The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-07-25


CURED in Montreal. BIZ Robert Nelson
M. d., Member Of the Medical Board, ant
Commissioner of Health.
Cholera is epidemic in Lower Canada
, from the month of June TO the end of Au
gust. Now and then, before and after the
time stated, sporadic cases occur, but al.
ways of mild type. The cases that occur
from the end of June to the end of July, are
generally severe, and, should a thunder
shower succeed to hot day, the cases gen.
orally will be as malignant as any of the
worst cases of cholera that ever occurred,
be the name what it may, Asialic, or even
That or more remote country, and conse-
| quently more imposing. There is one Pc
culiar fact observable in our endemic chol-
era, namely, the severe cases are never to
be found elsewhere than among the poor
laboring class. l have known in former
years, persons of the class mentioned, die
of cholera, having every mark and symp-
tom of the severest Asiatic) cholera, in the
space of four hours.
| 1t is worthy of remark, that every spe-
cies of disease, for many months past, wore
an aspect different from its natural charac-
ter, and this ALTERATION from the regular
type, continued gradually to increase as we
approach the coming of summer. During
the first weeks of April, infante diarrhea,
a disease OF the warm months, was COM
monty TO be met with !; about the middle of
April, cholera Ia fact unobserved in former
years. among the poor broke out and pre-
vailed partially for period of eight or ten
days. Many cases were mild, but some
were severe, and one or two were malig-
nant.
Such variation in the natural constitn-
ton of man, and winter remarkable for
severity and long duration of the same
weather, were the premonitors of what we
were doomed to suffer, as soon as the usual
period for endemic cholera should arrive.
About the first of June, diarrhea became
common feature in every disease; and
about the same time few mild cases of
st. Louis Suburb. As vet there was no
These were merely the precursors of the
storm about to assail us. On Saturday,
June 8, an emigrant passenger, on board
the Voyageur steamer, was taken Ill of the
cholera, and died landing, the sane evening.
On Sunday morning another emgrant pas
senger from on board the Voyageur, also,
after an evening of dissipation, was taken
with spasmodic cholera, and died next day.
That same night, Saturday to Sunday,)
several natives were taken dangerously i'll,
in Campeau-street, st. Louis Sin
guinette-street, and st. GATHERINGS street.
The persons so attacked were all natives,
and had no intercourse with the port, or
even among themselves. Most of these
persons died within twenty-four hours
The disease now rapidly and fatally spread,
mostly IN the remote parts of the suburbs,
and first among the natives, gradually en-
croaching on the town, and towards the de-
cline of the scourge. attacking emigrants
in greater number than at first, (most of
the emigrants had resided for a year or
more in town. The disease now seized
on the more wealthy population; nor could
we perceive any difference in its severity
between these and the lower orders.
Few persons below the age of twenty
five compared with the great number who
had passed that period of life, were subject
to the disease.
Much may he said in favor of the idea
that the disease is contagious, seeing that
it has gradually overrun the East, follow
ing the route of great rivers, &C., TO the
most western confines of Europe but GER
tainly there are many and strong facts
against that opinion. In Montreal, withouta
shadow of doubt, the disease existed before
we had any intercourse with the infected
country. Several cases broke out in the
early part of April after which the dis
ease disappeared, and again broke out in
mild form about the LIST of June, (eight days
after the arrival of the Voyageur, in quar-
teis of the suburbs to the east and north of
the town, among natives who had little or
rather no intercourse with the port. After
being more or less confined 10 the quarters
mentioned, it gradually extended in every
direction but to the town last, and, with the
exception of the case on the 10th, to the
parts of the town bordering on the port the.
very last.
The disease, in its rage, after ravaging
in signal manner the poor, extended to
all classes, attacking alike those few who
who had suffered absolute exclusion, and
sparing thousands of those constantly ex-
posed TO its fury. A few medical men suf-
fered from, and one student died OF the dis
ease; but tho greater number had been
rendered susceptible from over exertion
and consequently exhaustion. The Clergy,
to the number of about thirty persons,-un-
renting in the zeal of their calling, carry
ing spiritual succor to all quarters, at all
honrs,with as much devotedness to the most
ahject and filthy as to the more wealthy
friend,-to a man escaped. Also the per-
sons in charge of the two cholera hospitals,
where were carried the worst cases, the
expiring, and many dead,-all escaped.
The carriers, too, constantly employed to
carry the affected to the depots, and the
numerous dead 10 the cemeteries all es-
capped. Yet it must not he concealed, that
where one person died another case was
likely to occur; but this was far from be-
ing universal, rather the reverse was the
| fact
1t would appear as if our usual endemic
had been fastened on US; after which it
became augmented by the terrific epidemic,
similar to itself, which is now gradually
blasting the world.
Mode of attack. During the first four
or five days Of the epidemic, the patient
was subject for the most part in one Of the
two following modes: LIST, after trfling
dlarrhGa, of several days duration to few
hours only. nausea, quickly followed by
vomiting, and increase of diarrhGa, would
usher him into the stage of the disease,
which may be called the I'd mode of attack.
Cd, the patient is affected with a slight
blueness of hands and face, sometimes ac-
companied by distressing sensation of
weight and burning in the stomach, rapidly
followed by vomiting md diarrhna; when
the vomiting had once come on, the thirst