The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-03-07
From a late Paris paper.
THE CHOLERA.

AT the sitting of the Academy of Sciences
at Paris, on the 18th Dec, a letter from NJ Soon,
teten. of MentZ, was read, detailing some un-
sue cessful experiments made at Berlin, in the
hope Of effecting a cure of diseased patient
A singular fact grew out of these experiments
it appeared that, in the case of individuals la
boring under the cholera, the arteries at the
extremities may be entirely exhausted of their
blood long time before death occurs. This
explains the want of pulse, which is so fire.
quentv the Characteristic of the cholera.
On Monday, NJ. Magendie attended at the
Academy of Sciences and delivered verbal re.
port of his visit TO Sunderland. In addition to
the circumstances stated in his letter from that
place, he said that the most striking phenome.
non of the cholera is the almost total stoppage
of the blood, the action of the heart being re-
duced to not more than ten or twelve pusa-
tions in minute. To this he attributed the
black or blue appearance Of the extremities,
and the imminent danger of placing the patient
In an upright position, which not unfrequently
produces instant death, as thereby the passage
of he blood to the head is rendered extremely
difficult. This effect is the same in both sexes
and at every age. The principal cause of the
extensive ravages of the disease he supposed
TO be the horrible state of poverty in the lower
orders-"There are The sad) three parishes in
Sunderland, t0o being situated on the heights,
and the third is damp position on the borders
of a river. The two former contain upwards
of 800 spacious houses, in which all that COM
fort and civilization can suggest or aff1uence
procure, is to be found, and consequently scarce
ly single occurred in them but in the
lower town, occupied by $4,000 inhabitants, of
whom IA 900 are in state of pauperism, and
the objects of parochial relief, the ravages have
been carried TO the extent recorded in the pub
lie prints"
This part Of Sunderland he described as con-
ssting of nothing but an assemblage of alleys,
scarcely four feet wide, each room in which
rarely exceeds ten feet square, containing a
whole family huddled together day and night,
and the walls of which are rendered black by
the Smoke Of the coal fires with which they
cook their scanty meals; the whole forming a
picture of wretchedness, filth, and poverty,
which, accustomed as he has been from his
professional duties to visit the abodes of human
misery, he could not have believed to exist in
the present age in any part of civilized Europe.
The evil, he stated, was increased by the afro
clous practice of farming out the poor--though,
indeed, the poor house was even worse than
these private dwellings-hundreds of paupers
of both sexes being crowded within it, and an
nually subject to the attacks of typhus and
scarlet fever and the measles. NJ. Magendie
lamented that the popular prejudice against
dissection was so great that the faculty had not
been able to obtain permission to open the body
of single person who had died ofthe chslera
He expressed great satisfaction at the liberal
assistance and attentions he had received from
his professional brethren, both in London and
Sunderland. He also approved of the judicious
conduct Of the British government, in refrain
ing from all rigorous measures for Pre- enting
communication by land and as TO tho quaran.
tine adopted for the vessels, il was, he said
merely nominal, as the ships were stationed al
not more than 90 or 80 feet from the land, and
the crews lad every facility of going on shore
at night. Slight however, as this restraint is
il has caused such stagnation Of business in
the port of Sunderland, that hundreds have
been thrown out of employ and new causes oil
poverty having resulted, the number of cases
Of cholera had been augmented. M. Magende
considers that the fatal effect of this disease
has been considerably augmented by the pre-
CARTONS taken on the Continent TO prevent
it's progress. M. Moreau Joannes made some
observations on what M. Magende had said,
and attempted to show the advantages re-.
sulting from police restrictions and interfer.
ence. These were most completely over
thrown by M. Magendie, in manner so
much to the satisfaction of the Academy,
that on M. Moreau Joannes rising to reply, the
Academy unanimously passed to the order of
the day.
A State prisoner in Smyrna, sentenced 10
die Of hunger in prison, was found alive TWEEN.
ty.eight days after his incarceration. This nn.
fortunate man whose sentence had been COM
muted confessed that he had prolonged his ex.
istenoe by box of waters, which also contain.
cd small niece of gum elastic and a mursel of