Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-04-13
The sSEcskstsGEass W. E1%o


Fy0n Tie EoNtoR CO"Iicr.
'rur CuoiERA.-.Wc concur in the OPINION ca
pressed 10y a writer in the London 1imcS that th're
IL no new disorder in Great Britain, We cannot
lcaIn from any of the accounts we nave seen That
the disorder " Inch has created Such It pane IN TIA,
country presents any symptoms that have not at
tended ordiuary eases OF cholera from time mmmc-
mortal The commissions and spHsms with which
the pat emts aiilictcG-ihr rIrcco'"rcd cvacua-
tions-and the blucmrss "t the skIn-thc three
urouinrnt features OF The disease now GCnomuatc cd
Tho ..spasnodic" or "ASiatc Cholera" are proved
Ia have been attendant symptoms of the English
Cholera. If the facts he so, thcu there can he no
sufficient for the prevalent alarm. The wri-
ter alluded to, states that in the months AIrus,
and September, ISIS, eighty nine casts 4 cholera
occurred III the practice OF Il single physicom,-
some of winch the attack was sudden and urgent;
n harvest man Was seized IN the field with sense
OF great debility; the bowels wcrt relaxed; vomt.
ing succeeded; the countcnancc sunk; the cNtrcml-
ties became cold; cramps seized the limbs, and en-
tended with violence to the trunk; the pulse dccliu.
cd, and he was corpse the next day. 1t is dcdu-
ccd as an inference from these and other cases
that the English and what is now called the Indian
Cholera iGcntical; and the writer regrets that
men not familiar with the cpldcmics of former years
are allowed To determine the character of the pre-
sent. The writes ulSo adds--and very properly in
our opinlon-that the publication ot official and
daily reports of any fatal disease is of itself sui
clent to create an alarm OF rcstIlcncc. The pub
lie look only to the total OF deaths, and forget
10 inquire whether the mortality is much greater
than common.
The facts involved in the two last sentences
wi h to impress the minds of our municipal and
medical authorities. That we shall have the Che
lcra here in BOStUn,-or some disorder which will
be called by that name, within short time, hardly
admits of doubt. Before any resort shall be nad
TO such official Oily publicat of cases, aud the
number Of deaths, it would be well that medical
men and the municipal rulers of the city, should
be we'll satisfied that the disease is new onc that
it is of contagious nature, and more than ordinarily
fatal in its progress. Let an alarm of Indian,
SpasmodIc or Asatic Cholera, once be started in
this metropolis, other of our great cities, X
the consequences would be such years OF health X
prosperity could not countcrbalancc. We doubt
whether the Cholera has been more fatal in En-
gland, since its first supposed appearance at Sun
dcrland than many disorders which prevail aunu-
ally in New Engand;--wc wcan, of course, i'll pro-
portion to the density OF popuatIon. II a daily of
fetal report were made in the uutumnal and winter
months of the number of cases of influenza, con-
sumption, mcazles or 'throat- dlStemper," and the
number ofdcaths by each, the exhibition would
frghten half our population from their homes. We
have no doubt that the number of individuals at
tackled by the influenza, and of them fatal, il
December and January of the last winter in the CT.
ty of Boston, would more than treble the of
cholera in London, with its million of inhabitants.
How many children die i'll this city every summer
with species OF cholera, Produced, as our doctors
tell by ''tcethng?" How Smany, annually, OF
whooping cough, of Group, and of mcazlcS!
Enough certainly, if daily or weekly official re-.
port were published to induce the people of the in.
terror to imagine that those diseases prevailed to
alarming extent, and sufficiently put Il stop to
all intercourse with the capital.
w e agree with writer III the Daily Advertiser
of Saturday, that it is the boundcn duty of our mu.
nicipal authorities to use all possible diligence in
cleansing and purifying parts Of our city, where. if
the Cholera should appear here it will establish its
headquarters The places referred to are rcccpta
Giles of filth, and have been in such condition for
years, as to excite special wonder that they have
not been the seats of fatal and contagious diseases
The old saw-An once of prevention is worth a
pound of cure-has none the less wisdom for It's
LONELINESS, and we hope the admonition it con-
tains will not be lost upon our civil and municipal
protectors.