks seem to be favoured by
ing passions, especially fear of the disease,
fatigue, low bad living, bad air in crowded
dwellings, drunkenness. I have been "
that in Austrian Gallicia, where it had

appearance, a better diet furnished to the
ders, at the expense of the Government,
have contributed u much as any other
prevent the spreading of the disease.
REPORT OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSIk
TUE SUBJECT OF THE CHOLERA Ml
College of Physicians, June
Sir,—ln compliance with the further
the Lords of His Majesty's most Ileum
Council, that we should state in detail
of the opinion contained in our report. .
15, we beg to submit to their Lordslli'
lowing statement, observing at the
that the information in the documents
us is deficient on some important poin►
ticularly with respect to the desc►iption
disease.

Our knowledge of the symptoms of
called Cholera Morbus, in Russia, is
tirely from a report drawn up by Sir W.
at St. Petersburg, for the medical conuct.
capital, from reports of medical practitioners
ferent parts of Russia, where the t isease '
peared. We have, however, no direct
from any Russian or other physician wt,
tually seen the disease. The remarkable
tending its progress; and manner of ero
the vast tract of country in which it has successi,
appeared are as follows :—lt showed h
tracan, near the mouth of the Wolga,
of July, 1830, immediately afar the I
vessel there from the port of Bat on, on
coast of the Caspian Sea ; on l oard which
during the passage, eight men Itid
_died
disease. From Astracan, it silted it
eastern direction to Gouriff, and far up I
of the river Owrab ; and at the same time
northward, in a course following strictly
line of river communication of the Wolga,
successively all the principal towns on each
the river, as far to the north as Yaraslov
dates corresponding with the ordinary
navigation up this stream. The earliest
each place usually occurred among the
employed in the navigation.
It is an important fact, that while
ing the course of the Wolga in a I.ort,
it was contemporaneously conveyed down
of the Don in a south-west direction to
Azof, and to the coasts of the Black Sea
tails are given, warranting the belief, '
carried by personal intercourse across
land which separates these two great lines
communication.
The disease appeared at Moscow in
second week of October, alleged to .
brought thither from Saratoff, an infected ._
the Wolga. At Moscow it prevailed during the
coldest months, havite, first appeared in the south
part of the Russian dominions during tie huuest
season of the year. Quarantine was established on
the road from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Upon
this road the disease has never extended itself ;
but on another line of approach to St. Petersburg
from Saratoff, where no quarantine was established,
the disease advanced as far as Tikhvin, within 160
miles of Petersburg, where it appears also to have
been arrested by quarantine.
It is important to mention here, that the Mora-
vian colony of Sarepta, on the right bank of the
Wolga, several German colonies in the government
of Saratoo, around which the disease raged with
great severity, and the school of Military Cadets
at Moscow, were exempted altogether from the
disease ; strict precautions having been used in
each of these several instances to prohibit all inter-
course with the surrounding population.
The mode of ingress of the disease into Podolia

and Volhynia is not equally certain; but it appests
to have followed the great lines of communication
bet Ween the southern parts of Russia and those
provinces, and to have accompanied the march of
the armies in this direction.
The disease appeared very early in May on the

road between Poses and Warsaw, and in the army
of the Grand Duke Michael; subsequently at
Praga and Warsaw, and in the Palish armies. A
report, drawn up by a board of health elf Warsaw,
and transmitted to the Frencb Governmest, and
thence to the English Goverum'ent, gives a state-
ment of the numbers infected during seven days
in the hospitals of Warsaw and its neighbour-
hood.
The latest accounts we have before us are those
regarding the extension of the disease to the sea-
ports of Riga and Dontsic, on the Baltic, and the
great mortality which has occurred in the former of
these places.
From the progress of this disease, uninfluenced
by latitude or by seasons, through various districts
in the Russian empire, following gradually the
courses of great rivers and roads, in other words,
the general line of traffic and communication, and
from. the fact Ovnt..difernsit. tOwps situate in Its
route were t xempted from its =Ration by esia-

Alle- rS. '
•l• • .r,.•( ..‘,
•:, i.i, •,:
...t.,,,,... g .
... t i
At•-,A
:.
et,at ^104.• • 5..:, •
,-, ~.:3 '.l N-,:•-• -
d
in the towi , •
the course
g through,
rch ; but I
cases have
he nearest •
tumn. As
.
disease has
ng ago, has
with Arch- , , ',, f,.
I'
probable, I 1
it will get , fr. '
I 0 ,
treatment,
materials [ .
ose no time . . 1
he informs- 1
TALKER.
e made use it
onvey quite
I intended ,
contagious 'r p
.4
of its trans-
re not quite
cannot, of
[hat it may
la articles,
intact with
ire, as yet,
mi generis, A7 i
he plague,
or infectious (1
sufficiently ,
,
by depress- - I
ease, great
,wded dirty
t 4 [
n informed
td made its
le lower or- ~ .
t, seems to
.
measure to ,•• .i.
ICIANS OV ,
MORBUS.
t, •
le 18,1831.
r wishes of
cable Privy
the reason •
dated June
hips the fol- I
sane time,
laid before r
mints, par- [i
;Mon of the
,
f the disease i '
derived en-
V. Crichton, ,1,
i -
melt of that
oners in di f-
num had ap- 1 i 'i
[ information i
Who had ac-
ibis
facts at-
;tension over i
successively •1..
itself at As-
on the 20th
arrival of a
t the western . .
which ve,sel, • • . -.
. i
flied of thi
itself in an • r
up the course It
me proceeded .
fly the great
Aga; affecting It
each bank of I
aslov, and at
1
y rate of the
sat deaths at
the boatmen i
i
thus ascend •
rth direction,
wn the course 1
o the sea of
sea, and de-
, that it was
t i
s the neck of • ,
lines of twater
n the first or
o have been
eted town on
d during the
in the south
P. AID hfittast

`t

I

BRUSSELS.

Visiting a system of non-intetyourse, we are of
ominien that the disease called cholera morbus in
Russia is of an infectious nature. Our decision is
corroborated by the opinion of Sir William Crich-
on. of St. Petersburg; by the measures taken by
the Russian and Prussian governments ; by the
statement of tho English physician, Dr. Walker,
el at from St. Petersburg to Moscow, who, after
mach hesitation, decided peremptorily in favour
cf contagion ; by that also of Dr. Albers, sent by
the Prussian government, who first entertained a
urpicion that the disease was contagious, after-
- :tills doubted, and at last determined upon its
f ont npiuus nature. We beg again to call your
Lordships' attention to the circumstance, that
neither the statements of Dr. Walker, nor those of{
Dr. Albers, nor those of the Report of the 'Com
mittee of Health at Warsaw, contain any descrip-
of the symptoms of the t!isease.
We have not evidenCe before us sufficient to de-
cide whether this disease ha communicable by
merchandise or not; -There are some statements
v.hich appear to suppoit the latter opinion, but
they are neither numerous nor distinct enough to
convince us, that this disease does not and will not
observe the laws which regulate other infectious
disorders.

Should the Government be enabled to lay before',
us hereafter, a more precise account of the disease,
and a more enlarged statement by which the rope-
,, •,
ation of its infection may be distinguished from
prow-
ration
of other infectious diseases, we shall be ready
to re-consider our opinion. But until such infor-
mation can be obtained by us, called upon as we
are to consider the secui ity of the public, we can
give no other opinion with respect to the transmis-
sion of the disease by merchandise, that that we
think the safety of the community will best be con-
sulted by submitting merchandise to the usual re-
gulations of quarantine; and we can at present
make no other distinction of articles than is made
by the law established for this purpase.
Signed. on behrlf of the College. by
HENRY lIAI.FOIID, President.
FRANCIS HAWKINS, Registrar.

170 REIGN INTELLIGENCE.

NATIONAL CONGRESS.—SITTIxo OF Jusz 28.

After at me discussion upon subjects of internal ..
administration de Gerlache ascended the tri-
bane. He said— Gentlemen, 1 should have wished •
to have some moments leisure for consideration be-
:ere making my report to you on the important'
caission which you confided to us, but the very
natural impatience manifested by the Congress and
the public has induced us immediately to commu-
nicate to you the documents of which you are the 1,
hearers. It was not till tho (lay before yesterday,
bctween nine and ten o'clock in the evening, that 1,
we had an audience of the Prince of Saxe Coburg, i
ft,r the purpose of presenting to him the solemn i
act of the 4th and sth of this month, which calls !!
him to reign tier Belgium. I shall hare the ho-
nour to read to you, first, the answer of his Royal !!
Highness, who accapts the et ...wn on the terms ;
which will be communicated to you by the organs
of the ministry who were sent to negociate with the
Congress at London ; and secondly, the answer of
the Prince to a letter of the Regent. We think
it our duty to communicate this answer to you be-
cause his Royal Highness positively announces in
it his intention to come immediately to Belgium in
case the proposals of the conference shall be ac-
cepted by you. With respect to the proposals
themselves, as they were not signed till pretty late
in the evening, the day before yesterday, tho mem-
bers of the deputation have scarcely had time to
male themselves acquainted with thorn. I regret
the involuntary absence of some of our colleagues,
whom fatigue obliges to remain at home. But on
the day which ou shall fix for the discussion, each
of them will carefully collect all the information
which he may have acquired during his stay at
London, and will communicate it to you.
You see, Gentlemen, that if we have hitherto
left you in complete ignorance of the results of our
mission, it is because we were ourselves in great
ignorance and extreme perplexity up to the last
moment. The only facts with which we became
acquainted on our arrival, and which we trans-
mitted individually to some of our colleagues, is
the desire of the Prince to accede to the wish of 11
the Belgians. The warm, the personal interest
e hich he feels in our interest—the amiable and
estimable qualities which distinguish him—the ex-
alted capacity which comprehends the wants of a
people who love all kinds of liberties, all the mem-
bers of your Commission have been unanimous in
this respect. Before we communicate the Prince's
answer I beg your permission to repeat to you the
words addressed to his Royal Highness by the
President or the Deputation, in the name of his
colleagues :
hPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE DE.