Thomas Arnold

“ Small rooms are sometimes very much choked up by bedsteads and curtains, which not only are in the way of the air, but are also great hiding places for dirt. As to the heaps of dirt and the filthy slops that we often meet with before the doors of small houses, these are absolutely public nuisances, and the Parish itself should take care that these things are looked to in time, for it will be too late when the Cholera is actually amongst us. ”

“ A third great defence against the Cholera is not to be afraid of it. Whether it is in the air, or whether it may be caught from other people, fear in either case makes us especially apt to take it. Every one knows how seldom Doctors take any disorder from the sick persons whom they visit, and the great reason of this is, because they are not afraid: they are used to be in the way of sickness, and therefore it does not so much alarm them. ”

“ If it is in the air, all people living in the same place must be equally exposed to it, but we see that at Vienna, out of a population of nearly 300,000 persons, only 2,800 have taken the Cholera: at Berlin, out of a population of 200,000, the deaths have been about 1,184. Or supposing that it is caught by one person from another, still we find that few only catch it; for of these 1,184 persons who have died at Berlin, more than 700 lived in 400 different houses, which 400 houses were inhabited by above 16,000 people. ”

“ It should be added that there are in all about 7000 houses in Berlin, so that in 6600 of these there were not more than 400 deaths, and as the whole population of the City is only 200,000, it is plain that the houses in which the deaths took place must have been much more closely inhabited than is generally the case, for allowing 40 persons for every house in the whole town would make the population 280,000, instead of 200,000.
It is quite clear then that all persons will not, or more properly speaking that only a very few persons will take the Cholera. ”

“ This is true both of personal cleanliness, and also of cleanliness in our houses, streets, &c. As to the first of these, we do not enough consider the great importance of keeping the skin in a healthy state. The skin is a natural drain to many of the bad humours of the body. Every one knows how useful it is to get a man into a perspiration or sweat when he is ill, to set the pores of his skin open. Now dirt chokes up these pores, and thus stops what may be called the proper drainage of the body. ”

“ On the one hand, as it may be caught by one person from another, it seems quite right to keep a strict watch over all ships coming from those places where the Cholera is known to be prevailing, because the inconvenience of delaying the ships for a little while is nothing in comparison of the mischief of letting in so bad a disorder. ”

“ Again, cleanliness in our houses is very important; to get rid of all p. 6close smells by throwing open the windows, to sweep away the dirt out of holes and corners, from under beds, chests of drawers, and other places where it is apt to be left for a long-time undisturbed. Much harm is done also by any thing that stands near a window so as to hinder the fresh air from pouring into the room thoroughly, and in the same way all that crowds a room is bad, all that hinders the air from having a free course into every corner of it. ”

“ But on the other hand, supposing the disorder to have once reached this country, the case then becomes different: for as it may be in the air, our fears of one another may be all utterly useless, and they bring with them a great and certain evil, that of making us neglect the common duties of kindness, and run away from our friends when we might be of service to them. ”

“ To be cheerful and active therefore, to go about our common business and our common amusements, and to think as little about the Cholera as possible, would be very great means of keeping us safe from it. But you will p. 7say that a man cannot be cheerful with the fear of death before his eyes, that it will weigh upon his spirits, in spite of all he can do to shake it off. Fear indeed is hard to be reasoned with, and the fear of death is hardest of all ”

“ A man dies of the disorder keeping his senses to the last generally within twenty-four hours, unless you can succeed in restoring the natural action of the blood, and so relieving him from the cramps, and chills, and oppression under which he had laboured. ”

“ It is very much to be wished that people in this country were more aware of the advantages of bathing or washing themselves thoroughly; not their faces and hands only but their whole bodies and limbs; it would be as useful to their health, as it would be comfortable. ”

“ All means tending to restore the circulation and maintain the warmth of the body, should be had recourse to without delay. The patients should always immediately be put to bed, wrapped up in hot blankets, and warmth should be sustained by other external applications, such as repeated frictions with flannels and camphorated spirits ”

“ You see at once that they must have been very crowded, for this is at the rate of 40 inhabitants to every house, and yet out of these 40 persons, placed in circumstances the most likely, one would think, to make them catch it, not so many as two died from it. ”