The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-03-06
FoR THE mrpp1EBuRY GALAXY.
MEDICAL MEETING.


( Fos THE mrpp1 EBrRY GALAXY.
MEDICAL MEETING.
The Addison County Medical Society me
a, the Vermont Hotel, in Middlebury, OIL
Thursday, the 1st of March.
The Committee appointed at the last meet
ing made the following report on the
ASIATIC CHOLERA.
Your committee beg leave to submit tn
following report of facts and opinions In re
gard to The cholera.
The history of the disease, thus far in II
progress, seems TO justify the expectation tina
a large portion of New England Will be ex
empt from the ravages of the cholera, to who
many other portions of the UEion are great.
exposed. 1t is now quite well established
fact. that the geological character OF countr,
exerts great influence upon the presence
the disease. This influence. however, IS LA
BILE to be modified by some atmospher1cal phe
nomena A country composed OF the Older
or primary rocks is usually exempt from the
prevalence of cholera.
Opinions differ as to the contagious charac'
ter Of this disease, though the general tenor Of
the authority of the evidence, obtained IRON
observers of all classes in different countries
and climates, and amidst all varieties and con-
ditions of people, appears to discredit the once
prevalent opinion that cholera is contagious
| There is no doubt, however. that where the
predisposition 10 the disease exists IN commu'
nity, contact with those affected does often, IN
some way, tend 10 its development. One,
therefore who is not called by duty to visit
places where it exists, should not do So
A close observation of the disease, alsoproves
that cholera almost always affords, by premon-
itory symptoms, warning OF ITS approach IN
time for the employment Of those means capa-
bic Of arresting its progress
Observation and experience both establish
the fact that The cholera is disease oil inc
wretched and the debilitated, the chief predis-
posing causes being defective or insufficient
nourishment, bad air, exhaustion from cold ana
dampness, excessive labor, fear, grief, over-ex-
citemcnt of the emotions or passions. and IN
TEMPERANCE, either of eating or drinking, all
of which have the effect of lowering the health
and vigor of the system, and OF increasing
thereby the susceptibility to disease. A dis
t-ict of country like that Of Vermont, dis
tincuished alike for the salubrity Of its climate
and the robustness of its inhabitants, for the
paucity of its facilitating causes and the a.
bundance of its invigorating ones, is, there
fore, little exposed to the ravages Of the chol-
era. We are here more exposed to the chol-
era through visitors and transient residents who
come among US for the purpose OF pleasure: or
health, or to labor upon some Of the public
works than from any other causes.
The premonitory symptom, which, there IS
reason to believe, universally precedes the
more dangerous stage of the disease, IS loose
ness of the bowels Sometimes, indeed, when
the poison exists in unusual intensity, or the
constitutional predisposition is unusually great,
the first stage of the disease may appear to be
suppressed, as occasionally happens in violent
attacks of other diseases. In cholera, this E.
vent seems to be so rare as practically to sc CT
no account. If this slight relaxation of the
bowels be promptly attended to, the patient
generally RECEIVERS. This looseness may be at
tended with some degree Of pain, which, how
ever, is generally slight and in many cases IS
wholly absent, and for some hours or even days,
this bowel complaint may appear trifing; so
that without previous knowledge of the I'M
portance of the warning, it might escape no
tice altogether. 1t should be repeated, how
ever, and even urged upon the mind Of the
community, that whenever the cholera is cpl
demic, the slightest degree of looseness of the
bowels ought to be regarded and treated as the
commencement of the disease, which, at this
stage, is capable Of being arrested by simple
means, but if neglected or left for only few
hours, may suddenly assume fatal form.
Whenever the cholera does appear in any
community, although we believe that even
debiitated person, being free from fear and
using wholesome food and avoiding exhaustion,
would nearly always escape the disease, yet,
as fear is of all others the most debiitating a.
gent, we would advise the timid never to ex-
pose themselves in the chambers Of the sick.
Great numbers of persons may escape, and
make no difference in their Diet vet, those
who value directions will be careful to use that
food most easily digested, and avoid the causes
of debility, which we have enumerated. Ar
ticles of food and drink which, in ordinary
seasons, are generally wholesome, and agree
well with the individual constitution, may, I'M
der this unusual condition, prove dangerous.
The diet should be solid rather than fluid, and
usually that which furnishes the greatest a.
mount of nutriment, and those who have the
means of choosing should lire principally up
on animal food, as aflording the most concen-
trated and invigorating diet. Beef and Nut
ton, boiled or roasted broths of meat, without
vegetables we'll boiled or roasted fowls (never
eaten cold) stale bread, rice and mealy pota-
toes; avoiding cider, perry, ginger-beer, lem
onade, acid liquors of all descriptions, and ar
dent spirits; are good recommendations for
the weakly and timid, and will probably prove
( injurious to the general health of but few if A.
ny 1t is thought, however, that fruits which
are well ripened and taken in their season,
would prove beneficial rather than injurious.
The seasons of the year which produce these
fruits and bring them TO perfection, in their
physiological effects upon the constitution
cause a demand for their use, which, if ju-
dicously supplied, will not oaly contribute to
the general health, but be one Of the surest
preventives TO laxity of the bowels, a common
complaint of these seasons, and the precursor
of the dreaded disease.
here are, doubtless, cases in which the lin
tied use of spirltuo us liquors would not be in
furious, but otherwise. These cases, however
are so comparatively few, and the number, on
the other hand, who are injured thereby SC
vastly great that we feel ii to be obligatory