The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-08-24
CHOLERA MORBUS.


Tins dreadful seourge which has made sue
ravages IN the Russian empire during the pas
l year, appears TO be extending westward. i
l England the subject has been brought befor
rarliament, and excites general interest in tina
: country Measures have been taken to proven
the introduction of the disease into the British
ports The following extract is from an arti
! cle III the Englishman's Magazine, giving al
account OF the origin and progress of the dis
ease The writer considers this plague as o
modern origin The Indian Cholera he saws ba
. always existed in Hindoston as comparative
f ~ mild climatic disease, affecting small mum
Der OF persons at certain seasons, but was no
entitled TO be cassed among pestilential scourge
Oh the worst description, previous to the begin
Q ning OF August, 1917, when it suddenly bfok,
{ out with unprecedented malignity.
e Commencing among the inhabitants of Jes
sore, town ono hundred miles N E of Calcut
c Ia, IN less than month it travelled along tn
course OF the river 10 that city, having desolat
f cd the intervening villages Before the expl
ration OF August, the native population of Cal
cutta were attacked, and early in Septetnbe
the disease was also manifested among the Eu
RI ropeans.
From January to May, 1878, the pestilence
ragged with extreme violence, extending it's dc.
stTuctlVe influence across Bengal from Silhet
10 Cuttack; and towards the interior from the
mouth OF the Ganges to its confluence with the
Jumna, space including $50 square miles.
Leaving Bengal, the disease retired for some
time to the western bank of the Gangcs and
1umna, in its most malignant form it appear
ca at benares, where in two months fifteen
Thousand persons perlslled At Alahabad for.
ty or fifty died daily. To other localities. sit
ua'ed Oh either bank, the disease soon spread,
ana the mortality was equally great. In the
elsltici OF Gorrakpore thirty thousand were
carried off in month. Then suffered in sue
ceSsion Lucknow, Cawnpore, Delhi, Agra, Nut
ira, Mecrat and Bareilly.
( Between the 9th and 9TH of Novc,nber ,he
epidemic had reached the grand army, which.
on the approach Of the Pindarrcewat. had been
concentrated at Juboupore, Mundellah and
Sanger, under the command of the MARQUIS of
! Hastings. 1t consisted of ten thousand troops
and eighty thousand followers To the differ
ent divisions Of this force the Cholera proved
more fatally effective than could the Shot of
the enemy in well.con tested field. In twelve
days nearly nine thousand men had fallen to
rise no more. At this time the thermometer
ranged from ninety to one hundred degrees
Fahrenheit The heat was moist and suffocat-
ing, and the atmosphere 4 dead calm. The
progress OF the Cholera in the centre division
of the army was as follows After creeping
insidiously for few days among the lower
classes Of the camp followers, it seemed instan-
taneously to gain fresh Vigor, breaking out with
irresistible force in every direction. Previous
to the 18th, 1t had overspread the camp, sparng
neither age Ror sex in the indiscrminating vio-
/ lence Of its attack. The old and the young, the
European and the native, fighting men and
camp followers, were alike selected and all
equally sunk within its death-grasp. From the
! 18th to the Goth, the mortality had become so
extensive that the stoutest hearts were Welding
to despair. The camp wore the aspect Of
genera! hospital. The medical officers, night
and day at their posts, were no longer able to
administer TO the numerous sick who continued
to pour in from every quarter. At this time
the scene was strikingly contrasted to what it
had been a few days before. The noise and
hustle almost inseparable from the presence of
multitude of human beings, had nearly sub
sided in the stiffness. Nothing was to be seen
in motion, save Il solitary individual, here and
| there anxeusly hurrYing from one division of
The camp TO another to inquire after the fate OF
his companions. Nothing was TO be heard but
the groans OF the dying, or the wailing for tho
dead. The natives perceived the only hope of
safety in flight, now deserted in crowds, But
| their speed frequently deceived them. The
fields and highways for miles round were COW
cred with the bodies of many who had carried
with them the seeds of the distemper
! 1t was evident that such a state of things
could not continue much longer. Unless an
immediate check were given to the malady, it
would soon depopulate the camp. in this emer-
gency, it was fortunately determined by the
commander in-chief that change of locality
should be tried a last resource. The divi-
sion accordingly moved in south Sasterly di-
! rectlon. In short period the Marquis of Hast
| ings was enabled TO transmit despatch to the
government, intimating that having marched sc
miles, he had at last fixed upon dry and elc.
waited soil where the pestilence rapidly dcclin.
ed.
The Cholera now directed its course across
the Ocean, advancing, in many instances, al
the rate Of fifteen or eighteen miles day, and
remaining at various posts during period OF
from two to six weeks. In this way it reached
Hussemabad, where tho mortality was fright
full for several days. 1t then followed the banks
of tho Neabuddah to Tanah, and afterwards
, traversed Aurungabad, Ahmednugger, and
, Poonah. Taking the direction of the coast il
arrived at Bombay, August, 1873, having cross
cd the Indian peninsula in twelve months from
the date of its appearance in Calcutta.
We have thus been able to trace the foot
stems of this destructive traveller through the
country ofits birth. It's measured rate of pro.
erosion, and the occasional halts which it made
for definite periods in thickly inhabited towns
are worthy Of remark, as the epidemic still re-
tains these characteristics. Like Il nascen
river its course has been al times direct or de
vious, uniform or temporarily interrupted ap
pearing at various places, not at the same peri
3D. but in succession, either by the gradual ad
vance OF tho main current, or OF some Of it.
distrihutvo branches.
While the interior of EIndostan was submit
= ting to this, the pestlIence had spread along tn
coast Of Malahar and Coromandel, reachiu
Madras the 9Th of October With it's pronres
here, new and alarming feature was deYelor
ed The possibility Of transporting tho conts
gIon by sea was ovnccd in its transit from Coz
omandel to the island Of Ceylon. In Cand
tho capital it broke out December, 1913, wit
even greater violence than upon the Contmen
$ By the 18th September, 1919, Mauritus W,
included in the islands infected. The disea.
4 did not appear until after the arrival of the 7,
PAGE irigate from Ceylon, where tho cpidem
. was then raging. The vessel, at the time
/ sailing, seemed healthy, but during the passaG
!, the Cholera had appeared among the crew
Fl. Port Louis fifty persons died daily The ma
ady, however, WINS chiefly confined to tho coas
for though the deaths in tho hospital Of Il
town amounted TO ninety -four cases out of OF
hundred and tlirtV-l hrcp. On the nnntnti oi