Maryland free press., 1866-05-31
WILLIAMsPORT, MD, THURSDAY, MAY 81, 1866

times varied from one hundred anu twenty
to forty. Goodness sets in the nose and
face, and soon extends over the whole body,
while the patient still feels burning seusa-
tions. Physical prostration becomes rapid
ly complete, and the patient looks like a
corpse. Occasionally ywhen he desires sleep
death relieves him of his suffering, ......
In some cases when the dark and stag
nant blood begins to flow, there is danger
of inflammation by meaps of the chaotic
drug received by the patient. Infama-
tion Of the lungs some times distinguishes
the eases. Where the sufferer has strong
constitution recovery rapidly follows. The
duration of the disease varies from several
hours to seven days. There were certain
peculiarities ofthe epidemic. When death
begins to claim his victim, the temperature
of the body increases. No explanation
had yet been given of that feature of the
sickness. In some eases the spasmolic
contortions of the patient continued after
death. The eyes of the dead known to
have been turned down, and the hands
have been claspcd, as if in prayer, after
the sufferer had died. The stitIening of the
body after death generally occurred i'll
Forty minutes. Unfortunately, the changes
which followed mortality were not of char.
acter to shed any important light on the
origin or treatment of the disease. One
fact was, that although vomiting had been
frequent, the food which hal been taken
before the disease was found on the stomach
The alimcntary canal was covered with g
creamy substance. Although no bile was
detected in the rice discharges, the gal
bladder was found full of it after death.
From the pathological description, il
was evideut that the disease expended its
whole force on the alilnentary canal. The
doctor then referred to the terrible rava.
ges of the pestilence among the people
who resided in the nei ghborhood. of tho
river Ganycs, from the year 1917, wher
it is said to have first broken out. Hav.
ing alluded to its first appearance ant
progress in America in 1928, he said il
generally attacked only those who ncglec
ted, by dissipation Or awant of cleanliness
the organic laws Of health and life. Per
sons exhausted by an excessive amount 0
physical or mental labor those who dc
stroycd the nervous system by the use o
tea and coffee; artizans and working girl
who followed sedentary occupations. by
which the digestive system was deranged
and the large class debilitatdd by the ust
of medicine; by continual or occasional
sickness, and by drinking liquor, were al
predisposed to take the cholera. The ami
nal eflluvia in the air, arising from slaugh
ter-houses, hog-pens and other sources
also tended to spread the epidemic. TIL,
records of it in various cities, showed tha
its ravages often extended in proportion
to the lack of diligence on the part Of
city inspector or board of health. 49,,
The doctor next advcrtcd to the theorie
put forth by various medical gentlemen o
eminence both here and in Europe, in re
lation to the origin or source of cholera
Three theories received special attention
The first was that the epidemic was causeC
by the unbalanced condition of the mag
nctic forces of the earth; the second, tha
it was created by an oversupply of cleo
tricity in the air; and the third, that i
arose from the lack of electricity in the at
mosphcrc. lie believed there was no tru
foundation for any Of those spcculations
and held that the theory of Doctor Snow
of London, who maintained that the dis
ease was caused by the termination of al
eggin the alimentary canal by. which j
was developed in those who were predis
posed to become its victims, lie did no
regard the disease as contagious; it wa
communicated by infection to person
whose health were destroyed by debility
or from other causes. Physicians had tast
cd the discharges of the patients, and wer
inoculated themselves with their blood
but they found it impossible to reproduc
the epidemic. Nurses also in constant at
tendance on the victims, escaped the dis
case in almost every instance. ,...
Neck-Twisting in Church. ltt
A good story is told ofan eccentric old parsor
who was soreiy annoyed by habit his peopl
nn,,;rni (,nI ,,rn,..,ilr