Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-16
TIiii CHOLERA

i''""on Asia:ic Journal, in an able paper,
u"''S the progress of the Indian Cholera from
"N origin Mt Jcssorc, tho Canvos in lSl7 to it's
'''''"' !" roland in 1881, brought by the Russian
'"F' within this period i; seems TO have visited
'''y country in Asia, unloss The most ror.lor;, of
'' russian possessions, including the islands ON
''.' ih"'an oceans. and swept of by estimation.
"''! millions OF people. This paper maintains the
courageous nature ofthc maludy. in proof of which
- GIGS number of facts, the most remarkable Of
'3 are The total escape OF several pieces where
'io' sanitary prec 0utions were used 1t thus
concludes:
~" tlerc are pcculiavities in lis mode Of propa
i'.'''' which show that the coutagiom of the clio
lcra morhus is governed by laws di1;rcnt r.,,,,
'""Sc OF the plague and other communicable dis
cases, ana which, when undcrst will probably
NPio'h many pcrplcXing anomnes in lis history
"uPPoSinG 1t TO be propagated bv San animal mi
cS"' or .ltinviun, of peculiar kind, emana;inr
rom 'iic bodies oil the affected, which being inhal-
=" WIN me air into the lungs, acts as IA poison on
we o''sS 9" nerves which supplies the respiratory
the asSiiDilatng the orculatinw and sccrain.r vis
Cu'"' "nieh gives Il good popular notion of the
o'Se'Se; the laws Of action of tho poisonous miasm
'' az Ficu''ar az It's own properties. DIR. Becker
"a eminent Physician of Berlin, in communi.
cation quoted III the Quarterly Review, concludes
from his observation of the modus operand; If
the cholera, that 'the efficient cause is n yiris
Tho product OF human ciluvia; but this s.virus. :"
nc observes, SIN order to produce disease, re
CURES, like the contagion of tho small-pcx mec
sizes; VPhus fever, and even plague, II disposition
OF thc atmosphere favorable to it's dcvclopemcnt:
ana secondly, peculiar disposition of tic animal
economy IN every person exposed TO it," In the
io*t and recent report of Dr8. Russell and Barry
they state as their deliberate opinion after ma.
lure consideration of the circumstances thcy hayo
observed, "that neither the near approach, nor tho
"'eaiaic contact OF an infected person, is indis-
pcnsable to the infection of Il healthy individual
nj In, IISnn tl,n
epidemic, AT st. Pctcrshur gh did not possess those
absolute and Indiscrlmina'c communicable quail.
ties attached TO the plague and smallpox: and
'lat the RISK and injection ncurrcd by the healthy
susceptible, who approached The sick of that dis
ease, was IN direct proportion to the want of ven.
uIIiion, cleanliness and space around the lat
tor"
The remote or efficient carsc Of this disease is
subject on which still less certainty prevails: no
authority, in fact presumes TO speak upon this
point with any confidence. The theory, which as
crIbcd lis origin to unwholesomc food, has lonu
ago been abandoned; mdispuablc facts having
shcwn such theory to he wholly uutcnab!c Whcr.
ever it appeared, in the early periods of it's career
unusual heat, sudden changes of Temperature or
peculiar state of The atmosphere, were appealed
TO as the immediate cause of the disease. Subsc.
qnent cXperIcnc" has Shcwn, that although these
circumstances may facilitate the action of the cho.
lcra morbus, it is wholly Independent Of tcunpcra
turc and ae:ial influence. Heat, walaIid, and
tainted atmosphere, all of which had advocates
are, therefore, insufficient 10 account for the
prevalence OF malndy, which visits alike
hot countries and cold low swamps and dry
mountain tracts, the parchcd sands of Persia, and
the Jungle alnvia OF the Gan ncs; in some in%tan-
ccs, IT seemed 10 affect dry and wholesome situl
tons, rather than low and unhealthy. Some have
nscrbad the disease TO peculiar acid in the viscc
ra, which It is difficult to cxpa; others 10 want
OF oxygen in the blood; others TO ncuraria: others
to peculiar poison cngeutcred in the atmos.
phere; others to ga!vanic causes; suppose
the seat al the disease TO hC tho liver others thc