Cholera. Two clinical lectures upon the nature, treatment, and symptoms, of spasmodic cholera / by J.F.V. [sic] Broussais. [Edited, with preface, by J.S. Bartlett] delivered during the prevalence of the disease in Paris.

  • Broussais, F. J. V. (François Joseph Victor), 1772-1838.
Date:
1832
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cholera. Two clinical lectures upon the nature, treatment, and symptoms, of spasmodic cholera / by J.F.V. [sic] Broussais. [Edited, with preface, by J.S. Bartlett] delivered during the prevalence of the disease in Paris. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    DR. BR0USSA1S’ FIRST LECTURE ON THE CHOLERA MORBUS. Gentlemen, The disease, the nature of which we are now to investigate, is called the Cholera Morbus, The name comes from another malady, so called, because those affected with it vomit a a great deal of bile. The denomination was given to it in the times when the humoral doctrines were in vogue ; at which period, dis¬ eases were attributed to humors when their evacuation was most apparent, or seemed to explain the nature of the disease. Thus, in the sporadic cholera, there is always a large secretion of bile; and thence the name of Cholera Morbus, from the Greek word cholos, bile, and the Latin word morbus, disease ; so that the etymolo¬ gical signification of the word is, disease of the bile. This name has been applied on account of the number of symptoms belonging to an epidemic which has long been known in the equatorial regions, and which now rages within our walls. This epidemic has doubtless prevailed at several different epochs, and probably is the same as the frightful pestilence which made its appearance in the year 1348, and carried off nearly a third part of the existing population; and it has in effect a very great affinity to what is told us of the black pest. But whatever may have been its nature, it was forgotten in our region. We read, from time to time, numer¬ ous articles in the papers, upon the ravages which the cholera morbus had made at Calcutta and other cities of India or the Levant, but it was still nothing more than a matter of curiosity. The English, who have considerable establishments in the East Indies, had never intro¬ duced the disease into their own country, and the small number of French who have visited those places, never spread its contagion at home. Whether this was owing to the circumstance that the com¬ munications between these countries have always been by sea, to the kind of food taken during the voyage, or to the fresh winds which blow over the water, and thus destroy the causes of the malady whatever they may be, I cannot say; but certain it is, that the disease had never left the place of its origin. The Russians first introduced the cholera into Europe, by means of their communications over land with Persia, India, and countries