Papers relative to the disease called cholera spasmodica in India, now prevailing in the north of Europe : with extracts of letters, reports, and communications received from the continent.

  • Great Britain. Privy Council.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Papers relative to the disease called cholera spasmodica in India, now prevailing in the north of Europe : with extracts of letters, reports, and communications received from the continent. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    28 to illustrate the origin of the disease, yet lihder all the circum- stances of our position, we have resolved not to defer the expres- sion of those conclusions on this subject to which we have already arrived with the most perfect unanimity. From everything we have been able to learn as to the progress of cholera morbus in the north of Europe ; from its first appear- ance in the towns and villages of this country having been gene- rally, if not always, preceded by the arrival of persons, or vessels, or both, from infected places ; from the manner in which the disease has now broken out in this city, we see no other mode of accounting for its sudden appearance here, than by concluding that the barks [from places on the Wolga where the disease pre- vails, have brought something with them, which, disseminated in this atmosphere, has been the immediate cause of the eruption of cholera v\'hich has just occurred. It must however be remarked, that both the inhabitants and the atmosphere of St. Petersburg were highly fitted, at the moment, to entertain such a malady. The coarse acescent food ; the sheep-skin clothing of the pea- sant, seldom changed, and worn even at this season ; the protracted religious fasts ; the subsequent intemperance both in eating and drinking; the intolerably close apartments of the Russians of all aanks; their consequent sensibility to sudden change of tempera- ture, render them, in our opinion, particularly liable to suffer from the present disease. All St. Petersburg is at this moment in the midst of a solemn fast; the streets are crowded with processions, and other more tumultuous meetings ; the churches are tilled all day; many are attacked after coming from these meetings, and some have suffered whilst attending them. We cannot as yet say one word as to the personal communica- bility of this terrible malady; we are, however, from what we observe here, inclined to hope that, should it unfortunately reach England, cleanly habits and a mild climate will mitigate its se- verity. Trusting that the Lords of the Council will approve of our having halted here to watch the progress of the present epidemic from ils very origin, which we arrived in time to witness, and waiting their Lordships' further commands, We have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servants, William Russell, AJ.D. D. Barry, M.D.