Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-08-02

The last Republican contains letter
from DR.. WATERHoUsE, Of Cambridge,
Mass. to a friend of his in this town, on
the subject of the Cholera. The Doc
tor it will be recollected, is a native of
Newport, but has resided in Massachu-
sets during the greater part Of his life,
where he has distinguished himself for
his talents, not only as writer but as
practitioner in the science Of Medicine.
After giving his reasons for beliefin the
doctrine Of non-contagion, he contrasts
the situation Of New Y ork with Boston
and Newport, in the following clear and
concise manner:
'I can readily conceive that an atrno-
sphere arising from, and hanging over
such an immense city as Newly ork,
may in its narrow alleys, and poor houses
predispose the lowest class of people TO
suffer from the pernicious effects OF a
choleric constitution of the atmosphere,
(to use the phrase Of the English Physi-
clans Of century and a half ago;) which
would hardly take place in Newport, or
in Boston; and I will give you my rca-
sons for the opinion: The whole Island
Rhode .Island) has its shores washed
twice in twenty-four hours by the rushing
in Of the tide Ofthe salt ocean which runs
through the Narrag ansett passage and
through the harbor, and round Bristol
Ferry passage to the ocean again; and
we all know where the tide runs strong,
"a tide Of fresh ait runs with it.
therefore consider Rhode Island as
washed and famed every day, in pc
culiar and happy manner; and this is, in
a great inc asure, fhe case with the city
of Boston, which, you know, stands on a
Peninsula, and with the ebbing and flow
ing tide, there is at the same time cur
rent and a re-current air, that has fresh
ness not experienced in Salem. l can
not mention any seaport, in the United
States more favorably situated and cir
cumstanced than Newport and Boston
The curretns formed by the numerous Is
lands in the bay and harbor of the latter
make it desirable residence; and the
still more happy formation Of the har Dor
CT Newport and the multiform beaches
which adorn our Island, render it in my
opinion, AN enviable spot to live on during
generally malignant, or pestilential
state Of the atmosphere. That such in
scrutable condition of our atmosphere
sometimes occurs, is confirmed by civil
as well as medical history; and that it
did occur not a great while before the
settlement of North America by white
men, in the form Of yellow fever, is rem
;dered credible by Indian tradition. With
in my own recollection the cholera u
mong children swept off thousands.
| 1t would be worse than insanity to fly
from such a place as Newport to any
other, especially at the head of tide wa
tiers; and the extreme Of folly to quit the
neig ghborhood Of the ever moving, never
ceasing, healthy ocean, the parent OF
vegetation-the great fountain whence
flow all refreshing rains, and fcrtilizing
rivers Of this globe.
Neal in his history ofthc Purtans, and
after him the Rev. John Calender, cal
led Rhode-lsland, hundred years ago
the Paradise Of New England. lfit had
that character then, experience has,
I think confirmed it since. DR.. Fother.
gill of London often expressed to me his
wish that would set down for life or
Rhode-Island, II for said he, i: will alway.
be the resort of opulent invalids from the
less healthy South. He advised me by
letter, when l was n student at Leyder
to make description of Rhode lslant
the theme Of my Inaugural Dissertation
But my knowledge was then too scanty
Boston is, i believe, the most cleanl,
city in the United States. never saw
a seaport equally so in Europe or in A.
merica. II is washed by never ceasinl
tide, and has correspondent gentle cur
rent Of air, and its police is admirable. ,