The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-11-15

topography and climate to suffer severely from such
disease the Cholera This pedspOsilion was still FUR
Their increased BY the habits and peudlces OF the people
The month OF june when the disease appeared Is me
period OF of their long religious fass OF three weeks
duration. The people abstain all this time from the use
of animal food OF every kind, including MILK eggs and
butter The diet consists chiefly OF vegetables and fruits
such as cabbage, cucumbers and other varieties Of Ie
pumpkin tribe dried mushrooms, salads, Nc whlch are
often raw and dressed with bad ei and vinegar
Their ordinary drink kind OF beer, made OF rye
meal and malt fernented called quass They are geauy
addicted also, TO the OF ardent spirits ms det De-
sides being very lowering for laborng people, is OF ma
to create tendency to bowel complaints Aithough
the Archbishop allowed the people to dispense with The
fast and the Emperor ordered meat for the soldiers, such
was the strong attachment OF the lower classes 10 Their
accustomed that they generally continued the OBJ
of the FAST and II was often found dlncqi 70
persuade them to take even little broth. although the
saving of their lives seemed to depend on their being sus
tanned by suitable nourishment The people were also
very fearful and suspicious of the use OF medicines IN
known 10 them and consequently averse to apply for
medical advice and especially to enter the hospitals
SANITARY regulations adopted an ST. Petersburg
Nothing could be more wisely devised and ably execu-
ted than the sanitary preparations aa ss ' th drecnn Of
the government The city divided INTO dstricts' ana
ample hospital accommodation was provided py appropi
ating the greater part OF the existing -,
patients, and erecting, where necessary a'Se 'ehPody
wooden hospitals In all these the best arrangements
made for supplying promptly baths and tel means
OF applying heat TO the body and an adequate %
medical men were appointed to attend them Their were
also medical inspectors allotted to each district whs
to visit the people in their houses soon as case OF TIA
disease reported and attend on those who would not
be removed to the hospital list OF the names and ad-
dresses of the medical inspectors was left at the police
station of each district in order that by inquiry there
the people might Obtain prompt assistance al any ,me
night or day Very good instructions were printed and
widely circulated among the Inhabitants containing all
the precautions to be observed as regards Diet clothing
sc, and recommending especially tina, they should care
fully attend the least appearance OF darrhGa or OF any
other arrangement o the digestive organs rs the su,est
way of wardng off the dangerous forms OF the ds
ease: This important precauon was recommended III
the following terms alt has been remarks that Just De-
fore the appearance of Cholera District the inhabtants
troubled than usually by darrhoa and other
complaints, trhing under ordinary circumstances, but
which, in the presence OF the epidemic, are apt neg
lected, TO degenerate into real Cholera cases"
Causes of the Cholera, and mode Of propagation.
With reference to the much disputed question whether
the Asiatic Cholera is infectious or not, think
impartial consideration of the circumstances by which its
irregular, caprcious, and rapid progress large
gions of the globe have been attended, that it is Difficult,
to draw any other conclusion than that the disease ogi
mates from some latent influence OF the atmosphere
the functions of animal life. The peculiares in the
condition OF the atmosphere which exert this iniu-
probably of similar nature to those by which bghts
produced in the vegetable kingdom. That it is
epidemic propagated by atmospheric causes and not
6y injection, seems now to De very generally admitted
fesson in Russia, that all attempts to check its prog
b. quarantine regulations have been given up,
avaing A quarantine of ten days was recently i'm
posed by Sweden the appearance OF the Cholera in
ST. Petersburg; but the disease has, notwithstanding,
broken in that country, showing how utterly useless
are ali such measures One Of the circumstances which
strongly favored the opinion that the disease spread by
infection, was the fact of its following the course of
rivers on which there much traffic but have shown
that this circumstance be satisfactorily accounted for
by other causes besides infection.
appearance and Course of the Cholera ST. Petersburg
The first n,imation of the Cholera approaching towards
banks of the Lake adoga and of the Neva which
from IT, and which large number of the barges bring
ing merchandise from the interior for expectation descend
Petersburg in the beginning Of June. One solitary case
had occurred about six weeks previous in OF the
military hospitals: the man died in twelve hours, and
both the symptoms during life and morbid appearances
after death decidedly those of Asatic Cholera The
number of cases in the first week small but nearly
all died. Among these were two men, servants OF the
Prince of Olenburg, who attacked after eating
supper of cucumbers and salad Both died one Of them
in about fifteen hours the other in about four days The
disease increased rapidly the second week appearing III
every quarter OF the city, chiefly among the poor but at
lacking also belonging to the better classes, both
natives and foreigners 1t continued the increase
Ill the fifth week, when it seemed TO have reached its
acme, and began to decline, both in the number and
verify of the cases. and according to the public accounts
last received, has continued steadily the decrease
Symptoms of the Disease.
The disease assumed two distinct forms stages,
of which generally characterized by increased
TEN, together with great arrangement of the digestive
organs the other by prostration of the and
circulating functions, and greater or less rapid SINK
ing OF the vital forces In certain proportion of
the disease passed through both these stages, present
ing many varieties, according to the combination and
performance OF the symptoms, either OF excitement
prostration. In Others the period of excitement
altogether wanting, and that of prosation characterized
the whole of the disease. The morbid principle
which acts the proximate of the disease excited
thus in some cases, imperfect reaction, followed by
prostitution; whilst in Others it seemed so completely to
depess and parayZe the powers of life, that the patient
sunk without any effort whatever of the constitution at
reaction.
1t has been already stated that the first attack was al
most invariably preceded for several days by
slight arrangement OF the digestive functions The stage
OF excitement usually ushered in by shiverng gdd
ness and great faintness; face dusky and sunken,
painful cramps in the stomach bowels and extrem
ties; some vomiting and purging heat in the epgastrium
and oppression OF the chest This state succeeded
vomiting and very copous excavations, from the stomach
and bowels OF thin hMd resembling rice wafer; these
excavations were completely wanting both in hillary and
fncal NATTER as well free from any offensive smell
The paroxysms OF spasm in the extremtes and bowels
became generally very severe were attended with great
restessnes. and fainness, and the countenance
pressive of intense anguish The pulse frequent,
more frequently not above the natural standard, only
partially ncreased the tongue furred, generally moist
and red and the thirst intense. These symptoms, which
usually observed persons OF robust constitutions
after lasting from about to twenyfour hours, were
succeeded by the period OF prostration cold stage
In the OF prostratOn there great and rapid
sinking of the general strength and depression of all the
functions of organic life; those of the brain alone being
only partially impaired and the intellect remaining clear,
though weakened. Thus the whole surface of the body