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Cholera, Etc

years. It is not contagious from person to person, ❘ but a common lamp, made according to Argand's but is always propagated by human or other animal filth, in the air or water. An absolutely clean and pure locality will always be free from cholera* Symptoms.

After watery diarrhea, generally, of a few hours' duration, vomiting begins, of a clear colorless fluid; which, as well as the copious passages from the bowels, resembles rice-water. There is, also, coldness of the skin, which gradually increases; with cramps, thirst, great feebleness of the pulse, and general prostration, deepening into collapse. In this last condition the patient is blue all over, with the skin shrunken, and the pulse at the wrist imperceptible; sometimes the breath is cold. Few recover from this state.

Treatment.

Medical men vary infinitely in their mode of management of this disease; as no specific remedy for it has been discovered. Considerable experience with it, in 1849, 1850, and 1854, enables the writer of this article to express a confident opinion in favor of the following mode of practice; by construction, suspended from the roof of the hall, and kept burning under a funnel, the tube of which rises above the roof without, and is furnished with a ventilator. For his first experiment he filled his large laboratory with the smoke of oak shavings.

In a few minutes after he lighted his lamp, the whole smoke disappeared, and the air was perfectly purified.

Simple mode of Ventilation.

Ships' holds are well ventilated when there is wind, by means of a sail, rigged out from the deck to below, like a funnel, whose largest orifice points to leeward. But in some situations, as prisons, where foul air stagnates, this method cannot be adopted. Therefore, the plan has been adopted of making two holes in the side of the building or ship, communicating with the open air by a tin tube. Two pair of bellows are fitted up, the nozzle of one being introduced air-tight into one of the tin tubes, and a leathern pipe nailed on the wall, over the other tube, to which it may be fastened by wax thread. The other end of this pipe is to be made fast to the clicker-hole of the second pair which, although it cannot be claimed to be infalli- of bellows; a luting of plaster of Paris, rendering ble, he believes that he has saved a number of lives. both ends air-tight. A common blacksmith's Apply a large mustard-plaster over the abdomen, and another on the back. Rub the limbs well with brandy mixed with Cayenne pepper.

If the cramps continue, substitute for the mustard-plaster over the abdomen, a poultice of hops steeped in hot-water. Let the patient have, very frequently, small pieces of ice to dissolve in the mouth; and, every five minutes, a dose of the following anodyne and cordial tincture:- Take of aromatic spirits of ammonia, laudanum, chloroform, and spirits of camphor, each, 1½ fl. drs.; creasote, 8 drops; oil of cinnamon, 2 drops; alcohol, enough to make 1 oz. of the tincture.

Put 1 teaspoonful of this into a wineglassful of ice-water, and give 1 teaspoonful of the solution every five minutes until the patient decidedly improves; then lengthen the intervals by degrees till the symptoms all abate.

It is important to know that epidemic cholera is not a disease of the bowels or stomach particularly, but of the whole system. In this it differs from common cholera morbus. When an epidemic of cholera is prevailing, it is not well to live on a thin or weak diet, of rice, etc., as this will not promote immunity from the disease.

Neither is it prudent to indulge at such a time in spirituous or other stimulants, as intemperance increases the danger. The true plan is, to live regularly, according to one's usual habits and needs, so as to keep the system steadily up to par in every way, without excess or reduction.

Another important fact is, that the diarrhea, which commonly, though not invariably, precedes an attack of cholera, may be checked often by very mild means. During a cholera epidemic no one should neglect even a slight looseness of the bowels. Paregoric, in doses varying from 20 drops to 1 dr., at intervals, according to the case, will usually be suitable; or the following mixture, used much in Turkey, will be found serviceable: tincture of opii, camphor, and rhubarb, each 2 fluiddrs. Dose, 18 to 20 drops every two hours in a little sugar-water. But medical advice should be early obtained.