Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-08-28
From the ". Y. Albion, Of august l6.
CHOLERA

CHOLERA.
We have received the following excellent letter
nom British Army Surgeon, who has seen und
yea cholera IN its native home, India
We must entirely concur in his general doctrine,
t , man being an omnivorous animal requires u
DIVERSITY of food-for the due nutri,nent OF his bo
dy' and proper adnixture of fish, flesh aud fowl,
ano Oh animal and vegetable. An anatomical and
physiological inspection of the teeth is sufficient to
prove this. Throughout the prevalence of the d.
soase, we have always recommended that no change
In the mode of living, with those in state of health
should he made, and we have seen the best effects
follow this regularity of living with those who were
previously regular; and OIL the contrary, have seen
several instances where persons have dcranged the
digestive functions, debilitatcd their systems, and
rendered themselves lable to attack, by going
on false system of dieting. We repeat, then, that
those who are already in good health, and live with
regularity, should be cautious how they change
their mode of living.
Dur the recommendation of DR.. Stevens and the
Board of Health, to abstain entirely from the use of
fruits AID vegetables, Is not Objectionable when
property considered. 1t the general belief that
the disorder wenld be of short du ration-and know
ing how prone people are to indulge themselves in
the qualification of the Appetite particularly child
rem, 1t was thought that lesser evil would be en-
countcred by prohibiting the of those articles in
toto for a few weeks than by running the risk of
their indiscrimiaate and improper use. The plan
OF our correspondent then, l., conceive, best
adapted to persons who have proper command of
'ncsciVcs, anu VIII partake OF the DountlcS oil
lure with moderation, while that of the Board of
Health seems better calculated for the indiscrimi.
nate mass of 100000 persons who inhabit this
CITY,
UTTER CANADA, 9th August, 1892
To the Editor Of Ae Albion.
Sr-I see by the newspapers that your medical
men in New York, in their dietary instructions to
the public, have, like our Cana DOCTORS forbid
den fruit and vegetables during the present dis.
trcsslng epidemic. DIR. Stevens, the President of
your Medical Council, advises total abstinence
from 'a fruit, fresh and preserved, and all garden
vegetables"
Now, with every feeling of respect for d.. Ste.
vens' motives, doubt the proprey of this advice
nay more, am morally certain that it is calculated
TO do moro harm than good. Its plain tendency Is
TO make people fearful and fastidous as to the in
saubrity Of esculents on which they had lived in
good health all their lives. In nervous individuals
TINS Will degenerate into morbid senstivencss and
nice balancing of what is what is not proper to
be ea'en: thus imaginary dangers will be created,
yet sufficiently real to disturb the digestive powers
10 impair that mental and moral fortitude which
these timos require and by making such persons
hypochnndriacal to render them the susceptible and
probable victims of the pcstilcncc.
Having seen cholera professionally in Bengal in
1917, and subsequently at the Isle of France, and
IN other parts of the world, perhaps may be per.
nfted to assume that have had some experience
In what relates to this disease. The question, how
ever, appears not to be much matter of expert
We all know, we'll from his structure as from
universal habit, that man is and WASN'T ended to be
ali omnivorous creature. Formed capable of adapt
ing himself to the atmosphcrical vicssudes of all
| climates, his stomach master and assmilate all
kinds of animal and vegetable food. The mixture
OF both is found to be equally mascable palutabie
and nutritious.
When in times OF public alarm, then, we are adj
vsed to disturb this natural arrangement to abstain
from an entire class of edible substances formerly
grateful and nUurishinu. which we relish hnve
long used, and on which we have grown strong
and healthy, some good reason ought to be assign
ed to satisfy us of the propricty of the deprivation
And what has or can be given? None
| by Boards of Health, amongst whose volumiuous
INSTRUCTIONS have sought for ii in vain. They all
merely copy from each other the veto against irui,
and vegetables, but they favor us with no reason
except their arbitrary dictates.
| 1t may be urged that unripe fruit is deeterious-
so is raw meat TO every body but Calmuc Crud
vegetables are unwhocsomc. Truc-why eat then
crude, that is raw? Fruit creates acidity and indi
gestion when eaten in great quantities or hto il
the evening-It does, and ought to he forbidden
under such circumstances.
| But to argue the absolute negaion of any edible
substance from its possible abuse is 7 mode of ro
tiocinatiOn mere suitable for Suncho Panza,s Phv
stefan, when Governor of Barataria, than for sci
entifc men. Poor Sancho, moreover had some
cause assigned for the banishng from his table of
his most slvoury dishes at the touch of his Doctors
wand.
For what do these official instructions direct us
to do! 10 renquish the proportion of Potato, or
luTnp, or Carrot, or CaulIilower, Green Peas
winch has harmonously amalgamated with our
Beet and Ham, and Chickens, and Mutton and
Veal, and Lamb, for some twenty or forty years,
10 abure the ripe and grateful fruit (showcred bv
Providence in greater profusion recording the heat
OF the season or climate il expressly designed TO
temper i) which has mixed with and mellowed d ouf
blood through our whole lives as prophylactic
against cholera! No--no-the step would he n false
one-the necessity for is altogether imaginary or
Fictitious. BY doing so, we might reasonably ex
pect to put our stomach into i'll humor for want of
ITS grateful and accustomed ailments; 10 produce
heart burn and cestiveness, and alvinc irregular;
ties; and III fact, and in truth, TO accomplish tho
identical thing we anxious TO ayoid-viz,
prcdispose the intestinal canal 10 an invasion of
cholera.
Let not be ultra Pythagoreans. II is all very
right and proper to advise abstinence from raw We
gctables-irom eating much fruit, or fruit late in
the day; to insist temperance both in eatit and
drinking, eary hours, warm feet, mental quietude
and manly courage.-But it appears to me iriud
cious to go farther than this, and to cause the in
quiry, what
''Thc Sage Of Sarncs means
Forbdding his disciples beans"
although on the subject feel desire to use
a tone OF levity, yet sec no harm in mentioning
that have derived good deal of amusement and
Proht here from observing some consequences of
the manageable system. Fancy u robust native
OF certain green Isle, who had soaccd his stomach
with its indigenous root, next after if not syncro.
nous with his mothers milk, vituperating potatoes
at the command Of Board of HEALTH or an Anna
tcur of lamb and green peas with the digestion Of
an Alderman Ostrich, divorcing these savory
and succuicnt dishes-orz newly made Hypoclon
dEia' who would formerly strip in their season
currant bush or cherry tree, absolutely afraid
to touch cherry currant!
10 be serous-and having once been brought nv
n tbp yprr ri eoft bo n