Various

“ O’Shaughnessy’s report on the chemical pathology of malignant cholera, by which it appears that in that disease there is a very great deficiency both of the water and saline matter of the blood. On which deficiency, the thick, black, cold state of the vital fluid depends, which evidently produces most of the distressing symptoms of that very fearful complaint, and is, doubtless, often the cause of death. In this opinion I am abundantly borne out by the phenomena produced on repletion by venous injection. ”

“ We would again most earnestly entreat our citizens not to neglect to apply [57] for medical aid the moment diarrhœa, or sick stomach and head-ache take place. We have not yet known one instance in which the disease in its malignant form, was not preceded by one or more of these symptoms, for some hours, if not days; and we have not seen or heard of a single instance where these premonitory symptoms were properly attended to, an attack was not prevented. It cannot be too strongly or too often impressed upon the minds of our citizens, that cholera, in its early stages, is easily cured ”

“ In New York, it has been observed that they have enjoyed no greater immunity than the whites, and the natives of India, whose constitution much resembles that of the negro, were more liable to cholera than Europeans. There is ample grounds for fearing that the disease will be productive of terrible mortality among the slaves of the southern states, and proper measures of hygiene should be promptly adopted; and on the very first symptoms of derangement of the digestive organs, remedial measures immediately resorted to. ”

“ A delicate young female, of strumous habits, who had been for some years subject to pectoral complaints, was rescued from a state of collapse by the injection of sixty ounces of the saline fluid, administered in separate portions, within the space of twelve hours. After lingering for ten days she died; the heart was found in a state of atrophy, covered with strong evidence of the existence of ancient disease, and floating in eight ounces of pus. In another case every internal organ was diseased; some of them so much so, that it was astonishing the individual lived so long. ”

“ In an ordinary attack of cholera, much fluid is lost; and if the individual is so fortunate as to get out of the stage of collapse, if consecutive fever of typhoid type comes on, the system, left to its own resources to replace the lost serum, must be but ill fitted for the task, for the debility is extreme, absorption goes on slowly, the fever will be much aggravated by the irritation of internal congestion ”

“ The second cause of want of success is the presence of organic disease; this, [54] probably, renders the possessor very liable to attacks of cholera; and the latent evil, which previously gave but little uneasiness, suffers aggravation in all its symptoms, more especially after reaction has been produced, and has evidently, in many cases, been the cause of death. ”

“ I may, however, mention, that the idea of having recourse to this remedy in cholera, occurred to Dr. Latta, from being convinced, (which I am also,) that the evacuations upwards and downwards are in reality the serum of the blood; that it is the duty of the physician to replace it, as speedily as possible, by injecting a fluid, as similar to the serum as can be formed artificially, directly into the veins, which has been done here with wonderful, and, so far as we can yet judge, excellent effect. ”

“ We stated in our last report to the board, that immediately prior to the breaking out of the epidemic, our city was unusually healthy. Until about the 20th of June, few diseases prevailed, and the mortality was less than common. From the 22d of June to the 3d of July, only eleven deaths occurred—of those, six were children. In a population of twenty-six thousand, an average of less than one death a day for near two weeks, indicates a degree of health almost without a parallel. From the 30th of June to the 3d of July, not one single death was reported. ”

“ If the temperature is so low as a hundred, it produces an extreme sense of cold, with rigors; and if it reaches 115°, it suddenly excites the heart, the countenance becomes flushed, and the patient complains of great weakness. At first there is but little felt by the patient, and symptoms continue unaltered, until the blood, mingled with the injected liquid, becomes warm and fluid; the improvement in the pulse and countenance is almost simultaneous ”

“ The disease has been among us for a fortnight; has passed all over the city, and in one form or other has affected more or less persons of all classes, and yet the deaths have not much exceeded five in a day, whilst at Quebec and Montreal, in a population not much exceeding ours, the deaths some days exceeded one hundred, when the disease had not been so long among them as it has been with us. ”

“ A careful examination of the results of the various modes of treatment adopted in India, Russia, Poland, Germany, Great Britain and France, has satisfied us that the internal administration of powerful stimulants in large doses, in the collapsed stage of cholera, has been eminently injurious, and such appears to have been ultimately the conviction of nearly all the practitioners who resorted to them. ”

“ The first care of friends should be, not to run away, but to take the sick into more healthy and airy lodgings.
“We would also protest against the indecent haste with which the scarcely cold remains of the dead are hurried to their last abode, without a neighbour to follow, or a friend to mourn. Such conduct is discreditable to the character of a Christian people. We trust that we shall not again have to complain of similar indifference to the performance of the duties of charity and humanity. ”

“ In the hands of a man of ordinary dexterity, the common injecting apparatus alluded to in my last will be found to answer the purpose perfectly well; but if the practice I recommend is, as I hope it will be, generally adopted, it will, I conceive, be expedient to advise that a regular and perfect transfusion apparatus be used; at all events, to warn those who inject to beware of allowing air to get into the vein. ”

“ From a consideration of all the circumstances connected with the visitation of Providence, we think our citizens have great cause for thankfulness, that we thus far suffered so little. Compared to our neighbours of Canada, we have suffered less than we had cause to anticipate. ”

“ Such remedies must be persisted in; and repeated as symptoms demand, or until reaction is permanently established. I have witnessed no violent symptoms accompanying the rapid injection of the fluid; but I have thought that the hasty repletion of the system was followed by great increase of the evacuations, and, consequently, a more sudden depression of the powers of life. The quantity to be injected depends on the effect produced, and the repetition on the demands of the system, which generally vary according to the violence of the diarrhœa ”

“ That such is requisite, is evident from the watery diarrhœa returning with violence, and if not restrained, death will ultimately make sure of his victim, therefore, so soon as the pulse fails, and the features again shrink, the venous injection must be repeated, taking care that the fluid in use retains its proper temperature. ”

“ Almost all the deaths have occurred in persons of intemperate habits, and of broken constitutions. A few estimable citizens have fallen victims to it, but these were either aged and infirm, or had neglected the premonitory symptoms, or had tampered with medicines, without proper advice. ”

“ Spring, that no case of malignant cholera had occurred among the two hundred and eight male Penitentiary prisoners—that a lad, aged sixteen, who frequently complained of being unwell, died on the 13th inst., after three or four hours sickness of common cholera. Those men are employed in the open air, and their prison is in the most perfect order ”

“ The third case of the occasional want of success, is the late application of the remedy. Hitherto I have had opportunity of injecting only in extreme cases, after every other means had entirely failed, cases which apparently soon would have proved fatal. ”