The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-08-08
STRICKEN BY CHOLERA.
Spread of the Dreaded Pestilence
in France.
Symptoms Of the Disease and the
Number of Victims.

A special correspondent of the New York
Times who has been investigating the ravages
of the cholera in France cables from Mar
settles that it has spread from that city and
Toulon to the smaller towns He says:
Nearly twenty-five places in the south of
France-chiefy in the department of
the Bouches du Rhone-are now afflict-
ed with the pestence and report from
one to three deaths each day. In these vii
lagos crowded as some of them have been
with refugees, so that strangers would find
it difficult to get lodgings there for a night,
the germs of disease brought from Toulon
and Mareiles are beginning to develop, ami,
by means of the water, to spread themselves
among the natives.
Many of the isolated cases reported in this
region us cholera are proved on more careful
examination and better knowledge to be only
aggravated cases of diarrhea. In both dis
eases the initial symptoms are the same.
by large dose of opium or laudanum, pro-
vided they are taken in hand early enough.
The trouble always is that, owing to the
swiftness of the disease, when it is once
well started there is little hope of re-
covery, and it gets well started in fear
fully short space of time Delays arc,
therefore, fatally dangerous. 1t is difficult
to establish a rule of treatment as diff
ferent patients are handled differently, and
the variations of cases are at times very
wide. Sometimes the second stage of the
disease, otherwise known as the cold stage,
comes with great rapidity, and, even
if arrested, it comes again and again, until
the patient is burned out in the alterna-
tions. But in this stage much depends
upon the temperament of the patient.
Courage and hope are of great importance
to him. If he can be kept from yielding to
ola
Just as he may contract the disease the
more easily from fear Of it, s. he may die of
it the more easily from fear A fearful heart
makes faint stomach. Consequently any.
thing that tends to interfere with assimilation
is the worst thing possible for patient suf
fering from cholera.
OF the total number of deaths in France
from cholera this year probably the great
majority died inside OF nine hours after
they were seized with their illness Some
have not died until after being sick week
or more, but the majority of cases were set
tied one way or the other within eight
ten hours. At the start there is diarrhea
and vomiting; this usually lasts but a short
time; then follow the cramps and the icy
chis and this stage has commonly beer
reached by the Hme the patient has arrived
at the hospital. If the circulation car
then be restored and kept up by
the use of from ten to fifteef
grammes of acetate of ammonia, the sam,
quantity of alcohol, and by violent rub
bling, there is some chance of recovery
though the chance is slight. But if til,
circulation cannot be kept up death is Ger
tain to ensue. In the last stages some
patients are delirious while others enter
into a comatose condition; but the whole lat
ter part of the disease is generally frightfu
thing to behold. 1t is simply hellish torture
Up to the present time there have beer
in France about $500 deaths from the chol
era. From this readers will probably SEE
that the totals published from day to day
in the lapels-at any rate, it is true of news
papers on this side of the ocean-have been
advertisements. Cases which occur in the
surrounding villages and at points further
away are liable to be reported late, and thu.
escape being included in the daily bulletins.