Since the appearance of this malady, only two soldiers have been attacked in Quebec, and those while on duty—the rest being closely confined to their quarters.
The symptoms were the most violent at the commencement, and continued so until about the 16th or 18th, when they began to mitigate in severity, as the cases diminished in number.
In the treatment of this disease, recourse has been had to almost every remedy favourably reported of by European practitioners, and they all have had, for a time, their advocates—some preferring stimulants, others opiates, while others satisfied themselves with an intermediate plan of treatment—the whole of the medical practitioners with one accord agreeing, however, in the application of external stimulants, such as oil of turpentine, mustard, warm applications and frictions; calomel and opium have been much relied on by many. Practitioners speak with confidence of blood-letting at the onset of the disease, and before an approach to collapse has been recognised. Sweating has been much practised, and decidedly with advantage, when it is not allowed to run into that state of collapse indicated by a pulseless wrist, dejected countenance, blue extremities, tongue and breath cold, and a sunken voice, feeling as if it passed through the ears.
Some instances have been noticed, and also observed by our intelligent clergy, as well as by ourselves, where, in some mild forms of the disease, nature effected a cure by copious perspiration, encouraged by warm drinks and extra clothing.
The undersigned, with one accord, have found purgatives injurious, if used before perspiration or blood-letting had been resorted to, to allay the irritable state of the stomach and bowels; and then only the milder purgatives should be employed, such as calomel or blue pills, guarded with minute doses of opium, and carried off, after a few hours, with rhubarb, combined with soda and carbonate of ammonia.
Signed, Jos. Morrin, Health Commissioner; W. A. Hall, Resident Physician; F. X. Tessier, Health Officer; Wm. Lyons, Superintendent of the Emigrant Hospital.
Origin of the Cholera at Sunderland. By T. M. Greenhow, Esq. of Newcastle.
The assumed capability of Cholera being conveyed by shipping from one country to another, on which our system of quarantine is founded, very naturally gave rise to the suspicion, when it first appeared in the port of Sunderland, of its having been imported from some place on the Continent, where it was known to prevail; and several stories were in circulation descriptive of the manner in which it had thus been introduced. I shall not here repeat any of these tales, suffice it to say that none of them have been in any degree authenticated. That the ships which were blamed for having committed the mischief, were found to have been from uninfected ports, their bills of health clean, and their crews healthy; in point of fact they were fairly acquitted of the charge; and I believe the conviction is now almost universally entertained by the inhabitants of Sunderland, medical and non-medical, that the disease did not reach that place from any foreign source whatever. It may be further stated that the first case of cholera which took place in this part of the country, was at a considerable distance from Sunderland, having been at a small village called Team, about two miles south-west of Newcastle. This case occurred to Dr. Alexander, of Newcastle, on the 4th of August, 1831. The details are given in the Appendix, No. I.; other cases occurred at Newcastle simultaneously, if not before the regular appearance of the disease at Sunderland; although want of experience of its true characteristics, and unwillingness to believe in the fact, induced medical gentlemen to endeavour to prove that these were not cases of the new disease; yet subsequent observation has sufficiently proved their identity, and, I believe, it is now generally admitted. Such were the cases of Oswald Reay, which occurred in October, of William Armstrong in the beginning, and of Robert Jordan towards the end of November. On the 7th December the next case occurred, that of Maria Mills, with which commenced the official reports of the Board of Health of this place. The strictest inquiries respecting the origin of these cases have failed to obtain the slightest evidence of their having arisen from any infected source, and seem to prove, in the most satisfactory manner, that, however the disease may have since extended itself, its commencement in the country was spontaneous, upon whatever causes it may have depended.