The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-11-08
Adoo,
The Cholera and its Ravages

Inc cholera and its RavageS.
A correspondent of the Springfield Re-
publican writing from Cunstantnople says /:
The cholera has now been in this city
two months. Its victims are numbered
from 40, 900 TO 5000. In the crieis of
the disease from 1900 to 2000 died in IL
day. Death often followed within two
or three hours Of the attack. In some
quarters Of the city there would be no
cases up to Il certain date. when the dis
ease would break out there with great
violence, and, for Il time, almost every
case would be fatal The house where
reside is elevated in positi"n and well
ventilated, and, while funeral professions
were continually coming up from the
street below, TO pass out to the burying-
ground, the disease did not, for time.
come at all into our own neighborhOod,
and we hoped that we should escape AL
together. But by-and-by it broke out
with great fury in the house near Us, and.
for some dgys the wall for the dead was
rising all around. Members of my own
family were attacked, but, by Gods bles
sing upon the remedies used, speedily
recovered, and, i'll few DAYS. the inten-
slty OF the deadly influence seemed to pass
away. We are able, almost. TO trace its
progress from street to street and from
house to house. OF course the appear
ance of the disease in our cilv caused !,
terrible panic. bIutitudcS fled to neigh
boring and even distant cities, but often
carrying the disease with them, and them
selves falling victims to its power on the
road. IN some cases. the breaking out
OF the disease in a particular quarter OF
the city was the signal for almost a com
plete stampede Of all the people dwelling
there. IN repeated instances parents for
sock their sick children and children
their sick parents. Families fled from
their houses, leaving their dead bodies
unburied. The English vice-consul found
and buried fifteen sLch abandoned corpscs
in houses near his own. The most fear
full destruction of life was among the
khans 4 khan is an enormous stone
edificc OF quadrangular form, built
around an open court. The building i,
usually two stories high, and is divided
into great number OF small rooms -
These rooms are rented as lodging g-loom,
for travellers, day laborers and other
classes of floating population always
found here. Little attention WAS paid
10 ventilation in the construction of these
rooms, and very little care is Lad for
cleanliness in the care OF them They
are crowded with occupants. single
khan often containing 20)0 or 5000 per-
sons. The cholera, once within these
walls, would smite down the inmates by
scores. The habits, too, OF those lodging
there helped the ravages Of the disease.
Many of them have got the idea from
some quarter that the use Of spirits was
preventive, gave themselves up to in
toxication. In answer TO the inquiry
made ut the entrance of one of these
khans as to the number of sick there,
the reply was given, "One-half are sick,
and the other half are drunk"
The general symptoms of the disease,
as developed here were very uniform
Firsr, diarrhea, the discharges being
painless often, but very frequent, and re.
sembling water with pieces of boiled rice
in it; second, vomiting Of yellowi,h water,
third, if these symptoms were not check
ed, cramps followed, the hands, feet, and
limbs became cold, pulse feeble, skin on
the fingers shrivelled and of dark color,
eyes heavy, sunken and turned up, so as
to show much of the white portion
Many had, in this and the preceding
diarrhea stage, fevSr; all had raging
thirst, and called incessantly for water.
Fourth, those who survived the previous
stages had often a low, typhoid fever,
with its usual symptoms, which, however,
usually yielded quite readily TO appro-
dllate remedies, l know very little of
the treatment of th ediSease by the ply
sicians, foreign or native, but am pretty
certain, from what / heard of the opera
lions of the latter that they killed many
who would otherwise have survive the
cholera attack. The American mission
AIRY families having had some experience
Vi the disease in its previous ,isity to the
city, and acting, too, under the advice of
an experienced missionary physician,
who was providentialIy with US at the
time, made use, among lh.ms, Ives N
10 considerable extent among native
families of their acquaintance, OF The fol-
lowing medicines, with very great success.
As soon as the diarrhea commenced, they
administered from twenty to fifty drops
Of a mixture OF equal parts Of laudanum,
spirits of camphor and tlncture Of rheu-
barb. This dose was repeated after each
movement of the bowels, and the guam